| Date | Context | Summary of development | Action
|
|---|
| 1988
| -
| The Administration conducted a full scale Student Expenditure Survey (SES) involving students of all the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (UPGC)-funded institutions.
As indicated in SES, there were shortfalls in the rates of financial assistance under the Local Student Finance Scheme (LSFS) to full-time local students undertaking degree and sub-degree courses at UPGC-funded institutions.
|
|
| 2.7.93
| FC
| FC approved -
| financial implications, estimated at $7,488,000 for grants and $88,823,000 for loans in annually recurrent expenditure, of implementing improvements to LSFS;
| | extension of the LSFS to provide grants and loans to local full-time students undertaking the Dental Technology Course at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital with effect from the 1993-1994 academic year; and
| | a supplementary provision of $19,365,000 and $82,642,000 to meet the payment of grants and loans respectively to students under the LSFS in 1993-1994.
| | | |
[Paper (no soft copy)]
|
|
| 19.11.93
| FC
| FC approved a supplementary provision of $130,636,000 and $151,375,000 to meet the payment of grants and loans respectively to students under LSFS in 1993-1994. [Paper (no soft copy)]
|
|
| 28.1.94
| FC
| FC approved a supplementary provision of $11,539,000 for payment of textbooks and stationery grants. [Paper (no soft copy)]
|
|
| 9.2.96
| FC
| FC approved a supplementary provision of $38.3 million to the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) for payment of kindergarten fee assistance. [Paper]
FC also approved a supplementary provision of $22.8 million to SFAA for payment of student travel subsidy. [Paper]
|
|
| 29.11.96
| FC
| FC approved a supplementary provision of $46.8 million to Head 173 Subhead 275 for payment of student travel subsidy. [Paper]
|
|
| 3.10.97
| FC
| FC approved to change the way of determining the annual financial provision for awarding grants and loans to students of the Hong Kong Shue Yan College under the Student Finance Assistance Scheme with effect from the 1997-1998 academic year. [Paper]
|
|
| 21.11.97
| FC
| FC approved to expand the ambit of the Student Travel Scheme to include eligible students aged over 25. [Paper]
|
|
| 28.11.97
| FC
| FC approved to expand the ambit of the School Textbook Assistance Scheme (STAS) to include eligible students in Secondary 4 to 7. [Paper]
|
|
| 5.12.97
| FC
| FC approved to -
| expand the ambit of LSFS to provide grants and loans to local full-time students of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts;
| | change the assessment formula and the asset test for in determining the level of financial assistance to students under LSFS;
| | delegate the Secretary for the Treasury the authority to approve future annual revisions to the rates of specified components in the new assessment formula according to movements in the Consumer Price Index (A) (CPI(A)); and
| | introduce a new Non-means Tested Loan Scheme for tertiary students to complement LSFS and replace the Extended Loan Scheme.
| | | | |
[Paper]
FC also approved a commitment to provide travel subsidy to needy primary school pupils aged below 12 who attended public sector schools outside their residing Primary One Admission Nets, with effect from the 1998-1999 school year. [Paper]
|
|
| 3.4.98
| FC
| FC approved to revise the rates of the components of LSFS assessment formula (i.e. the Adjusted Family Income ready reckoner, the asset ceiling and sliding scale of net asset values and the maximum amount of medical expenses deductible from family income) as approved by FC on 5.12.97, according to the movements of the CPI(A) in 1996 and 1997. [Paper]
|
|
| 13.11.98
| FC
| FC approved a commitment to expand the ambit of STAS administered by SFAA to include students in local Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools with effect from the 1998-1999 school year. As a result, the element for textbook assistance included in the DSS subsidy would no longer be provided to schools from the same school year. [Paper]
|
|
| 2.12.98
| CQ
| Hon YEUNG Yiu-chung raised a question on textbook and stationery grants for primary and secondary schools. [Hansard]
|
|
| 9.12.98
| CQ
| Hon Mrs Selina CHOW raised a question on financial assistance to tertiary institution students. [Hansard]
|
|
| 26.5.00
| FC
| FC approved to -
| introduce a flat rate grant of $400 per student per annum under STAS to replace the "stationery" element of the grant for all levels of study;
| | increase the "textbook" element of the grant under STAS for eligible secondary school students from 80% to 100% of the average cost of textbooks for the respective levels of study;
| | provide 100% of the average travel fare to the most needy students under the Student Travel Subsidy Scheme (STSS);
| | remove the limits placed under the STAS, the Senior Secondary Fee Remission Scheme and the Examination Fee Remission Scheme in respect of the total amount of grants that could be provided; and
| | delegate to the Secretary for the Treasury the authority to revise the flat rate grant of the STAS annually according to the movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index (CPI).
