hong kong diploma of secondary education examination ... · 4 september 2017 . hong kong diploma of...

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Ref.: DSE/CR 3/2018 4 September 2017

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination

Examination Circular No. (3) 2017 / 2018 Applications for Examination Fee Remission in HKDSE

1. Eligibility Criteria

Students who pass the means test of the Student Finance Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency are eligible to apply for Examination Fee Remission (EFR) for the 2018 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE). For the ‘Household Application for Student Financial Assistance Schemes’ for 2017/18, the SFO will issue ‘Notification of Result’ and the Eligibility Certificate (EC) (applicable to applicants who have not been disbursed with School Textbook Assistance (TA) in the previous school year) (see specimen of the yellow letter) to those applicants who have passed the means test.

Both the notification letter and EC will indicate the assistance level the student is entitled to and the effective date of assistance. EFR will be granted to eligible school candidates sitting for the 2018 HKDSE if the following criteria are met:

(1) The candidate is:

(i) a Senior Secondary 3/Secondary 6 full-time day school student who sits for the HKDSE for the first time as a school candidate; or

(ii) an adult learner who attends Senior Secondary 3/Secondary 6 evening courses in designated centres that are quality-assured and commissioned by the Education Bureau (EDB), and sits for the HKDSE for the first time as a school candidate; or

(iii) a Senior Secondary 1/Secondary 4 or Senior Secondary 2/Secondary 5 repeater who is a Year 2 student of an Applied Learning (ApL) subject in the school year 2017/18 and is approved to enter for ‘ApL subjects only’ in the 2018 HKDSE as a school candidate.

(2) First-time repeaters attending full-time day school/designated evening adult education courses are also eligible for EFR, provided that they entered for the 2017 HKDSE for the first time1 as school candidates (regardless of whether they had applied for EFR in that entry) and will sit for the HKDSE for the second time as school candidates in the immediate following examination year (i.e. 2018 HKDSE).

(3) (i) Candidates whose ‘Eligibility Level’ for student finance has been assessed as ‘Full’

(eligible for full EFR) or ‘Half’ (eligible for half EFR) by the SFO; or

1 Under the HKDSE, the examinations of 4 core and 20 elective Senior Secondary subjects will take place from

March to May each year and the internal assessments of Applied Learning subjects will also be completed by then. The examinations of the six Other Language subjects will take place in November of the preceding year according to the timetable of the Cambridge International Examinations. Examinations taken during March to May and November of the preceding year under the HKDSE are considered to be taken in the same examination year and therefore counted altogether as one examination entry for the purpose of EFR.

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(ii) Candidates who are recommended for ‘Full’ or ‘Half’ grant of TA by the attending school (only applicable to government, aided, per caput grant secondary day schools and local schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme).

(4) Candidates must apply for EFR through the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment

Authority (HKEAA). (5) The effective date for financial assistance as listed on the notification letter/EC is on or

before 9 October 2017 (i.e. the registration closing date for the HKDSE). For ‘late applications’ received after 9 October 2017, candidates must pay the full examination fees. The application procedures and refund arrangement are stated in paragraph 3. Students entering for the HKDSE as private candidates or studying in evening schools [except the EDB designated centres mentioned in (1)(ii) above] are ineligible to apply for EFR.

2. Application Procedures

(1) School principals are requested to:

(a) inform all eligible candidates who enter for the HKDSE to apply for EFR at the time of registration, including those who have registered for Category C subjects (Other Languages – November 2017 series) in the 2018 HKDSE.

(b) refer to the Result Data Files for Student Finance transmitted to the schools by the

SFO or the notification letter/EC issued by the SFO to the eligible applicants from August 2017 to ascertain their eligibility as mentioned in paragraph 1 and submit EFR application for them. Schools are strongly advised to check all relevant data (including the list of eligible candidates and their level of assistance) carefully before the submission of applications for EFR.

Method of applications for EFR Schools should apply for EFR for the eligible candidates via the Registration System at the HKDSE Examination Online Services (https://www.hkdse.hkeaa.edu.hk) from 13 September to 9 October 2017: (i) Schools using WebSAMS should import the result data file for student

financial assistance via the CDS to the WFSFAA(SFO) module in WebSAMS and confirm the application for examination fee remission in the HKEAA module before transmitting the entry data to the Registration System. Any changes in the level of assistance before the closing of September Registration can be made in individual candidates’ records through the ‘Update’ function in the Registration System.

