XN000022-1975-09-10 — Page 4

3

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1975

4,701 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO RECEIVE GOVERNMENT GRANTS

******

THE JOINT UNIVERSITIES' COMMITTEE, WHICH ADMINISTERS THE GOVERNMENT SCHEME ON STUDENT FINANCE, HAS RECOMMENDED 4,701 STUDENTS TO RECEIVE GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1975/76.

THE COMMITTEE HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 7,580 APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, OF THESE, 2,728 WERE MADE BY THOSE WHO EVENTUALLY FAILED TO GAIN ADMISSION TO EITHER UNIVERSITY AND WERE THEREFORE NOT CONSIDERED FURTHER. THE REMAINING 4,852 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM PROSPECTIVE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AS WELL AS FROM CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE, POSTGRADUATE AND OTHER STUDENTS.

THE JOINT UNIVERSITIES' COMMITTEE HAS NOW EXAMINED AND PROCESSED THESE 4,852 APPLICATIONS ON THE GROUNDS OF FINANCIAL NEED AND HAS RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT 4,701 APPLICANTS SHOULD OBTAIN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST-FREE LOANS ON A SCALE RANGING FROM ABOUT $700 UP TO $4,000.

MANY OF THESE APPLICANTS HAVE ALSO BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR THE AWARD OF A GOVERNMENT GRANT ON A SCALE RANGING UP TO $2,620.

THE COMMITTEE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING ALL APPLICANTS OF THE RESULTS OF THEIR APPLICATIONS.

THE GOVERNMENT GRANT IS AIMED AT MEETING TUITION FEES AND IN SOME CASES CERTAIN UNAVOIDABLE EXPENSES SUCH AS BOOKS. STATIONERY AND EQUIPMENT. THE PORTION OF GRANT WHICH COVERS TUITION FEES WILL BE PAID DIRECTLY TO THE UNIVERSITY BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE STUDENTS WHO GET A FURTHER GRANT FOR OTHER EXPENSES AND WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS NUMBERS TO THE COMMITTEE WILL HAVE THE FURTHER GRANT CREDITED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ACCOUNTS. HOWEVER, THOSE WHO HAVE NOT DONE SO WILL HAVE TO CALL IN PERSON AND COLLECT IT AT THE GOVERNMENT TREASURY ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE WEST WING OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, ICE HOUSE STREET, HONG KONG. PAYMENT OF THIS PORTION OF GRANT WILL BE MADE IN THE THIRD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1975.

PAYMENTS OF INTEREST-FREE LOANS WHICH ARE GENERALLY INTENDED TO ASSIST THE STUDENTS IN MEETING THEIR LIVING EXPENSES WILL ALSO BE MADE IN TWO INSTALMENTS (THE FIRST INSTALMENT IN OCTOBER 1975 AND THE SECOND IN JANUARY 1976). THESE STUDENTS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS NUMBERS WILL HAVE THE LOANS CREDITED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS WHILST THOSE WHO HAVE NOT WILL HAVE TO CALL PERSONALLY AT THE GOVERNMENT TREASURY TO COLLECT - THEIR SHARES IN SPECIFIED PERIODS WHICH HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE KNOWN TO THEM.

/4