XN000022-1980-09-17 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1980

GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND LOANS

TO UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS

******

THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND LOANS TO UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ANY INCREASE IN TUITION FEES.

THIS ASSURANCE WAS GIVEN BY A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN WHO SAID STUDENTS SUFFERING GENUINE HARDSHIP COULD APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER THE STUDENT FINANCE SCHEME.

COMMENTING ON REPORTS ABOUT PROPOSED FEE REVISIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ASKED THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE TO ASSUME CERTAIN FEE LEVELS IN ITS CALCULATION OF GRANTS FOR THE 1981-84 TRIENNIUM AND TO NOTIFY HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC OF THESE ASSUMPTIONS.

HE CONFIRMED THAT FOR GRANT CALCULATION PURPOSES THE FEES TO BE CHARGED BY THE UNIVERSITIES FOR NEW STUDENTS WOULD BE ASSUMED TO BE $2 500 PER ANNUM FOR 1981/82, $2 800 PER ANNUM FOR 1982/83 AND $3 100 FOR 1983/84.

SIMILARLY FEES TO BE CHARGED AT THE POLYTECHNIC FOR NEW STUDENTS WOULD BE ASSUMED TO BE $1 600 PER ANNUM FOR 1981/82, $1 900 PER ANNUM FOR 1982/83 AND $2 200 PER ANNUM FOR 1983/84.

FEES WERE NORMALLY REVIEWED PRIOR TO THE START OF A TRIENNIUM AND THE FEE LEVELS WHICH THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ASSUME WOULD NOT BE FURTHER REVISED UNTIL 1984/85.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT IN ORDER TO GIVE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUDGET CAREFULLY FOR TERTIARY LEVEL COURSES. IT WAS PROPOSED IN FUTURE TO DECLARE ANNUALLY THE LEVEL OF FEES TO BE CHARGED IN THE FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS.

+STUDENTS WOULD THEN BE AWARE OF THE FEES WHICH WOULD BE PAYABLE, IN MOST CASES FROM THE DATE OF ENROLMENT UP TO THE DATE OF GRADUATION.→

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE REVISED FEES WOULD CONSTITUTE ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON TERTIARY EDUCATION.

•

/2