(ii) Schools not using WebSAMS may either indicate the level of assistance ‘100’ (‘Full’ assistance level), ‘50’ (‘Half’ assistance level) or ‘0’ (No remission) for the candidates in their data file before uploading the data to the Registration System or input the level of assistance in the individual candidates’ records through the ‘Update’ function in the Registration System.

(c) make sure that the HKID card no. of the candidate has been printed on the EC

before submitting it to the SFO and a photocopy is made for the school’s future reference.

https://www.hkdse.hkeaa.edu.hk/

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(2) Students receiving ‘Full’ level of assistance need not pay the examination fees but will still receive a demand note for record purposes while those receiving ‘Half’ level of assistance will need to pay half of the examination fees by 11:59 pm 16 October 2017 (i.e. the payment deadline). The HKEAA will arrange for refund of the examination fees for the Category C subjects (Other Languages – November 2017 series) around December 2017 to eligible candidates who have already paid the examination fees during the registration in June/July 2017.

(3) The HKEAA will inform schools of the outcome of the EFR applications around February

2018, upon confirmation of the candidates’ eligibility by the SFO. 3. Procedures for Handling Late EFR Applications or Adjustment of Assistance Level after

Submission of Entries

(1) After the submission of examination entries, schools will still receive the result data file from the SFO on the specified transmission dates via CDS (Please refer to the attached letter from SFO vide (12) in WFSFAA / SFO / TT / 523 / 01 Pt.1 for the details.) or notification letter/EC submitted by eligible candidates. These reports/documents serve to inform schools of additional applications required or adjustment of candidates’ assistance level. Schools are requested to follow up with the candidates who have become eligible for EFR.

(2) Application procedures for Late EFR applications: Schools should submit late EFR

applications for the eligible candidates via the Registration System instead of using the hardcopy form during the following periods:

Online Submission

Period Application Procedures Refund Arrangements

(if applicable) 16 November to 31 December 2017

Schools should submit late EFR applications for the eligible candidates through the ‘Update’ function in the HKDSE Registration System. Candidates who apply for subject amendments after the submission of their examination entries should pay the supplementary fee and subject fee (if applicable) before the specified payment deadline.

Refunds will be arranged by the HKEAA to the eligible applicants around February 2018, after their eligibility is confirmed by the SFO.

15 February to 15 May 2018

Refunds will be arranged by the SFO directly to the eligible applicants after their eligibility is verified by the SFO.

(3) Late EFR applications made on or after 16 May 2018: Schools should make use of the

DSE18 form ‘Examination Fee Remission – Late Application’ to submit applications for the eligible candidates as mentioned in paragraph 1. The DSE18 form will be available for download from the Registration System from 16 May 2018 and should be submitted to the HKEAA by 30 June 2018. Refunds will be arranged by the SFO directly to the eligible applicants after their eligibility is verified by the SFO.

(4) Adjustment of assistance level: All over-paid and under-paid cases will be handled by the

HKEAA around February 2018, after confirmation of the candidates’ eligibility by the

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SFO. In this connection, schools need not inform the HKEAA of the adjustment of assistance level of their candidates.

(5) Schools should note and inform candidates who wish to apply for EFR that late EFR

applications should be submitted within 1 month after the issue of the notification letter/EC (or notification of Adjustment of Assistance Level). Applications submitted after this date will normally not be accepted.

4. Other Points to Note

(1) Families in receipt of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) should apply directly to the Social Welfare Department for assistance towards their children's examination fees.

(2) School principals are requested to notify the HKEAA immediately if any of the EFR

applicants has left the school or withdrawn from the HKDSE.

(3) For candidates who have applied for EFR in the September Registration and wish to add or change a subject after the submission of examination entries, if the requests are made on or before 30 November 2017, candidates who are eligible for ‘full’ assistance level should pay the supplementary fee for addition/substitution of subjects only. Candidates who are eligible for ‘half’ assistance level should pay the supplementary fee for addition/substitution of subjects and half amount of the total subject fees (including the subject fees for additional subject(s)/difference in subject fees). If the requests are made between 1 December and 14 December 2017, all candidates should pay the supplementary fees and the subject fees incurred. Refunds of the subject fees will be arranged by the HKEAA, after confirmation of the candidates’ eligibility and the level of assistance by the SFO.

(4) If an EFR applicant subsequently becomes ineligible after submitting his/her application,

he/she will be required to pay the full amount of the examination fee to the HKEAA/SFO. Pursuant to Regulation 5.9 of 2018 HKDSE Examination Regulations, entries of candidates will not be regarded as having been accepted until the fees payable have been received in full by the Authority. As such, candidates’ applications for 2018 HKDSE will be cancelled if they fail to pay the full amount of the examination fee. No admission form will be issued to the candidates concerned.