| | | | | |
[Paper]
FC also approved -
| an expansion of the ambit of LSFS to provide grants and loans to local full-time students pursuing the two-year Diploma and Common First Year programmes in the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, with effect from the 2000-2001 academic year; and
| | supplementary provisions of $64.6 million and $105 million to meet the increase in expenditure on grants and loans in 2000-2001 respectively.
| | |
[Paper]
|
|
| 17.11.00
| FC
| FC approved a supplementary provision of $51 million for payment of assistance under STAS. [Paper]
|
|
| 15.12.00
| FC
| FC approved a supplementary provision of $42 million for payments of assistance under STSS. [Paper]
|
|
| 16.5.01
| CQ
| Hon YEUNG Yiu-chung raised a question on the Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (NLS) set up for students of tertiary institutions. [Hansard "page 66"]
|
|
| 23.5.01
| CQ
| Hon YEUNG Yiu-chung raised a question on the adjustment mechanism for interest rate NLS. [Hansard "page 48"]
|
|
| 6.7.01
| FC
| FC approved the introduction of the following package of support measures for students and course providers with effect from the 2001-2002 academic year to facilitate a progressive expansion in self-financing post-secondary programmes -
| a new means-tested financial assistance scheme providing eligible students with either a grant or a loan to meet the tuition fees of accredited, self-financing post-secondary education programmes;
| | a new non-means-tested loan for eligible students pursuing accredited, self-financing post-secondary education programmes to meet basic living expenses (on top of the non-means-tested loan currently available for meeting tuition fees); and
| | a new loan scheme for post-secondary education providers to support their initial start-up costs.
| | | |
FC also approved to -
| increase the financial provision for STSS providing subsidy to needy full-time students up to first-degree level; and
| | increase the notional annual salary cost ceiling for the Education and Manpower Bureau and SFAA so that additional staff can be provided to administer the proposals.
| | |
[Paper]
|
|
| 19.11.01
| ED
| The Panel discussed with the Administration the proposed improvements to student financial assistance schemes and the financial implications. [Paper]
|
|
| 28.11.01
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on interest rate adjustment mechanisms of loan schemes for post-secondary students. [Hansard "page 47"]
|
|
| 7.12.01
| FC
| FC approved to accept the additional financial implications of the following improvement measures for means-tested student financial assistance schemes with effect from the 2002-2003 school year -
| adopting the Adjusted Family Income mechanism in place of the Points Scoring System for determining the eligibility of secondary, primary and kindergarten students for means-tested student financial assistance;
| | modifying, as appropriate, the ready reckoner and formula of the Adjusted Family Income mechanism for application to student financial assistance schemes at all levels of studies;
| | introducing a further level of remission at 75%, on top of the existing 50% and 100% remission levels, for the Kindergarten Fee Remission Scheme; and
| | SFAA taking over from schools the responsibility of vetting applications for student financial assistance under the Adjusted Family Income system.
