Financial Support
Subsidy & Scholarship (only for HKSYU students)
Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange for Post-secondary Students (SSE)
-Local students enrolled in full-time HKSYU undergraduate degree programme at the time of application and throughout the duration of the subsidized exchange activity; AND
-Local students who are in receipt of means-tested student financial assistance from Student Financial Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) OR whose families are in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) at the time of application for the subsidized exchange activity.
-Students who have previously received assistance from other scholarships or support schemes wholly or partly funded by the Government, e.g. Pilot Mainland Experience Scheme, Matching Grant Scheme, Talent Development Scheme and Reaching Out Awards, etc., are also eligible for assistance under the SSE.
-Students receiving assistance under the SSE may receive subsidies from other sources (including those from the Government and other organizations) to cover expenses in connection with the same exchange activity.
-Priority will be given to those who have not received any subsidy under scholarship/ sponsorship/ subsidy schemes wholly or partly funded by the Government.
Will I be eligible if I have already received subsidy under the SSE once?
A student will not be eligible to receive subsidy under the SSE/ Means-tested SSEBR/ Non-means-tested SSEBR if s/he has been subsidised under any of these Schemes for the same destination. Such restriction does not apply to the Non-means-tested MES.
Each student will be eligible to receive subsidy under the SSE once throughout their study in programme at the same level of study (e.g. undergraduate) in Hong Kong, irrespective of the amount of subsidy received.
For the avoidance of doubt, students are only eligible for subsidy under SSE once each during their sub-degree and undergraduate studies.
The maximum level of subsidy to be granted to an eligible student for participating in an exchange activity under the SSE varies according to the destination and duration of the exchange activity as set out below:
For each exchange activity, the maximum amount of subsidy to be granted to the student is calculated by adding up the subsidy under Table (a) and Table (b) above, then discounted by her/his level of student finance (in terms of parentage of full grant) approved by SFO. In individual cases where the level of student finance approved by the SFO is lower than 50%, the financial assistance level to be adopted in the calculation of the maximum amount of subsidy for the student under the SSE should be adjusted upward to 50%.
Example (1), if a student receiving 50% of full grant from SFO joins an exchange activity in Hungry for 100 days, the maximum amount of the subsidy to be granted to the student will be HKD 16,500 i.e. [Table (a) HKD 8,000 + Table (b) HKD 25,000] x 50%.
Example (2), if a student receiving 10% of full grant from the SFO joins an exchange activity in Hungary for 100 days, the maximum subsidy to be granted would be HKD 16,500 i.e. [Table (a) HKD 8,000 + Table (b) HKD 25,000] x 50% (the financial assistance level to be adjusted upward to 50% in cases where the level of student finance approved by SFO is lower than 50%).
Example (3), if a student receiving 50% of full grant from the SFO joins an exchange activity in the United Kingdoms for 185 days, the maximum subsidy to be granted would be HKD 26,500 i.e. [Table (a) HKD 8,000 + Table (b) HKD 45,000] x 50%.
In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the SSE should not exceed the direct costs arising from her/his participation in the concerned exchange activity.
Q&A
Q: While exchange activities held in different destinations will be subject to different amounts of subsidy as set out in Tables (a) and (b) above, if an exchange activity takes place in a place/ country which cuts across more than one region (e.g. Russia which cuts across Europe and Asia), which subsidy amount should be used in calculating the maximum amount of subsidy for a participating student?
For exchange activities held in places/countries which cut across more than one region (e.g. Russia, Turkey), HKSYU may, having regard to the actual travelling expenses involved, exercise our judgement to decide the region and subsidy amount applicable to the concerned activities according to the concepts covered in the preceding question on a case-by-case basis. In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the SSE should not exceed the direct costs arising from her/his participation in the concern exchange activity.
Only exchange activities that meet the following criteria are eligible for SSE –
-An outbound activity comprising substantive teaching and learning elements;
-Organized and/or endorsed by HKSYU;
-Lasting for at least two weeks;
-The hosting institution must be a recognized institution/body in the home country;
-Priority will be given to credit-bearing or award bearing exchange programmes.
