Enquiry
wg_sfo@wfsfaa.gov.hk

Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS)

E-Submission
Enquiry
2152 9000
wg_sfo@wfsfaa.gov.hk

Overview

The Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS) provides means-tested financial assistance in the form of grant and/or loan to eligible full-time students taking up an exclusively publicly-funded student place of a recognised post-secondary programme.

Eligibility

  • To be eligible to apply for TSFS in the 2024/25 academic year (AY), applicants must –

    1. be registered as a full-time student of a recognised post-secondary programme at one of the following institutions in the 2024/25 AY, taking up an exclusively publicly-funded student place; and #

      • TSFS institutions covered in 2024/25 (Applicable to the updated version for 2024/25 AY)
        • The University of Hong Kong
        • The Chinese University of Hong Kong
        • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
        • Hong Kong Baptist University
        • City University of Hong Kong
        • The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
        • Lingnan University
        • The Education University of Hong Kong
        • The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
        • The Prince Philip Dental Hospital
        • Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (“IVE”), Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (“HKIIT”), Chinese Culinary Institute (“CCI”) and International Culinary Institute (“ICI”), Hong Kong Design Institute (“HKDI”) and Maritime Services Training Institute (“MSTI”) of the Vocational Training Council 

    2. have the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong”); or alternatively, applicants or their families must have resided in Hong Kong continuously for three complete years prior to the commencement of the programme*.
      (Remarks: This does not cover non-local students holding –

      • student visas/entry permits;
      • visas/entry permits under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates; or
      • dependant visas/entry permits which were issued by the Director of Immigration when the relevant students have reached 18 years old.)
      *

      Applicants without the right of abode in Hong Kong (i.e. without the alphabet "A" beneath the Date of Birth field of the Hong Kong Identity Card) should provide a copy of their entry permits to Hong Kong, e.g. "Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao" (commonly known as the "One-way permit") / dependant visa, etc., with their applications.

      Attention: Applicants' eligibility is restricted to only one recognised full-time programme in any one academic year. If applicants have applied for Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students ("FASP"), they cannot apply for the TSFS simultaneously in the same AY.


Hostel Subsidy for Eligible Undergraduate Students
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  • An applicant is eligible to receive hostel subsidy if he/she is:

    1. an undergraduate who is eligible for and has passed the means test of TSFS; and
    2. confirmed by his / her institution as a registered occupant of a hostel place for at least 75% of the time in the relevant semester. (Remarks: Students who reside in premises other than the student hostels provided by institutions, such as residing solely in or sharing a private flat as tenants are not eligible for the hostel subsidy.)

  • Eligible students need not file separate applications for the hostel subsidy.

Additional Academic Expenses Grant for Students with Special Educational Needs
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  • An applicant is eligible to receive additional academic expenses grant if he/she is:

    1. eligible for and has passed the means test of TSFS; and
    2. confirmed by a relevant professional as having at least one kind of special educational needs including Specific Learning Difficulties, Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, Physical Disability, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Speech and Language Impairment and Mental Illness.

  • Applicants who wish to apply for the additional academic expenses grant should complete and return the request form (Paper Form / Online Form#) to the Student Finance Office (SFO) by 31 December 2024.

    The paper form can be submitted by one of the following means:

    • by post to the Application Processing Registry of Vetting Section 1A at 11/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon; or
    • by fax to 2519 8512.

    Attention: In any case, the request form should reach the SFO on 31 March 2025 the latest.

Special Support for Students receiving Disability Allowance
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  • SFO will consider providing additional financial assistance to applicants who are receiving Disability Allowance. Relevant applicants may provide the information and enclose certifications in the TSFS application. They are not required to file separate application.