| | | | |
[Paper]
FC also approved a supplementary provision of $28 million for payment of assistance under the School Textbook Assistance Scheme. [Paper]
|
|
| 6.3.02
| CQ
| Hon Frederick FUNG raised a question on whether the Administration would regularly assess the effectiveness of the non-means-tested-loan scheme and the other financial assistance schemes for local post-secondary student. [Hansard "page 13"]
|
|
| 26.4.02
| FC
| FC approved a commitment to launch the Continuing Education Fund and increase the ceiling placed on the total notional annual mid-point salary value of non-directorate posts in the permanent establishment of SFAA for the creation of one non-directorate post. [Paper]
|
|
| 13.11.02
| CQ
| Hon LAU Kong-wah raised a question on student travel subsidy schemes. [Hansard "page 74"]
|
|
| 11/02
| ED
| The Panel circulated the Administration's paper "Local Student Finance Scheme - Review of fixed interest rate". [Paper]
|
|
| 11.12.02
| CQ
| Hon WONG Sing-chi raised a question on the level of the financial assistance for students enrolled in sub-degree programmes. [Hansard "page 24"]
|
|
| 18.12.02
| CQ
| Dr Hon TANG Siu-tong raised a question on the review of student travel subsidy schemes. [Hansard "page 25"]
|
|
| 2.4.03
| CQ
| Hon Audrey EU raised a question on default cases in loan schemes for tertiary students. [Hansard "page 9"]
|
|
| 3.11.04
| CQ
| Hon Frederick FUNG raised a question on student financial assistance schemes for students enrolled in courses operated by tertiary institutions on a self-financing basis. [Hansard "page 75"]
|
|
| 8.11.04
| ED
| The Panel discussed with the Administration its proposal to merge the Cross-net Travel Subsidy Scheme (CTSS) and STSS. [Paper]
|
|
| 19.11.04
| FC
| FC approved, with effect from the 2004-2005 school year, the merging of CTSS and STSS based on the existing eligibility criteria and subsidy arrangement under the latter scheme to encompass all local full-time primary to undergraduate students. [Paper]
|
|
| 6.4.05
| ED
| The Panel discussed with the Administration the proposal on a financial assistance scheme for evening adult education course [Paper]
|
|
| 20.4.05
| CQ
| Hon Audrey EU raised a question on "Student Subsidies". [Hansard "page 20"]
|
|
| 6.5.05
| FC
| FC approved a commitment of $36 million under Head 173 Student Financial Assistance Agency Subhead 700 General non-recurrent to provide financial assistance to students attending designated evening adult education courses for three school years from 2005-2006 to 2007-2008. [Paper]
|
|
| 18.5.05
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on "Defaulted Repayment of Student Loans". [Hansard "page 156"]
|
|
| 16.11.05
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on "Student Finance Schemes". [Hansard "page 56"]
|
|
| 26.1.06
| ED
| The Panel discussed the Administration paper entitled "Sale and Outsourcing of the Funding and Administration of Loans made to Students" [Paper]
|
|
| 27.3.06
| ED
| The Panel discussed the Administration's paper entitled "Review of the Post-secondary Education Sector and Financial Assistance Schemes for Post-secondary Students". [Paper]
The Panel also noted the background brief prepared by Legislative Council Secretariat on "Provision of sub-degree places for secondary school leavers". [Paper]
|
|
| 19.5.06
| FC
| FC approved
| (a) | improvement of the means-tested grant under the Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students with effect from the 2006-2007 academic year by -
| | (i) | applying the same sliding scale of the Local Student Finance Scheme for determining the grant level for each applicant as a percentage of the maximum grant level; and
| | (ii) | increasing the amount of grant to cover academic expenses (in addition to the grant for tuition fees);
| | (b) | consequential to (a)(ii) above, increase in the maximum loan ceiling under the Non-means Tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students to cover academic expenses (in addition to tuition fees and living expenses) with effect from the 2006-2007 academic year; and