5. In case of enquiries, please contact Ms Sylvia Wong (Tel. No. 3628 8971). MARGARET HUI (MS) General Manager, School Examinations and Assessment Division To: Principals of Participating Schools

在職家庭及學生資助事務處

學生資助處

WORKING FAMILY AND STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY STUDENT FINANCE OFFICE 九龍協調道 3 號工業貿易大樓 5 樓

5/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon

[Applicant’s name][Applicant’s address] [Applicant’s address] [Applicant’s address] [Applicant’s address]

Dear Sir / Madam,

HOUSEHOLD APPLICATION FOR STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEMES 2017 / 18 NOTIFICATION OF RESULT

The Student Finance Office (SFO) has completed the assessment of your Household Application for Student

Financial Assistance Schemes for the 2017/18 school year. The application result(s) is/are as follows-

Student Name

(HKID Card No.)

Level of Assistance

(Effective Date)

Remarks

CHAN YAT MAN

A123****

HALF

(September 2017)

Since the grant rates for School Textbook Assistance (TA) for the

2017/18 school year are being formulated, the SFO has preliminarily

disbursed the provisional TA to you with reference to the respective TA

grant rates for the 2016/17 school year. The Subsidy for Internet

Access Charges (if applicable) will also be disbursed to you

concurrently. The Student Travel Subsidy will be disbursed to eligible

applicants starting from October 2017.

CHAN YEE MAN

B123****

HALF

(September 2017)

CHAN SAM MAN

C123****

HALF

(September 2017)

The Eligibility Certificate(s) (EC) (applicable to Financial Assistance for

Primary and Secondary Students) is/are enclosed. Please complete

and submit the EC(s) according to the enclosed “Guidance Notes

on How to Apply by Scheme (Financial Assistance for Primary and

Secondary Students) (SFO 189)”.

After verifying whether the students are eligible for the respective

Schemes and upon the completion of the assessment procedures, the

SFO will release financial assistance to the eligible applicants.

Household Application No. : :

Date :

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CHAN SAI MAN

D123****

3/4 Fee Remission

The School Certificate(s) (SC) (Pre-printed) (applicable to Kindergarten

and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme / Grant for School-

related Expenses for Kindergarten Students) is/are enclosed for

applicants who have submitted the pre-printed form earlier. Please

complete and submit the SC(s) according to the enclosed “Notes

on How to Complete and Return SC (applicable to Kindergarten


related Expenses for Kindergarten Students) (SFO 293E)”. If your

child(ren) is/are attending school for the first time in the 2017/18 school

year or has/have not received fee remission in the 2016/17 school year,

you must complete the SC(s) attached together with the application

form(s) and submit the SC(s) to the school(s) concerned for processing.

After verifying whether the students are eligible for the Scheme and

upon the completion of the assessment procedures, the SFO will

arrange disbursement of the fee remission to the eligible applicants

through the kindergartens / child care centres concerned. The SFO will

notify applicants of the fee remission amount and payment arrangement

in writing separately.

As regards the disbursement of the Grant for School-related Expenses

for Kindergarten Students, if applicants have not yet provided valid bank

account information, SFO will separately request for the information in

writing to facilitate the disbursement of the grant.

CHAN NG MAN

E123****

To be notified in

writing separately

When applying for the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee

Remission Scheme in the new school year, applicants with children

receiving whole-day child care services must pass the means test and

the “social needs” test concurrently within the same assessment period

in order to qualify themselves for the fee remission. After verifying

whether the students are eligible for the Scheme and upon completion

of the assessment procedures, the SFO will arrange disbursement of

the fee remission to the eligible applicants through the kindergartens /

child care centres concerned. The SFO will notify applicants of the fee

remission amount and payment arrangement in writing separately.

Payment of Assistance

The SFO will release financial assistance (except the fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care

Centre Fee Remission Scheme) to eligible applicants by autopay. However, some applicants may not

receive their subsidy for the current application year for the time being due to the following reasons –

(i) Applicants have been overpaid in financial assistance in previous application years / have repayment

overdue and they have not yet refunded the overpayment / settled the repayment overdue to the SFO ; or

(ii) Applicants have not provided complete information requested by the SFO during the detailed checking

exercise in previous application year(s).

Application for Re-assessment

If you are dissatisfied with the above assessment result, you may apply in writing to the SFO for re-assessment.

