Government Financial Assistance Schemes
The Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) of the Hong Kong SAR Government provides the following financial aid schemes to local students:
Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP) offered by HKSAR provides means-tested financial assistance including Grant (tuition fee and learning expenses) and / or Loan to needy full-time undergraduates aged 30 or below. Students should submit their online application through the online platform of “SFO E-link –My Applications” on or before 15 January 2019.
With effect from 16 January 2019, no online application for the FASP is accepted at the online platform. If you wish to submit application, you should contact the WFSFAA (Tel: 3102 3651/ 3102 3652) for obtaining the hardcopy application forms at Application and Hotline Unit [Address: 12/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon (near Exit A2 of Mong Kok MTR Station)].
Any late application must be accompanied by written explanation(s) provided by the applicant and supported by HKSYU concerned. All late applications will only be considered on individual merits. In any case, the late applications together with all necessary supporting documents should reach the WFSFAA no later than the application deadline (31 March 2019).
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Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS) offered by HKSAR provides non-means tested loan to needy full-time undergraduates. Current NLSPS interest rate is 1.257% per annum by 1 November 2018. Only full-time undergraduate students are eligible for this scheme.
Students should submit their online application through the online platform of “SFO E-link –My Applications” on or before 15 January 2019. With effect from 16 January 2019, no online application for the NLSPS is accepted at the online platform. If you wish to submit application, you should download and print the application form, and submit the completed form together with all the required documents to the NLSPS Application Processing Unit (APU) in person during office hours. Any late application must be accompanied by written explanation(s) provided by the applicant and supported by HKSYU concerned. All late applications will only be considered on individual merits. In any case, the late applications together with all necessary supporting documents should reach the WFSFAA no later than the application deadline (31 March 2019).
For details, you may call the enquiry hotline of WFSFAA at 2150 6222 during office hours.
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Only full-time undergraduate students are eligible for this scheme.
Undergraduate students are only eligible to apply if they reside more than 10 minutes walking distance away from school and require public transport for travelling to school. Applicants should apply for this subsidy under FASP.
Read more: Student Travel Subsidy for Tertiary or Post-secondary Students (STS)
The Community Care Fund (CCF) provides a subsidy for undergraduates to meet student hostel expenses. Each eligible undergraduate will be offered a hostel subsidy up to $9,180 a year in the 2018/19 academic year. The actual amount of subsidy received by each eligible undergraduate is to be determined with respect to the student’s level of assistance assessed in the means test of the FASP.
Read more: Hostel Subsidy
The Community Care Fund (CCF) provides an additional academic expenses grant for needy undergraduates. Each eligible undergraduate will be offered an additional academic expenses grant up to $2,280 in a year in the 2018/19 academic year. The actual amount received by each eligible undergraduate is to be determined with respect to the student’s level of assistance assessed in the means test of the FASP.
Read more: Academic expenses grant
The Community Care Fund (CCF) provides an academic expenses grant for undergraduates with special educational and/or financial needs. Each eligible undergraduate will be offered an additional academic expenses grant up to $8,680 in 2018/19 academic year. The actual amount of subsidy received is to be determined with respect to the student’s level of assistance assessed in the means test of the FASP.
Read more: Academic Expenses Grant for SEN students
Pursuant to the 2018-19 Budget passed by the Legislative Council on 10 May 2018, a one-off grant of $2,000 will be provided to financially needy students to support their learning. Each needy student pursuing preprimary to post-secondary education who is eligible to receive any means-tested financial assistance provided by WFSFAA in the 2018/19 academic year will be given the one-off grant of $2,000.
WFSFAA will arrange to disburse the one-off grant of $2,000 to the designated bank accounts of the eligible applicants through autopay starting from October 2018. Applicants need not submit a separate application for the one-off grant.
HKSYU Financial Assistance Schemes
HKSYU promotes benevolence and nurtures learned and capable students. HKSYU Financial Assistance Scheme is set up to assist students at economic disadvantages to release their financial burdens, with the hope that they can complete their studies and give back to the society. HKSYU offers a number of financial assistance schemes including:
For needy local students with good moral character and good academic performance
For needy local students with good moral character and good academic performance with the necessity of accommodation
For Full-time SYU undergraduates experience unexpected events in family causing severe financial difficulties. Cases below are considered to be unexpected events:
1. Sudden decease of applicant’s breadwinner(s) in family due to natural disasters or accidents.
2. Person(s) stated in (1) above lose working ability caused by accidents.
3. Person(s) stated in (1) above have to bear heavy medical expenses due to sudden severe illness(es).
4. Sudden decease of immediate family members (e.g. parents, siblings) due to natural disasters or accidents.
5. Applicant or parent(s) have already gone into bankruptcy during the past four years or have bankruptcy petition currently.
Needy students may contact the Office of Student Affairs for emergency assistance throughout the academic year.
Financial Aid for Postgraduates (for local students only)
Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS)
Set up by HKSAR government, the ENLS provides financial aid in the form of loans to eligible students to settle the tuition fees of specific post-secondary / continuing and professional education courses in Hong Kong.
Since 1 November 2018, the interest rate has been set at 1.257%.
Read more: Extended Non-Means-Tested Loan Scheme (ENLS)
Other External Financial Assistance Schemes
Undergraduate students who have financial difficulties may contact Office of Student Affairs for interest-free loans. The amount of interest-free loan is determined on a case-by-case basis. Needy students may apply during the academic year.
Available interest-free loans:
- Sing Tao Charitable Foundation Students' Loan Fund
- Winsor Education Foundation Students' Interest-Free Loan Programme
Students may complete the request form and return it with the supporting documents to the OSA for further discussion.
An adult fare must be paid by any student aged 12 or above when travelling on MTR if they do not possess Octopus card with valid “Student Status”.
Eligible full time students can apply for the MTR Student Travel Scheme to enjoy MTR concessionary fares. “Student” refers to any person aged between 12 and 25 and is currently enrolled in a full-time day course offered by an acceptable institution in Hong Kong. Students who have not yet reached 26 may apply. An applicant's age is determined by the time at which the application is submitted. “Full-time day course” refers to a day-time course, which normally requires the participant to attend an acceptable institution for not less than 20 hours of academic instruction each week for 30 weeks or more in the 2018/19 academic year.
Application Procedure:
- Obtain the application form from the Office of Student Affairs or any MTR Customer Service Centre OR download the form from the MTR’s website (http://www.mtr.com.hk)
- Complete the MTR application form
- Endorse by the Office of Student Affairs
- Submit the completed form to MTR Customer Service Centre
Read more: MTR Student Travel Scheme