| | (c) | a commitment of $291 million under Head 173 Student Financial Assistance Agency Subhead 228 Student financial assistance in 2006-2007. [Paper]
|
|
|
| 30.5.07
| CQ
| Hon Emily LAU raised a question on "Grants for Part-time Self-financing Bachelor's Degree Programmes". [Hansard "page 91"]
|
|
| 20.6.07
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on "Trading off First-year-first-degree Places for Articulation Places in Universities". [Hansard "page 63"]
|
|
| 31.10.07
| CQ
| Hon Jasper TSANG raised a question on " School Textbook Assistance Scheme". [Hansard "page 110"]
|
|
| 19.12.07
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on " Student Finance Assistance Schemes". [Hansard "page 60"]
|
|
| 23.1.08
| CQ
| Hon Jasper TSANG raised a question on " Default Repayment of Student Loans". [Hansard "page 69"]
|
|
| 27.2.08
| CQ
| Dr Hon YEUNG Sum raised a question on " Exercise of Discretion by Student Financial Assistance Agency". [Hansard "page 20"]
|
|
| 12.3.08
| CQ
| Hon LAU Kong-wah raised a question on "Travel Subsidy for Students". [Hansard "page 49"]
|
|
| 26.3.08
| ED
| The Panel met with deputations and the Administration to discuss "Review of the Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses". [Paper]
The Panel also noted the background brief prepared by Legislative Council Secretariat on "Provision of financial assistance for evening senior secondary education". [Paper]
|
|
| 14.4.08
| ED
| The Panel discussed the Administration paper entitled "Supplementary Information on the Review of the Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses". [Paper]
|
|
| 23.4.08
| CQ
| Dr Hon YEUNG Sum raised a question on " Financial Assistance Schemes for Post-secondary and Tertiary Level Students". [Hansard "page 18"]
|
|
| 23.4.08
| CQ
| Hon SIN Chung-kai raised a question on " Non-means Tested Loan Schemes for Tertiary Students". [Hansard "page 40"]
|
|
| 30.4.08
| CQ
| Hon Emily LAU raised a question on "Recovery of Outstanding Student Loans". [Hansard "page 92"]
|
|
| 14.5.08
| CQ
| Hon Albert HO raised a question on " Default Cases of Non-means Tested Loan Schemes ". [Hansard "page 74"]
|
|
| 14.5.08
| CQ
| Dr Hon YEUNG Sum raised a question on " Applications for Deferring Repayment of Student Loans ". [Hansard "page 76"]
|
|
| 18.6.08
| CQ
| Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG raised a question on " Financial Assistance Schemes for Students". [Hansard "page 49"]
|
|
| 12.11.08
| CQ
| Hon Tanya CHAN raised a question on "Non-means Tested Loan Schemes". [Hansard "page 81"]
|
|
| 18.2.09
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on "Student Finance Assistance Schemes". [Hansard "page 104"]
|
|
| 25.2.09
| CQ
| Hon WONG Yuk-man raised a question on "Continuing Education Fund". [Hansard "page 10"]
|
|
| 22.4.09
| CQ
| Hon WONG Yuk-man raised a question on "Assisting Students from Low-income Families in Making Use of Information Technologies in Learning". [Hansard "page 22"]
|
|
| 3.6.09
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che raised a question on "Implementation of Policies Relating to Children ". [Hansard "page 6"]
|
|
| 3.6.09
| CQ
| Hon Starry LEE raised a question on "Prices of School Textbooks". [Hansard "page 101"]
|
|
| 3.2.10
| CM
| Hon TAM Yiu-chung moved a motion on "Alleviating Poverty and Helping the Disadvantaged with Care and Concern" for debate in the Council. The motion was passed. [Hansard "page 68"]
[Progress report from the Administration]
|
|
| 3.2.10
| CM
| Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che moved a motion on "Formulating a Comprehensive Youth Policy" for debate in the Council. The motion was passed. [Hansard "page 157"]
[Progress report from the Administration]
|
|
| 17.3.10
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong raised a question on "Implementation of Various Financial Assistance Schemes for Tertiary or Post-secondary Students". [Hansard "page 74"]
|
|
| 23.4.10
| FC
| FC approved a new commitment of $65.371 million for implementing the Integrated Student Financial Assistance System. [Paper]
