MONDAY, MAY 9, 1983
JOINT FUND TO HELP HK STUDENTS IN BRITAIN
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THE HONG KONG AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS HAVE AGREED ON A JOINT FUNDING SCHEME TO ASSIST HONG KONG STUDENTS IN BRITAIN TO PAY OVERSEAS STUDENT FEES.
SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF FUNDS BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE SCHEME WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE 1983-84 ACADEMIC YEAR AND WILL BE REVIEWED JOINTLY BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS WITHIN THREE YEARS.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO PROVIDE 50 PER CENT OF THE COST OF THE SCHEME FOR 1983-84 UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 1.9 MILLION STERLING POUND. THE COMMITMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO YEARS WILL BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF ACTUAL COSTS IN THE FIRST ACADEMIC YEAR.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL MATCH THIS CONTRIBUTION ON A DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR BASIS. THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IF THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTION BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS WAS SMALLER THAN TURNED OUT TO BE REQUIRED IN 1983-84 OR IN FUTURE YEARS, EACH STUDENT WOULD RECEIVE PART OF THE SUBSIDY IN THE FORM OF A GRANT AND THE BALANCE OF THE ASSISTANCE NEEDED IN THE FORM OF A LOAN.
THE SCHEME WILL APPLY TO HONG KONG STUDENTS ON FIRST DEGREE OR POLYTECHNIC HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA COURSES IN BRITAIN WHO WILL BE MEANS-TESTED TO DETERMINE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE AND THE LEVEL OF SUBSIDY TO BE RECEIVED.
+IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE AT THIS STAGE HOW MANY STUDENTS WILL APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER THE NEW SCHEME, BUT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS GRANTED A LOAN UNDER THE CURRENT SCHEME IN 1982-83, AROUND 1 000 STUDENTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE. AS THE AVERAGE SUBSIDY PER STUDENT WILL AMOUNT TO ABOUT $22 700 PER ANNUM, THE FUNDS ALLOCATED SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO MEET DEMAND IN 1983-84, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
AS IN THE CASE OF THE EXISTING LOAN SCHEME FOR HONG KONG STUDENTS IN BRITAIN, THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY PAYABLE IN EACH CASE WILL BE DETERMINED BY SUBTRACTING THE STUDENT'S ANNUAL DISPOSABLE
INCOME FROM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOME AND OVERSEAS RATES OF FEES.
APPLICATIONS WILL BE PROCESSED AND MEANS-TESTED IN HONG KONG IN THE SAME WAY AS FOR THE LOAN SCHEME. BY THE SECRETARY OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE, AND THE SUBSIDIES WILL BE PAID DIRECT TO THE INSTITUTIONS IN BRITAIN.
APPLICATIONS FOR SUBSIDY WILL BE CALLED SOON, FOLLOWING CONSIDERATION OF THE MATTER BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. THE HONG KONG COMMISSIONER IN LONDON WILL ARRANGE FOR STUDENTS ALREADY IN BRITAIN TO BE INFORMED.
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