XN000022-1974-12-09 — Page 2

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1974

MORE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS GETTING FINANCIAL HELP

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MORE THAN HALF OF HONG KONG'S UNIVERSITY STUDENT BODY IS NOW RECEIVING GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL AID AS MORE STUDENTS FROM THE LOWER INCOME CLASS ARE ADMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITIES.

DISCLOSING THIS TODAY, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT UNIVERSITIES COMMITTEE ON STUDENT FINANCE, MR. S.F. BAILEY, SAID 3,919 NEEDY UNDERGRADUATES AND POST-GRADUATES, AS WELL AS STUDENTS TAKING A HIGH DEGREE OR DIPLOMA COURSE IN THE TWO UNIVERSITIES WERE RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

+THIS REPRESENTS OVER 57 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT BODY AND A CONSIDERABLE INCREASE COMPARED WITH THE SITUATION IN 1969, HE SAID.

IN 1969, 1,599 STUDENTS THEN UNIVERSITY STUDENT BODY

REPRESENTING 32.7 PER CENT OF THE WERE AWARDED FINANCIAL AID.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS GIVEN IN THE FORM OF GRANTS AND INTEREST-FREE LOANS. THE SCHEME IS ADMINISTERED BY THE JOINT UNIVERSITIES COMMITTEE ON STUDENT FINANCE WHICH COMPRISES REPRESENTATIVES FROM STUDENTS AND STAFF OF THE TWO UNIVERSITIES THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE SECRETARY OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE.

+THE BASIC AIMS ARE TO ENSURE THAT NO STUDENT OFFERED A PLACE BY EITHER UNIVERSITY HAS TO TURN IT DOWN FOR LACK OF FINANCIAL RESCOURCES, AND TO ENSURE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THAT THE ASSISTANCE GIVEN IS ADEQUATE,+ MR. BAILEY EXPLAINED.

MR. BAILEY SAID SOME $4.25 MILLION WAS AWARDED TO STUDENTS THIS YEAR AS AGAINST $2.45 MILLION IN 1969. THE ALLOCATION OF LOANS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR IS $13.50 MILLION FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OF $3.06 MILLION IN THE YEAR 1969.

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THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL AID HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY SINCE A 1971 RE-EXAMINATION OF STUDENT REQUIREMENTS. HE NOTED.

+FURTHERMORE, THE TWO UNIVERSITIES NOW ENROL NOT PRIMARILY MIDDLE-CLASS STUDENTS, BUT A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH RELATIVELY FEW FAMILY RESCOURCES.+

ALL ASSISTED STUDENTS OBTAINED INTEREST-FREE LOANS ON A SCALE RANGING FROM $600 TO $4,000 PER ANNUM. THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF THIS KIND OF LOAN IS $3,426 FOR EACH STUDENT DURING THIS YEAR.

MOST ASSISTED STUDENTS ALSO RECEIVED GOVERNMENT GRANTS OF UP TO $2,620 THE AVERAGE GRANT FOR A STUDENT BEING AN ESTIMATED $1,279.

THE ESSENCE