The application for re-assessment must be duly signed by the applicant and marked with the application number (see

the right upper corner of this notification) or the HKID card number of the applicant. Detailed justifications and

documentary evidence in support of your application should be provided. Since re-assessment of eligibility normally

takes about three months to process, applicants should apply for re-assessment promptly within one month from the

issue date of this notification. The SFO may only give special consideration with exceptional reasons to re-

assessment request which cannot be submitted within the aforesaid period.

Authentication after Disbursement of Financial Assistance

Please note that the SFO will conduct authentication on the applications, including home visits, detailed checking

and data matching with the Social Welfare Department, after disbursement of financial assistance. It is the

responsibility of applicants to keep all supporting documents of the application data for at least two years.

Applicants should cooperate with the SFO staff and provide the required information for authentication. Please

refer to the paragraphs relating to provision / handling of personal data set out in the “Guidance Notes on

Household Application for Student Financial Assistance Schemes 2017/18” for details.

Please keep this notification for your application for other schemes as appropriate (e.g. Hong Kong Jockey

Club Life-wide Learning Fund).

For enquiry, please call our 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345.

Student Finance Office

Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency

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在職家庭及學生資助事務處學生資助處WORKING FAMILY AND STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AGENCYSTUDENT FINANCE OFFICE (SFO)資格證明書(中、小學生資助)ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATE

(FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS) (EC)[Applicable to the School Textbook Assistance Scheme (TA), Student Travel Subsidy Scheme (STS),

Subsidy Scheme for Internet Access Charges (SIA), Diploma Yi Jin Fee Reimbursement (DYJFR)

and Fee Reimbursement (Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses) (FR(FAEAEC))]

本資格證明書備有中文版本。如有需要，請向學生資助處索取。Please read the "Guidance Notes on How to Apply By Scheme (SFO 189)" (Guidance Notes) carefully before completion.

(Please refer to Guidance Notes - A, Section 3-4 for examples). The SFO will generally not process EC submitted after the deadline and no financial assistance will be released to the

concerned applicant.)

Part I Particulars of the Applicant

1. Name in Chinese

2. Name in English (For amendment, please provide the complete address in the boxes below.)

3. Correspondence Address Flat Floor Block

Name of Building

Estate / Village

No. & Name of Street

District

Area # 1. HK Island 2. KLN 3. NT 4. Outside HK

Part II Result of Eligibility Assessment and Application by Scheme

Particulars of the

Student-applicant

1. Name in Chinese

2. Name in English

3. Year of Birth

4. HKID Card No.

(Only prefix and the first

3 digits are shown)

5. Name of School

6. Class Attending (2017 / 18)

(numeric) (alpha)

7. Account Holder's Name

in English @

Bank Account Number @

8. According to the household application form submitted by you, the above student-applicant or your family would like to apply for the following scheme(s).

If you wish to apply for other scheme(s), please put "" in the appropriate box(es). (You may choose more than 1 scheme, if applicable. Please make sure

that the student-applicant meets the eligibility criteria of relevant scheme(s).) (Please refer to Guidance Notes - A, Section 1 and B, Part II, Section 4 for details.)

Student-based

(A) Textbook Assistance (B) Student Travel Subsidy

(C) Diploma Yi Jin Fee (D) Fee Reimbursement (Financial Assistance Scheme for

Reimbursement Designated Evening Adult Education Courses) Family-based

(E) Subsidy for Internet Access Charges

9. Term-time Residential Address (For assessment of Student Travel Subsidy. Please refer to Guidance Notes - B, Part II, Section 5 for details.)

(If there is any amendment or the address pre-printed at the left is not the student's residential address during term-time , please provide the complete address in the boxes below.)

Flat Floor Block

Name of Building

Estate / Village

No. & Name of Street

District

Area # 1. HK Island 2. KLN 3. NT 4. Outside HK

SFO 188 # Please put "P" in the appropriate box(es).

@ Applicant should provide the correct bank account information; otherwise, the SFO will not be able to disburse subsidies to the applicant via autopay.

TA STS

ClassForm

Bank Account NumberBank Name

(Please return this EC to the attending school for processing (i) within 1 week from the commencement date of school; or (ii) within 2 weeks from the issue date of EC, whichever is the later.

