ENG-2000 — Page 214

EDUCATION

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the actual fee, whichever is the less. The means test for kindergarten fee remission has been relaxed from the 2000-01 school year to help more needy families obtain full assistance or to qualify for partial assistance in meeting the kindergarten fees of their children. In the 1999-2000 academic year, $345.8 million was granted to 65 128 kindergarten pupils.

Local Student Finance Scheme

The Local Student Finance Scheme provides grants and low-interest loans to needy full-time students pursuing eligible courses at UGC-funded institutions, the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education of the VTC, the Prince Philip Dental Hospital and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The grant is intended to cover tuition fees, academic expenses and student union fees while the loan is to help students meet their living expenses. In the 1999-2000 academic year, $843.6 million in grants and $629.7 million in loans were provided to 30 393 needy students.

Non-means Tested Loan Scheme

To further assist tertiary students, full-time and part-time students pursuing publicly funded programmes, students of the Open University of Hong Kong and full-time students of the Hong Kong Shue Yan College may obtain loans to meet the payment of their tuition fees through the Non-means Tested Loan Scheme. With effect from the 2000-01 academic year, the scope of the scheme has been extended to cover students pursuing self-financing, local award-bearing programmes offered by publicly funded institutions, and persons pursuing continuing and professional courses. provided in Hong Kong by registered schools, non-local universities and professional and recognised training bodies. This loan scheme is interest-bearing and operates on a no-gain no-loss basis. It allows students to repay their loans over 10 years after their graduation. In the 1999-2000 academic year, 9044 students obtained loans. amounting to $283.9 million.

Student Finance Assistance Scheme

The Student Finance Assistance Scheme provides financial assistance in the form of grants and loans to eligible full-time students of the Hong Kong Shue Yan College, a privately funded institution that does not receive any direct government subsidy. In the 1999-2000 academic year, 890 students received loans totalling $15.3 million. Of these, 813 also received grants totalling $6.6 million.

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund

The fund was established to manage public donations made in memory of the late Governor, Sir Edward Youde, who died in service in 1986. It aims to promote education and learning among the people of Hong Kong as well as encourage research. The fund disbursed $12.4 million during the 1999-2000 academic year for 895 awards, including local and overseas scholarships and fellowships, awards for disabled students, prizes for outstanding senior secondary students, and medals for best performers in public examinations. It also sponsored visits by five eminent overseas professors to Hong Kong under its 'Visiting Professorship Scheme' which aims to promote educational and cultural exchange and to enhance Hong Kong's image concerning research and development.