Immersion Programme

Students admitted to the Bachelor of Education (Chinese Language / English Language) programme and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Language Studies and Bachelor of Education (Honours) (English Language) Double Degree Programme ("Double Degree") are required to attend a compulsory Immersion Programme. While Immersion Programmes are heavily subsidized, students are still required to contribute no less than 18% of the best estimated cost of the Immersion Programmes ("student contribution"). The estimated cost of the Immersion Programmes for students admitted to the 2023/24 cohort is not available yet as it is subject to a variety of factors such as changes to the immersion programme cost as a result of inflation and programme duration, the prevailing airfare, fuel surcharge and taxes, and the exchange rate. The student contribution is thus not available. For reference purpose, student contribution for students admitted to the 2022/23 cohort are HK$6,400 for attending Chinese Language Immersion Programme; and student contribution for students admitted to the 2022/23 cohort are HK$12,450 for attending English Language Immersion Programme in Bachelor of Education programme and Double Degree programme. Students are strongly reminded that the student contribution for the 2024/25 cohort may vary and the aforementioned student contribution amounts should be taken as reference only.

Financial Assistance

Students with financial needs may apply for grants and/or loans under the following schemes.
 

1. Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS) (For full-time students only)
   The TSFS is administered by the Government's Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency, and is a means-tested scheme that provides assistance in the form of a grant and/or a loan to full-time students engaged in University Grants Committee-funded programmes. The grant is to cover tuition fees and academic expenses, whilst the loan is for living expenses and is interest-bearing. Interest is charged upon graduation or termination of full-time study. Successful applicants of TSFS may also apply for a travel subsidy, and those attending compulsory overseas field trips/immersion programmes may receive an additional grant.
    
2. Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP) (For full-time students only)
   The FASP is administered by the Government's Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency. It provides a grant and/or a loan to full-time students, aged 30 or below, engaged in locally accredited, self-financing post-secondary education programmes at the level of higher diploma or degree. The grant is to cover tuition fees and academic expenses, whilst the loan is for living expenses and is interest-bearing. Interest is charged upon graduation or termination of full-time study. Successful applicants of FASP may also apply for a travel subsidy.
    
3. Non-means-tested Loan Schemes (NLSFT, NLSPS and ENLS)
   The NLS is administered by the Government's Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency, the NLSFT and NLSPS provide financial assistance in the form of a loan to complement the TSFS and FASP, respectively. Loans from NLSFT and NLSPS are solely used to settle tuition fees. The ENLS is the extended version of the NLSFT/NLSPS and provides loans to eligible students who are not covered under the TSFS or FASP to settle tuition fees.
   
   All three schemes operate on a full-cost recovery basis. Interest is charged once the loan is drawn down and throughout the repayment period until the loan is fully repaid. An administration fee to cover the full costs of processing and administering the NLS loan(s) is/are chargeable for each application and annually thereafter until the NLS loan(s) and the interests are fully repaid.
    
4. Hostel Subsidy
   Those undergraduates who have passed the means test of TSFS or FASP (i.e. with a grant offered) and confirmed to have resided in student hostels provided by their institutions for at least 75% of the time during the semesters are eligible for the hostel subsidy. The subsidy is to be disbursed on a semester basis. Eligible students need not file separate applications for the hostel subsidy. In the 2023/24 academic year, the amount of subsidy will be equal to the hostel fee payable or $10,190 per year/ $5,095 per semester, whichever is lower. The actual amount of subsidy receivable by each eligible undergraduate is to be determined with respect to the student's level of assistance assessed in the means test. The amount will be credited to the designated bank accounts of the eligible students by autopay. Please visit WFSFAA's website for the details of the Hostel Subsidy here.
    
5. Academic Expenses Grant for Students with Special Education Needs and Financial Needs
   Each eligible student will be offered an additional academic expense grant of up to $9,630 in the 2023/24 academic year and the actual amount of subsidy receivable is to be determined with respect to the student's level of assistance assessed in the means test of the WFSFAA. Please visit WFSFAA's website for the details here.
    
6. Travel Subsidy
   Students attending a full-time day course up to the first degree level who are successful applicants of the TSFS or FASP and reside more than 10 minutes’ walking distance away from the normal place of study and need to travel to school by public transport may be eligible for a travel subsidy. Additional financial assistance in the form of a grant may be awarded to the TSFS or FASP applicants if they are required to participate in overseas compulsory field trips which constitute an essential part of the programme.
    
7. Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange
   The Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange for Post-secondary Students (SSE) and Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange to "Belt and Road" Regions for Post-secondary Students (SSEBR) are offered by Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to support financially needy students to participate in outbound exchange activities. Means-tested grants up to $60,000 (for SSE) and $53,000 (for SSEBR) will be provided for financially needy local students (both publicly-funded and self-financing) of full-time locally-accredited undergraduate, including top-up programmes. The amount of subsidy is calculated by applying the approved level of means test (in terms of percentage of full grant) to the maximum level of subsidy for the Subsidy Scheme based on the latest available result from WFSFAA.
   
   In addition, EDB furtherly offers two non-means-tested subsidy schemes for exchange activities, namely, the Non-means-tested Mainland Experience Scheme for Post-Secondary Students (Non-means-tested MES) and Scheme for Non-means-tested Subsidy on Exchange to "Belt and Road" Regions for Post-Secondary Students (Non-means-tested SSEBR) to encourage more post-secondary students in Hong Kong to pursue exchange activities in the Mainland and other B&R regions. Under Non-means-tested MES, non-means-tested subsidy up to $14,400 will be provided for local and non-local students enrolled in full-time locally accredited undergraduate (including top-up) programmes. Under Non-means-tested SSEBR, non-means-tested subsidy of up to $18,000 will be provided for local students enrolled in full-time locally accredited undergraduate (including top-up) programmes.
   
   The maximum amount of subsidy will make reference to the destination and duration components.
    
8. Bursaries and Interest-free Loans (For full-time students only)
   Students with financial needs can apply for bursaries and interest-free loans. These include general bursaries, hall bursaries, language immersion bursaries, bursaries for students with disabilities and interest-free loans.
    
9. Special Support Bursary for Students with Difficult Family Situations
   An interim measure to support financial needy students who have not received any government financial aids due to precarious family situations. (available throughout the year).
    
10. Emergency Funds and Emergency Loans
    Students facing unexpected or exceptional financial hardship can apply for emergency funds and loans.
    
    For details of the financial assistance provided by the HKSAR government, please visit the Student Finance Office's homepage at www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/eng/index.htm