Eligibility Assessment Result

Bank Code

-

(eg. Standard Chartered Bank 003; HSBC 004; Hang Seng Bank 024)

For Office Use

Eligibility level: Effective Date:

According to the information you provided in the household application

form, your assistance level is initially assessed as follows:

2017 / 18

The SFO will later conduct authentication on application for student

finance, including home visit and random checking. If the findings are

different from the initial assessment result, the SFO will adjust the level

and the amount granted to you. If you have grounds to seek for review of

your eligibility level, you should first submit this EC to school and then

appeal in writing to the SFO, providing documentary evidence in support

of your appeal. Since longer processing time will be needed for re-

assessment, applicant should apply for re-assessment within one month

from the issue date of this EC as promptly as possible. The SFO may give

special consideration to appeal cases which cannot be submitted within

the aforesaid period with satisfactory reasons.

Issue Date of Certificate:

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Part III Declaration

Date: Signature of Applicant:

Part IV For School Use

[Before completing this part, schools should first read the "Handling Procedures of Eligibility Certificate / Application by Scheme" in Appendix 5 of the

"Explanatory Notes to Schools for Application Processing" issued by the SFO.]

1. My school code is ／ (e.g. 123456000123 / XXX)

(Not applicable if ECs are submitted using class folders with school code label) School District

2. I certify that the student-applicant is studying in this school in the 2017 / 18 school year.

3.

Recommend

Supplementary information, if applicable

The student-applicant is a boarding student for Mondays to Fridays only. (For schools providing boarding service on

Mondays to Fridays only.)

The student-applicant is a cross-boundary student. (For student-applicant residing on the Mainland (outside the boundary

of Hong Kong) during term-time.)

The student-applicant is a hostel student (beyond 10 minutes walking distance from hostel to school).

(For schools providing hostel service only.)

Not Recommend

* For eligibility of STS, please refer to the "Guidelines on Determining 'Walking Distance' from Schools" in Appendix 11 of the "Explanatory

Notes to Schools for Application Processing". Please be reminded that for applications with the same or almost the same home-to-school

routes, consistency should be observed in determining the distance between the school and the residence of the students and the eligibility

of the students for receiving STS.

Signature of the Principal:

Date: Name of the Principal:

SFO 188

The student-applicant is recommended for STS as the student-applicant is residing beyond 10 minutes walking distance from school

and public transport is available for travelling between the two locations.

For application of the Student Travel Subsidy (STS)*, I certify that:

(Please insert “” in the appropriate box to indicate whether you recommend or not and provide supplementary information, if applicable.)

I have read and fully understood the Guidance Notes.

In consideration of the financial assistance to be made available to me, I, the Applicant, whose particulars are set out in Part I above, agree with and undertake to comply and observe all provisions in the Guidance Notes. References to "you" or "applicant" in the Guidance Notes refer to me.

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing:

I declare that the information contained in this application is true, complete and accurate. I understand and consent that the SFO is authorised to conduct authentication of this application (including home visit and random checking) to verify whether the information provided therein is true, complete and

accurate. I and my family members will fully cooperate with the staff of the SFO. The SFO may make adjustments to the assistance level / amount of

financial assistance granted based on the findings of the authentication. Any misrepresentation, concealment of facts, provision of misleading or false information or intentional obstruction of SFO staff in the course of authentication will lead to disqualification, restitution in full of the assistance granted and

possible prosecution. I commit to refund the HKSAR Government any overpayment of financial assistance granted (including financial assistance provided under all financial assistance scheme(s) administered by the SFO) immediately upon request.

(If applicable) I understand and consent that according to Paragraph 8 (a) of Part A - General Information of the Guidance Notes, if student-applicant enrolls

on both the DYJ programme and the evening secondary courses provided by approved course provider under the FAEAEC in the same academic year, he/she

is required to choose between receiving tuition fee reimbursement under the DYJ programme and the FAEAEC; and Paragraph 9 (b), student-applicant is not eligible for fee reimbursement under the FAEAEC if he/she has obtained the fee reimbursement under the previous Project Yi Jin (PYJ) or the current DYJ

programme. I commit to refund the HKSAR Government all the fee reimbursement obtained under the previous PYJ and DYJ so as to be eligible for reimbursement under FAEAEC.

I have read and give consent to the SFO and its authorized bodies to process and use the personal data of myself and the student-applicant provided to the SFO in connection with this application in accordance with Paragraph 10 of Part A of the Guidance Notes.

x

x

The student-applicant is NOT recommended for STS due to EITHER the student-applicant is residing within 10 minutes walking

distance from school OR no public transport is available for travelling between the two locations OR the school has provided the

student-applicant with other kinds of travel subsidy / assistance / allowance including free transportation service to and from school.

The student-applicant does not meet the distance eligibility but is recommended by exercising Principal's discretion having considered the following special reason. Please specify: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If the recommended student-applicant belongs to any of the following categories, please insert “ ”in the appropriate box.