Online application link for 2024/25 AY will be provided in due course.
Applications should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than one weeks before the start of a programme.
When filling in the online application, you will be asked to provide the Letter of Acceptance/ Confirmation of participation offered by the host institution and the latest approval letter from the Student Finance Office (SFO) regarding your means-tested grants and loans.
(1) Exchange Activity Co-ordinated by the Centre for Global Engagement. If your application is successful and upon your acceptance of offer from the host university, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity
(2) Exchange Activity not Co-ordinated by the Centre for Global Engagement. If your application is successful, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
The funding should be used for direct costs arising from the subsidized exchange activities/programmes, including:
-Programme/activity fees
-Airfare, train fare and/or other transportation fees to and from the destination region (one return trip only)
-Local transportation fees
-Accommodation fees
-Living expenses incurred within the exchange period
-Other miscellaneous expenses (e.g. insurance, medical expenses, etc.).
Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange to Belt and Road Regions for Post-secondary Students (SSEBR)
-Local students enrolled in full-time HKSYU undergraduate degree programme at the time of application and throughout the duration of the subsidized exchange activity;
AND-Local students who are in receipt of means-tested student financial assistance from Student Financial Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) OR whose families are in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) at the time of application for the subsidized exchange activity.
-Students who have previously received assistance from other scholarships or support schemes wholly or partly funded by the Government, e.g. Pilot Mainland Experience Scheme, Matching Grant Scheme, Talent Development Scheme and Reaching Out Awards, etc., are also eligible for assistance under the Means-tested SSEBR.
-Students receiving assistance under the Means-tested SSEBR may receive subsidies from other sources (including those from the Government and other organizations) to cover expenses in connection with the same exchange activity.
-Priority will be given to those who have not received any subsidy under scholarship/ sponsorship/ subsidy schemes wholly or partly funded by the Government.
For each exchange activity, the maximum amount of subsidy to be granted to the student is calculated by adding up the subsidy under Table (c) and Table (d) above, then discounted by her/his level of student finance (in terms of parentage of full grant) approved by SFO. Individual cases where the level of student finance approved by the SFO is lower than 50%, the financial assistance level to be adopted in the calculation of the maximum amount of subsidy for the student under the Means-tested SSEBR should be adjusted upward to 50%.
Example (1), if a student receiving 50% of full grant from SFO joins an exchange activity in Hungry for 100 days, the maximum amount of the subsidy to be granted to the student will be HKD 16,500 i.e. [Table (c) HKD 8,000 + Table (d) HKD 25,000] x 50%.
Example (2), if a student receiving 10% of full grant from the SFO joins an exchange activity in Hungary for 100 days, the maximum subsidy to be granted would be HKD 16,500 i.e. [Table (c) HKD 8,000 + Table (d) HKD 25,000] x 50% (the financial assistance level to be adjusted upward to 50% in cases where the level of student finance approved by SFO is lower than 50%).
Example (3), if a student receiving 50% of full grant from the SFO joins an exchange activity in the Republic of Korea for 185 days, the maximum subsidy to be granted would be HKD 24,000 i.e. [Table (c) HKD 3,000 + Table (d) HKD 45,000] x 50%.
In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the Means-tested SSEBR should not exceed the direct costs arising from her/his participation in the concerned exchange activity.
The maximum level of subsidy to be granted to an eligible student for participating in an exchange activity under the Means-tested SSEBR according to the destination and duration of the exchange activity as set out below:
Q&A
Q: While exchange activities held in different destinations will be subject to different amounts of subsidy as set out in Tables (c) and (d) above, if an exchange activity takes place in a place/country which cuts across more than one region (e.g. Russia which cuts across Europe and Asia), which subsidy amount should be used in calculating the maximum amount of subsidy for a participating student?