|
|
| 1.12.10
| CQ
| Hon Andrew LEUNG raised a question on "Provision of Fare Concessions for Full-time Students by MTR Corporation Limited". [Hansard "page 65"]
|
|
| 5.1.11
| CQ
| Hon Audrey EU raised a question on "Measures to Support Education of Children from Low-income Families". [Hansard "page 29"]
|
|
| 26.1.11
| CQ
| Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che raised a question on "School Textbook Assistance Scheme". [Hansard "page 122"]
|
|
| 16.3.11
| CM
| Hon Starry LEE moved a motion on "The Development of Self-financing Post-secondary Institutions" for debate in the Council. The motion was passed. [Hansard "page 300"] [Progress report from the Administration]
|
|
| 11.4.11
| ED
| The Panel discussed the Administration's paper entitled "Review of the Examination Fee Remission Scheme". [Paper]
The Panel noted the background brief prepared by the Legislative Council Secretariat entitled "Public examination fees". [Paper]
The Administration was requested to provide information on: (a) recognition of individual new senior secondary subjects by overseas universities for admission purpose; (b) how the Administration monitored the level of fees set by Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and whether consideration would be given to providing remission to needy students in respect of the fee for rechecking of examination results; and (c) the eligibility criteria for receiving full and half level of assistance under Examination Fee Remission Scheme and whether any review would be conducted on the eligibility criteria for the financial assistance schemes administered by Student Financial Assistance Agency in the light of the implementation of the statutory minimum wage. [Paper]
|
|
| 9.5.11
| ED
| The Panel discussed the Administration's paper entitled "Proposed Injection into the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund". [Paper]
The Panel also noted the background brief prepared by Legislative Council Secretariat on "Government scholarship schemes for post secondary students". [Paper]
|
|
| 11.5.11
| CQ
| Hon CHAN Hak-kan raised a question on "Fare Concessions Offered by MTR for Cross-boundary Students". [Hansard "page 84"]
|
|
| 18.5.11
| CM
| Hon WONG Yung-kan moved a motion on "Alleviating the Impact of Food Price Inflation on the Public" for debate in the Council. The motion was passed. [Hansard "page 213"][Progress report from the Administration]
|
|
| 27.5.11
| FC
| FC approved a changes and improvements to the Examination Fee Remission Scheme with effect from 2011/12 academic year [Paper]
Members approved the improvement measures relating to the income ceiling for full level of assistance under the means test mechanism of Student Financial Assistance Agency; the existing tiers of assistance for students pursuing publicly-funded and self-financing post-secondary programmes; the amount of academic expenses grant provided to needy students pursuing publicly-funded and self-financing post-secondary programmes; and the flat-rate under the School Textbook Allowance Scheme. [Paper]
|
|
| 13.6.11
| ED
| The Panel discussed the Administration's paper entitled "Extension of Relief Arrangement relating to Deferment of Student Loan Repayment". [Paper]
The Panel also noted the background brief prepared by Legislative Council Secretariat on "Relief arrangement related to deferment of student loan repayment". [Paper]
|
|
| 22.6.11
| CQ
| Hon Albert HO raised a question on "Debundling of Textbooks and Teaching and Learning Resources for Pricing". [Hansard "page 76"]
|
|
| 6.7.11
| CQ
| Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG raised a question on "Application Fees and Enrolment Deposits for Tertiary Education Programmes". [Hansard "page 97"]
|
|
| 30.11.11
| CQ
| Hon Abraham SHEK raised a question on "Measures to Improve Competitiveness of Hong Kong". [Hansard "page 75"]
|
|
| 29.2.12
| CQ
| Hon Starry LEE raised a question on "Public Transport Fare Concessions for Students". [Hansard "page 69"]
|
|
