XN000022-1995-10-18 — Page 77

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(b) Students living in remote areas who have financial difficulties may apply for financial assistance under the Local Student Finance Scheme (LSFS). Under the LSFS, grants are provided to eligible students to cover their academic expenses i.e. tuition fees, student union fees and other academic expenses whereas loans are provided to cover their living expenses which include expenses on accommodation and transportation. Recognising that students residing in hostels and rented accommodation have a greater financial burden, student accommodation expenses are allowed to be deducted as necessary household expenses in the calculation of annual disposable income (ADI) for determining the level of grant and loan starting from the 1993-94 academic year. In addition, the expenses of the applicants' siblings on hostel fees or rented accommodation are also included as necessary household expenses in the calculation of the ADI in the 1995-96 academic year. These improvements have increased the amount of financial assistance available to tertiary students living in hostels or rented accommodation near their place of study.

Apart from the grant and loan under the LSFS, students living in remote areas may also apply for the Student Travel Assistance Scheme. Under the Scheme, full- time students aged between 12 and 25 who have not completed their first degree courses and who have passed the means test are provided a travel subsidy to cover part of their travel expenses for education related trips. In general, students residing farther away from their institutions will be entitled to higher rates of subsidy. The level of subsidy will be updated annually to take into account the latest revision of public transport fares. The subsidy for each university student in 1994-95 varied between $570 and $5,500 per annum.

End/Wednesday, October 18, 1995

Incidents in September LegCo elections

Following is a question by the Hon Emily Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Nicholas Ng, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):