School Chop

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14 August 2017 Principals of Government, Aided, Per Caput Grant Schools and Local Schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme Dear Principal,

Household Application for Student Financial Assistance Schemes 2017 / 18 Collection of Eligibility Certificates

(Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Students) after Commencement of School Year

Advanced Payment of School Textbook Assistance for 2017 / 18 in end July / August 2017 In order to enable the majority of the students to receive advanced payment of School Textbook Assistance (TA) for the 2017 / 18 school year before the start of the new school year, the Student Finance Office (SFO) has written to you in January and June 2017 informing you of the arrangements for “Advanced Payment of TA” in the 2017 / 18 school year. As in previous year, the SFO will advance disbursement of TA and Subsidy for Internet Charges (SIA) in end July / August 2017 to all those students who successfully received TA (both Full grant and Half grant) in the 2016 / 17 school year, have submitted application for 2017 / 18 with complete information in or before end May and pass the means test of the new school year. The SFO will issue “Notification of Result” (the yellow letter) (specimen as attached) to applicants on family basis in August by batches to notify them of the assistance level (full level or half level). As the “Notification of Result” is on family basis, the SFO has reminded applicants to keep the Notification so as to facilitate their applications for other schemes. We shall also commence the disbursement of Student Travel Subsidy (STS) to eligible students starting from October 2017.

As regards students recommended under the Principal’s Recommendation Scheme, with schools’ support to process a limited number of Eligibility Certificate(s) (EC) in early July 2017, the SFO has also disbursed TA (together with SIA) in end July / August 2017 to those recommended students who had returned their ECs.

Since the TA grant rates for the 2017 / 18 school year have not yet been

determined, the SFO has disbursed the provisional TA to eligible students in end July / August 2017 with reference to the respective TA grant rates for 2016 / 17 school year. As and when the TA grant rates for 2017 / 18 are available in October 2017, the SFO would adjust the assistance receivable by these students based on the latest rates. The SFO would notify individual applicants of the details of the adjustment, and would also inform you of the new grant rates in due course.

本處檔號 Our Ref. (12) in WFSFAA / SFO / TT / 523 / 01 Pt.1

來函檔號 Your Ref.

電話 Telephone 2802 2345

圖文傳真 Fax No. 3622 3323

在職家庭及學生資助事務處學生資助處 WORKING FAMILY AND STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY

STUDENT FINANCE OFFICE

九龍協調道3號工業貿易大樓5樓 5/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon

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Result Data Files for Student Financial Assistance

As in previous years, the SFO will transmit result data files for student financial assistance for the 2017/18 school year to schools via CDS for your use. To protect personal data, all data files are encrypted. The SFO transmitted the password document for 2017/18 school year to schools via CDS on 4 August 2017. Please use the password for 2016/17 school year to open that document so as to obtain the password for this school year.

The SFO has scheduled to transmit the result data files via CDS on the

following dates for schools’ downloading and reference:

Result Data Files for Student Finance Tentative Transmission Date

1st result data file 17.8.2017

2nd result data file 28.8.2017

3rd result data file 14.9.2017

4th result data file 26.10.2017








Release of Other Results on Household Application for Student Financial Assistance Schemes As regards other applicants who submitted their Household Application for Student Financial Assistance Schemes together with all necessary application documents in May 2017, the SFO will issue the Notification of Result and the ECs (yellow document) to them by post within August. The following documents are attached for your processing of application / reference -

- Class Folders - School Code Label - Application Summary (for schools to submit ECs after the start of new

school year) - School Reminder (for schools to submit ECs after the start of new school year) - “Points to Note on Household Application for Student Financial Assistance

Schemes 2017/18 (Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Students)” to applicants (for schools’ reference)

Handling of Eligibility Certificate (Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Students) Schools should first read the ‘Explanatory Notes to Schools for Application Processing’ (EN) before processing the ECs. Upon receiving the ECs submitted by students, schools are requested to check if the application year printed on the EC is ‘2017 / 18’ and if the student-applicants are students of your school; to confirm their class code in 2017 / 18 school year; and to certify their eligibility for the assistance scheme(s) they applied for. Please note that under the New Senior Secondary Academic Structure, students of Senior Secondary 1, Senior Secondary 2 and Senior Secondary 3 should be