A: For exchange activities held in places/ countries which cut across more than one region (e.g. Russia, Turkey), HKSYU may, having regard to the actual travelling expenses involved, exercise our judgement to decide the region and subsidy amount applicable to the concerned activities according to the concepts covered in the preceding question on a case-by-case basis. In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the Means-tested SSEBR should not exceed the direct costs arising from her/his participation in the concern exchange activity.
Only exchange activities that meet the following criteria are eligible for the Means-tested SSEBR –
-An outbound activity comprising teaching and learning elements to be held in any Belt and Road region listed at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council website;
-Organized and/or endorsed by HKSYU;
-Lasting for at least five days;
-The hosting institution must be a recognized institution/body either in Hong Kong or in the exchange destination;
-Priority will be given to credit-bearing or award bearing exchange activities.
Online application link for 2024/25 AY will be provided in due course.
Applications should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than one weeks before the start of a programme.
When filling in the online application, you will be asked to provide the Letter of Acceptance/ Confirmation of participation offered by the host institution and the latest approval letter from the Student Finance Office (SFO) regarding your means-tested grants and loans.
(1) Exchange Activity Co-ordinated by the Centre for Global Engagement
If your application is successful, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
You are required to sign an undertaking to return the full amount of the subsidy in the event that you cannot successfully complete the subsidized exchange activity or the courses taken during your study abroad.
(2) Exchange Activity not Co-ordinated by the Centre for Global Engagement
If your application is successful, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
The funding should be used for direct costs arising from the subsidized exchange activities/programmes, including:
-Programme/activity fees
-airfare, train fare and/or other transportation fees to and from the destination regions (one return trip only)-
-local transportation fees
-accommodation fees
-living expenses incurred within the exchange period; and
-other miscellaneous expenses (e.g. insurance, medical expenses, etc).
Non-means-tested Subsidies for Post-secondary Students to Participate in Exchange Activities in the Mainland and Belt and Road Regions
(1) For the Non-means-tested Mainland Experience Scheme for Post-secondary Students (Non-means-tested MES)
Local or non-local students enrolled in full-time HKSYU undergraduate degree programme at the time of application and throughout the duration of the subsidized exchange activity
(2) For the Non-means-tested Subsidy on Exchange to “Belt and Road” Regions for Post-Secondary Students (Non-means-tested SSEBR)
Only local students enrolled in HKSYU undergraduate programme at the time of application and throughout the duration of the subsidized exchange activity.
Students who have previously received assistance from other scholarships or support schemes wholly or partly funded by the Government, e.g. Pilot Mainland Experience Scheme, Matching Grant Scheme, Talent Development Scheme and Reaching Out Awards, etc., are also eligible for assistance under the Non-means-tested MES.
Students receiving assistance under the Non-means-tested MES and/or the Non-means-tested SSEBR may receive subsidies from other sources (including those from the Government and other organizations) to cover expenses in connection with the same exchange activity.
Priority will be given to those who have not received any subsidy under scholarship/ sponsorship/ subsidy schemes wholly or partly funded by the Government.
FAQ
Will I be eligible if I have already received subsidy under the Non-means-tested MES and the Non-means-tested SSEBR once?
Each student will be eligible to receive, respectively, subsidy under the Non-means-tested MES and the Non-means-tested SSEBR once throughout her/his study in programme(s) at the same level of study in Hong Kong, irrespective of the amount of subsidy received.
Students are encouraged to undertake exchange activities in different places. If a student has been subsidized to take part in an exchange activity in one of the B&R regions (e.g. Thailand) under the Non-means-tested SSEBR, s/he will have to participate in another exchange activity in another B&R region (i.e. any one of the B&R regions other than Thailand) in order to be eligible to receive further subsidy under the Means-tested SSEBR or the Non-means-tested SSEBR, and vice versa.
A student will not be eligible to receive subsidy under the SSE/ Means-tested SSEBR/ Non-means-tested SSEBR if s/he has been subsidised under any of these Schemes for the same destination. Such restriction does not apply to the Non-means-tested MES.
