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Student Travel Allowance Scheme
Following is a question by the Hon Eric Li Ka-cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Michael Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
As the Student Travel Allowance Scheme aims at subsidising the traffic expenses of needy students for travelling between home and school, applicants are required to pass a family means test so as to ensure that the subsidy will be given to students who are in genuine need of assistance. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council :-
(a)
(b)
of the reasons why there is an age-limit imposed under the Scheme to deny subsidy to full-time students over the age of 25; and
whether this measure will pose financial problems for full-time students over the age of 25 from low-income families, contrary to the objective of the Scheme?
Reply:
Mr President,
(a)
The Student Travel Subsidy Scheme (STSS) was introduced as a non- means-tested Scheme in October 1988 to replace the former Student Travel Card Scheme (STCS). The objective of the STSS is to provide subsidies to students for part of the cost of trips between home and the place of study and part of the cost of trips for extra-curricular activities. All full-time students up to the first degree level who are under the age of 25 and have to take public transport to school by paying the full fare are eligible to apply. The STSS was revised to become means-tested in 1991 with the other criteria remaining unchanged. The age limit criterion was inherited from the STCS on the assumption that students reaching the age of 25 should, in general, be able to support their own travel expenses.