ENG-2017 — Page 188

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Education

Financial Assistance for Pre-primary Education

Eligible children may enjoy non-means-tested fee subsidies under the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme, and means-tested fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme. In the school year of 2016-17, fee subsidies and remission totalling around $3.4 billion and $616 million were granted to about 139,900 and 41,500 students respectively.

Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Education

At primary and secondary levels, means-tested assistance includes textbook assistance, travel subsidies, internet access subsidies and examination fee remission. In the school year of 2016- 17, around $817 million was disbursed to about 208,300 students to cover the costs of essential textbooks and miscellaneous school-related expenses, $338 million to 144,400 students as travel subsidies, $152 million to 133,700 families to subsidise internet access by students at home, and around $34 million in examination fee remission for some 16,000 students sitting public examinations. The government also disbursed school-based and district-based grants to support the whole-person development of needy students.

Financial Assistance for Post-secondary Education

Means-tested grants and low-interest loans are offered to eligible full-time students pursuing eligible courses at UGC-funded or publicly funded institutions. In the academic year of 2016-17, some $939 million of grants and $211 million of loans were provided to about 23,400 students. Eligible students pursuing locally accredited, self-financing full-time post-secondary programmes are also eligible for means-tested grants and low-interest loans. In the 2016-17 academic year, some $1,049 million of grants and $180 million of loans were provided to around 20,200 students.

Non-means-tested loans operating on a no-gain-no-loss and full-cost-recovery basis are available to students pursuing eligible publicly funded or self-financing post-secondary programmes, and eligible professional or continuing education courses. In the 2016-17 academic year, more than 31,500 people received loans amounting to $1,641 million.

Travel subsidies totalling around $139 million were provided to about 37,400 students of post- secondary institutions.

Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong

From the 2017-18 academic year, the scheme provides a non-means-tested annual subsidy of $30,000, subject to adjustment based on the Composite Consumer Price Index, to eligible students pursuing full-time, locally accredited local and non-local self-financing undergraduate studies, including top-up degree programmes, offered by eligible institutions. The subsidy applies to Hong Kong students who have attained '3322'2 in the HKDSE when they enrol in the undergraduate programmes, and those with sub-degree qualifications when they enrol in relevant top-up degree programmes. The 15 eligible institutions include the nine approved

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'3322' refers to level 3 for Chinese Language and English Language and level 2 for Mathematics Compulsory Part and Liberal Studies.

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