The Student Finance Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) of the Hong Kong SAR Government provides the following financial aid schemes to local needy students:

1. Tertiary Student Finance Scheme – Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS) is a means-tested grant and loan scheme aiming at providing financial assistance to full-time local students (taking programmes and student places that are exclusively UGC-funded/publicly-funded). The level of assistance depends on family’s financial circumstances.
2. Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students (NLSFT) is available to full-time local students (taking programmes and student places that are exclusively UGC-funded/publicly-funded). It provides non-means-tested loans to students up to the amount of annual tuition fees.
3. Local students who are taking self-financed local award-bearing programmes (either in full-time or part-time mode) and part-time exclusively UGC-funded/publicly-funded programmes and student places can apply for Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS).
4. Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP) provides means-tested grant and loan to needy full-time students pursuing locally-accredited, self-financing post-secondary education programmes at sub-degree or degree level. For details, please refer to the website of SFO. CUHK undergraduate students who are pursuing full-time self-financing second degree of double degree programmes/second major of double major programmes may apply for FASP. They may also apply for Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS). Applicants may receive loan up to the annual tuition fees payable under NLSPS.

Useful Information

1. University Bursaries and Loans

University Bursaries and Loans are available to local students who are studying full-time undergraduate programmes or taking up exclusively UGC-funded/publicly-funded student places of recognized postgraduate programmes and cannot get sufficient financial assistance under the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme – Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS) provided by the Government Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency because of unexpected financial difficulties or other special reasons.

As the University Bursaries and Loans are in general to supplement the TSFS provided by the Government, students should apply for the Government financial aid first. The University Bursaries and Loans are open for applications in September. However, students with emergency needs arising from sudden change in financial conditions can also apply for emergency bursaries and loans anytime.

2. Student Residence Bursary Scheme

Student Residence Bursary Scheme provides hostel grant to subsidize partial hostel fee of the needy local undergraduate students who are not able to benefit substantially from the government hostel subsidy.

The Scheme is normally open for applications in September.

3. Summer Subsistence and Travel Loan Scheme

The aim of the Summer Subsistence and Travel Loan Scheme is to provide interest-free loan to needy full-time local undergraduate students who will participate in academic exchange programmes abroad in summer of current academic year / term time of next academic year or to those who will join other extra-curricular activities or academic trainings / programmes in summer.

The Scheme is usually open for application in February.

4. Student Campus Work Scheme

The Student Campus Work Scheme aims to provide students with opportunities for paid campus work, usually in the form of assisting the University’s academics or administrators in research projects and administrative work. The remuneration is HK$64 per hour.

Interested local and non-local students should pay attention to the vacancies posted in “CU Job Link” by the Office of Student Affairs.

Non-local students with financial difficulties may approach the Scholarships and Financial Aid Section to discuss their needs and seek advice or assistance as necessary.

Since Colleges also administer their own financial aid schemes, students are advised to check with their officiated College for details.

Some financial aid schemes are administered by outside organizations according to their own assessment criteria. Interested students are required to submit separate applications. For application details, please refer to “Open for Applications” section.