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marked as studying ‘Form 4’, ‘Form 5’ and ‘Form 6’ respectively. Schools may remind applicants not to submit their ECs to the SFO if their children have been approved to receive the school-related expenses under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme as Social Welfare Department will provide school-related assistance to them for 2017 / 18. Besides, when verifying the application documents for Student Travel Subsidy (STS), please insert “” at the appropriate box on Part IV of the EC to indicate whether you recommend or not the concerned application. For applications with the same or almost the same home-to-school routes, consistency should be observed in determining the distance between the school and the residence of the students. If the student-applicant is “Recommended” for STS and is a hostel student (beyond 10 minutes walking distance from hostel to school), please also insert “” in the “The student-applicant is a hostel student” box under Supplementary Information. If the student-applicant is a hostel student and the hostel is within 10 minutes walking distance or with no public transport available between hostel and school, please insert “” in the “Not Recommend” box. After verification, School Principals are requested to sign and stamp the school chop on Part IV of the EC. Points to Note When Handling Students’ Applications on TA Scheme / STS Scheme / SIA To ensure the proper use of public funds, student-applicants who have been approved to receive any kind of allowance, assistance or remission on school textbook, student travel expense, Internet access charges, public examination fee etc. (including free transportation to schools) from any public / private corporations or attending schools should NOT submit applications for student finance for similar kinds of assistance, such as TA, STS and SIA Schemes to the SFO. These public / private corporations include but are not limited to their attending schools, the Social Welfare Department, the Education Bureau, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, public transport operators etc.

If your school has already provided students with free textbook or textbook / travelling / Internet access allowance / assistance for the 2017 / 18 school year, please inform the parents that they are NOT entitled to apply for similar kinds of student finance for their children from the SFO. Students should NOT select the corresponding scheme(s) on the EC, and school should check carefully the relevant information, bearing in mind the requirement NOT to recommend the students concerned to apply for the relevant assistance scheme(s), before signing the EC. The SFO will recover the full amount of assistance of the relevant scheme(s) from the applicants should they be found receiving similar kind of subsidy / assistance in the same school year. Recommendation of Discretionary Awards As in previous year, schools may recommend discretionary awards for applicants having exceptional financial hardship through the WebSAMS. Schools should read the guidelines at paragraphs 56-58 and Appendix 6B of EN carefully before making the recommendations. Discretionary award is not applicable to the “Subsidy Scheme for Internet Access Charges”. Dates for Submission of Eligibility Certificates To tie in with the TA, SIA and STS payment scheduled for October 2017, schools are required to return the completed Application Summary together with the class folders containing certified ECs to the SFO (Address: 5/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon) on or before the following dates:

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School / Type Date

For public sector and DSS primary schools For primary schools on Hong Kong and Kowloon side For primary schools in the New Territories and on

Outlying Islands

7.9.2017 8.9.2017

For public sector, caput and DSS secondary schools For secondary schools on Hong Kong and Kowloon side For secondary schools in the New Territories and on

Outlying Islands

11.9.2017 12.9.2017

The business hours of our office are:

Business Hour: Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. (Offices are closed during lunch hour from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.) Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays Closed

For those ECs submitted after the above-mentioned dates, schools may forward them to the SFO by registered mail / by hand (Address: 12/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, Kowloon), or request the applicants to submit their EC direct to the SFO within one month from the issue date of EC after certification. Deadlines for Submission of Eligibility Certificates The SFO has issued a reminder together with the EC(s) to all eligible families requesting the applicants to submit the completed ECs to the attending school of their children on time. Under all circumstances, schools should forward all ECs collected from students to the SFO on or before 31 January 2018; or within 1 month from the issue date of EC, whichever is the later. Late submission of ECs will not be accepted by the SFO. Enquiry For enquiries on the above arrangement, schools may contact the respective Assistance Officer of the SFO according to the telephone list at Appendix 10 of the EN. If parents of students have any enquiry, please direct them to call our hotline 2802 2345. Thank you for your kind assistance and co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

(Ms Christine NIP) for Head,


Encls

Specimen

在職家庭及學生資助事務處

學生資助處

WORKING FAMILY AND STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY STUDENT FINANCE OFFICE 九龍協調道 3 號工業貿易大樓 5 樓

5/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon

[Applicant’s name][Applicant’s address] [Applicant’s address] [Applicant’s address] [Applicant’s address]

Dear Sir / Madam,

HOUSEHOLD APPLICATION FOR STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEMES 2017 / 18 NOTIFICATION OF RESULT

The Student Finance Office (SFO) has completed the assessment of your Household Application for Student

Financial Assistance Schemes for the 2017/18 school year. The application result(s) is/are as follows-

Student Name

(HKID Card No.)