For each exchange activity, the maximum amount of subsidy to be granted to the student is calculated by adding up the subsidy under Table (e)/(f) and Table (g)/(h) above. In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the Non-means-tested MES and/or the Non-means-tested SSEBR should not exceed the direct costs arising from her/his participation in the concerned exchange activity.
Example (1), if a local or non-local student joins an exchange activity in the Mainland for 95 days, the maximum subsidy to be granted under the Non-means-tested MES would be HKD 8,400 (i.e. Table (e) HKD 900 + Table (g) HKD 7500).
Example (2), if a local student joins an exchange activity in New Zealand for 185 days, the maximum subsidy to be granted under the Non-means-tested SSEBR would be HKD 15,900 (i.e. Table (f) HKD 2,400 + Table (h) HKD 13,500).
FAQ
If an exchange activity takes place in a place/country which cuts across more than one region (e.g. Russia which cuts across Europe and Asia), which subsidy amount should be used in calculating the maximum amount of subsidy for a participating student?
For exchange activities held in places/ countries which cut across more than one region (e.g. Russia, Turkey), HKSYU may, having regard to the actual travelling expenses involved, exercise our judgement to decide the region and subsidy amount applicable to the concerned activities according to the concepts covered in the preceding question on a case-by-case basis. In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the Non-means-tested MES and the Non-means-tested SSEBR should not exceed the direct costs arising from her/his participation in the concern exchange activity.
Only exchange activities that meet the following criteria are eligible for the Non-means-tested MES and the Non-means-tested SSEBR –
-An outbound exchange activity comprising substantive teaching and learning elements to be held in the Mainland [applicable to the Non-means-tested MES] or any B&R regions listed at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council website [applicable to the Non-means-tested SSEBR];
-Organized and/or endorsed by HKSYU;
-Lasting for at least five days;
The hosting institution must be a recognized institution/body either in Hong Kong or in the exchange destination;
-Priority will be given to credit-bearing or award bearing exchange activities.
(1) Exchange Activity Co-ordinated by the Centre for Global Engagement. If your application is successful and upon your acceptance of offer from the host university, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
(2) Exchange Activity not Co-ordinated by the Centre for Global Engagement. If your application is successful, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
(1) Exchange Activity Co-ordinated by the CGE
If your application is successful, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
You are required to sign an undertaking to return the full amount of the subsidy in the event that you cannot successfully complete the subsidized exchange activity or the courses taken during your study abroad.
(2) Exchange Activity not Co-ordinated by the CGE
If your application is successful, you will receive your eligible amount of subsidy after your completion for the subsidized exchange activity.
The funding should be used for direct costs arising from the subsidized exchange activities/programmes, including:
-Programme/activity fees
-airfare, train fare and/or other transportation fees to and from the destination regions (one return trip only)-
-local transportation fees
-accommodation fees
-living expenses incurred within the exchange period; and
-other miscellaneous expenses (e.g. insurance, medical expenses, etc).
Dr Li Dak Sum Student Exchange Scholarship
-HKSYU students enrolled in full-time undergraduate degree programme at the time of application and throughout the duration of the Study Abroad Scheme; AND
-A total GPA of at least 3.0
-There will be a maximum of 15 scholarships for each round.
-Priority will be given to students who exchange in countries with higher expenses.
-Other factors (such as the availability of other subsidies/ awards, and the expected expenses) will also be taken into consideration.
-Semester-based exchange or study abroad programme;
-Nominated by HKSYU
Documents submission after the exchange and Commitments
-Share your experience and exposure obtained through the Study Abroad Scheme with the International Unit and fellow students
-Promote the Study Abroad Scheme by participating in information sessions, workshops and briefings
-Provide at least 5 meaningful and quality photos/ video clips taken during the exchange/ study abroad experience (with captions).
-A reflection report on the learning experience abroad (at least one A4-sized page).
Allow the International Unit to use the photos/ videos collected from me to promote this scholarship scheme and the Study Abroad Scheme