ENG-2008 — Page 203

Education | 151

Student Finance

To ensure that no student is deprived of education due to lack of means, the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) provides means-tested and non-means- tested financial assistance to students at various study levels. The SFAA also administers a number of privately funded scholarships schemes.

Financial Assistance for Pre-primary Education

Eligible children at pre-primary level may apply for non-means-tested fee subsidy under the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme, and means-tested fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme. In the 2007-08 school year, fee subsidies and remissions totalling $1,071 million and $275.4 million were granted to 109 300 and 37 859 students respectively.

Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Education

At the primary and secondary school levels, means-tested assistance covers textbook grants, travel subsidies and tuition fees remission1 for senior secondary students in public sector schools. In the 2007-08 school year, $446.9 million was disbursed to 308 015 students for purchasing textbooks, $273.9 million to 204 589 students as travel subsidies, and 89 371 senior secondary students were granted tuition fees remission. In addition, examination fees totalling $15.5 million were waived for 12 455 students taking public examinations.

Financial Assistance for Post-secondary Education

Means-tested grants and low-interest loans are offered to full-time students pursuing eligible courses at UGC-funded or publicly-funded institutions. In the 2007-08 academic year, 28 431 students received $795.7 million of grants and $341.2 million of loans.

Eligible students pursuing locally-accredited, self-financing full-time post- secondary programmes are provided with grants covering tuition fees and academic expenses. In the 2007-08 academic year, $505.6 million in grants were provided to 15 745 students.

Non-means-tested loans on a no-gain-no-loss basis are available to students pursuing eligible publicly-funded or self-financing programmes, and eligible professional or continuing education courses. In the 2007-08 academic year, 23 051 people received loans amounting to $951 million.

Travel subsidies totalling $103.9 million were provided to 38 792 students of post-secondary institutions.

Tuition Fee Reimbursement for Project Yi Jin Students and Adult Education

All eligible students under the Project Yi Jin and designated evening adult education courses may receive a 30 per cent tuition fee reimbursement. Those who passed the means tests may receive further fee reimbursement.

1 Tuition fees remission will no longer be necessary when free education is extended to senior

secondary students in public sector schools in the 2008-09 school year.