Level of Assistance

(Effective Date)

Remarks

CHAN YAT MAN

A123****

HALF

(September 2017)

Since the grant rates for School Textbook Assistance (TA) for the

2017/18 school year are being formulated, the SFO has preliminarily

disbursed the provisional TA to you with reference to the respective TA

grant rates for the 2016/17 school year. The Subsidy for Internet

Access Charges (if applicable) will also be disbursed to you

concurrently. The Student Travel Subsidy will be disbursed to eligible

applicants starting from October 2017.

CHAN YEE MAN

B123****

HALF

(September 2017)

CHAN SAM MAN

C123****

HALF

(September 2017)

The Eligibility Certificate(s) (EC) (applicable to Financial Assistance for

Primary and Secondary Students) is/are enclosed. Please complete

and submit the EC(s) according to the enclosed “Guidance Notes

on How to Apply by Scheme (Financial Assistance for Primary and

Secondary Students) (SFO 189)”.

After verifying whether the students are eligible for the respective

Schemes and upon the completion of the assessment procedures, the

SFO will release financial assistance to the eligible applicants.

Household Application No. : :

Date :

Specimen

CHAN SAI MAN

D123****

3/4 Fee Remission

The School Certificate(s) (SC) (Pre-printed) (applicable to Kindergarten


related Expenses for Kindergarten Students) is/are enclosed for

applicants who have submitted the pre-printed form earlier. Please

complete and submit the SC(s) according to the enclosed “Notes

on How to Complete and Return SC (applicable to Kindergarten


related Expenses for Kindergarten Students) (SFO 293E)”. If your

child(ren) is/are attending school for the first time in the 2017/18 school

year or has/have not received fee remission in the 2016/17 school year,

you must complete the SC(s) attached together with the application

form(s) and submit the SC(s) to the school(s) concerned for processing.

After verifying whether the students are eligible for the Scheme and

upon the completion of the assessment procedures, the SFO will

arrange disbursement of the fee remission to the eligible applicants

through the kindergartens / child care centres concerned. The SFO will

notify applicants of the fee remission amount and payment arrangement

in writing separately.

As regards the disbursement of the Grant for School-related Expenses

for Kindergarten Students, if applicants have not yet provided valid bank

account information, SFO will separately request for the information in

writing to facilitate the disbursement of the grant.

CHAN NG MAN

E123****

To be notified in

writing separately

When applying for the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee

Remission Scheme in the new school year, applicants with children

receiving whole-day child care services must pass the means test and

the “social needs” test concurrently within the same assessment period

in order to qualify themselves for the fee remission. After verifying

whether the students are eligible for the Scheme and upon completion

of the assessment procedures, the SFO will arrange disbursement of

the fee remission to the eligible applicants through the kindergartens /

child care centres concerned. The SFO will notify applicants of the fee

remission amount and payment arrangement in writing separately.

Payment of Assistance

The SFO will release financial assistance (except the fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care

Centre Fee Remission Scheme) to eligible applicants by autopay. However, some applicants may not

receive their subsidy for the current application year for the time being due to the following reasons –

(i) Applicants have been overpaid in financial assistance in previous application years / have repayment

overdue and they have not yet refunded the overpayment / settled the repayment overdue to the SFO ; or

(ii) Applicants have not provided complete information requested by the SFO during the detailed checking

exercise in previous application year(s).

Application for Re-assessment

If you are dissatisfied with the above assessment result, you may apply in writing to the SFO for re-assessment.

The application for re-assessment must be duly signed by the applicant and marked with the application number (see

the right upper corner of this notification) or the HKID card number of the applicant. Detailed justifications and

documentary evidence in support of your application should be provided. Since re-assessment of eligibility normally

takes about three months to process, applicants should apply for re-assessment promptly within one month from the

issue date of this notification. The SFO may only give special consideration with exceptional reasons to re-

assessment request which cannot be submitted within the aforesaid period.

Authentication after Disbursement of Financial Assistance

Please note that the SFO will conduct authentication on the applications, including home visits, detailed checking

and data matching with the Social Welfare Department, after disbursement of financial assistance. It is the

responsibility of applicants to keep all supporting documents of the application data for at least two years.

Applicants should cooperate with the SFO staff and provide the required information for authentication. Please

refer to the paragraphs relating to provision / handling of personal data set out in the “Guidance Notes on

Household Application for Student Financial Assistance Schemes 2017/18” for details.

Please keep this notification for your application for other schemes as appropriate (e.g. Hong Kong Jockey

Club Life-wide Learning Fund).

For enquiry, please call our 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345.

Student Finance Office


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