【Programme Subsidies】Latest Overview of Government Programme Subsidies / Allowances / Loans (Updated October 2026)
To encourage continuous learning and enhance social competitiveness, the Government provides tuition fee subsidies / allowances / loans every year for various government-accredited programmes at self-financing post-secondary institutions. There is a wide range of programme subsidies. The following introduces seven common subsidies available for full-time programmes at self-financing post-secondary institutions, helping you understand their features in terms of subsidised programme levels, eligibility, subsidy amounts, means test requirements, and forms of subsidy. By making good use of government subsidies, you can pursue self-enhancement and strengthen your competitive edge.
Government Programme Tuition Fee Subsidy / Loan Schemes:
- Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong (NMTSS)
- Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP)
- Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP)
- Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS)
- Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS)
- Continuing Education Fund (CEF)
- Tuition Fee Reimbursement
1. Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong (NMTSS)
- Subsidised Programmes: Locally-accredited designated full-time local and non-local self-financing undergraduate (including top-up degree) programmes
- Eligibility: Eligible local students pursuing eligible self-financing first-year undergraduate or top-up degree programmes
- Subsidy Amount: (2026/27 Academic Year) Up to $35,120 per year, disbursed during the normal duration of the relevant programmes. The subsidy amount may be adjusted annually
- Assessment: No income verification required
- Form of Subsidy: Tuition fees are payable after proportional deduction of the subsidy
- "NMTSS" Website: https://www.cspe.edu.hk/en/nmt/index.html
2a. Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP) - Undergraduate Degrees
- Subsidised Programmes: Locally-accredited designated full-time local undergraduate programmes, including first-year undergraduate and top-up degrees, covering 10 disciplines: Architecture and Engineering, Computer Science, Creative Industries, Financial Technology, Health Care, Insurance, Logistics, Sports and Recreation, Testing and Certification, and Tourism and Hospitality
- Eligibility: Eligible full-time local students
- Subsidy Amount: (2026/27 Academic Year) Annual subsidy of $46,780 (non-laboratory-based) or $81,450 (laboratory-based), disbursed annually during the normal duration of the programmes. The subsidy amount may be adjusted annually
- Assessment: No income verification required
- Form of Subsidy: Tuition fees are payable after proportional deduction of the subsidy
- "SSSDP" Website: https://www.cspe.edu.hk/en/sssdp/index.html
2b. Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP) - Sub-degrees
- Subsidised Programmes: Locally-accredited designated full-time self-financing Higher Diploma and Associate Degree programmes, covering 6 disciplines: Computer Science, Creative Industries, Health Care, Sports and Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality, and Architecture and Engineering
- Eligibility: Eligible local students who have attained Level 2 or above in five subjects (including English Language and Chinese Language) in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination / successfully completed the Diploma of Applied Education (DAE) or Diploma Yi Jin (DYJ) or other relevant qualifications
- Subsidy Amount: (2026/27 Academic Year) Annual subsidy of $23,390 (non-laboratory-based) or $40,730 (laboratory-based), disbursed annually during the normal duration of the programmes. The subsidy amount may be adjusted annually
- Assessment: No income verification required
- Form of Subsidy: Tuition fees are payable after proportional deduction of the subsidy
- "SSSDP" Website: https://www.cspe.edu.hk/en/sssdp/index.html
3. Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP)
- Subsidised Programmes: Locally-accredited designated full-time Higher Diploma, Associate Degree or Bachelor's Degree level post-secondary programmes
- Eligibility: Eligible full-time local students aged 30 or below
- Subsidy Amount: (2026/27 Academic Year) Tuition fee grant of $96,900; academic expenses grant of $9,370; living expenses loan of $58,200 (interest is charged at 1% per annum starting from the commencement of the repayment period); hostel subsidy is the actual hostel fee payable (after deducting other hostel subsidies or waivers) or $10,840 per year / $5,420 per semester, whichever is lower.
- Assessment: Subject to family income and asset means tests
- Form of Subsidy: Financial assistance is provided in the form of grant and/or loan; grants are used to cover tuition fees and academic expenses, while loans are used to cover students' living expenses
- "FASP" Website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/sfo/postsecondary/fasp/overview.htm
4. Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS)
- Subsidised Programmes: Locally-accredited designated full-time Higher Diploma, Associate Degree or Bachelor's Degree level programmes
- Eligibility: Eligible full-time local students
- Loan Amount: The maximum loan amount is the total tuition fees payable in that academic year
- Assessment: No income verification required
- Form of Subsidy: Loan, subject to interest charged from the date of loan disbursement
- "NLSPS" Website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/sfo/postsecondary/nlsps/overview.htm
5. Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS)
- Subsidised Programmes: Locally-accredited designated full-time and part-time programmes, covering various qualification levels including but not limited to Bachelor's Degree, Higher Diploma, Diploma, and Diploma of Applied Education, etc.
- Eligibility: Eligible local students
- Loan Amount: Not more than the total tuition fees payable in that academic year
- Assessment: No income verification required
- Form of Subsidy: Loan, subject to interest charged from the date of loan disbursement
- "ENLS" Website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/sfo/postsecondary/enls/overview.htm
6. Continuing Education Fund (CEF)
- Eligibility: Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time of commencement of the CEF programme and meet the relevant residency conditions
- Subsidy Amount: Eligible applicants can claim a subsidy up to a ceiling of $25,000 upon successful completion of the programme (with an attendance rate of at least 70%). The co-payment ratio (the percentage of programme fee to be borne by the learner) for the first $10,000 subsidy is 20% of the programme fee; the co-payment ratio for the remaining $15,000 subsidy is 40% of the programme fee
- Assessment: No income verification required
- Form of Subsidy: Subsidy will be disbursed upon successful completion of the programme
- Application Notice: Effective 16 March 2027, online CEF applications will no longer be available via GovHK. Please submit your application via the "eWFSFAA" platform
- "CEF" Website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/ce/cef/overview.htm
7. Tuition Fee Reimbursement
- Subsidised Programmes: Diploma of Applied Education and Diploma Yi Jin, including full-time and part-time modes
- Eligibility: Eligible students must successfully complete at least one subject, with an attendance rate of 80% and an overall pass in the assessment
- Subsidy Amount: Eligible learners who successfully complete a subject will receive a 30% reimbursement of the tuition fee paid for that subject. Each learner can only receive tuition fee reimbursement for a total of 8 subjects across the 2 aforementioned programmes (subjects in the two categories of programmes cannot be duplicated). Tuition fee reimbursement is subject-based; even if learners fail some subjects, they can still obtain tuition fee reimbursement for the other passed subjects
- Assessment: No income verification required to apply for the 30% tuition fee reimbursement; if passing the means test of the Student Finance Office, learners can obtain "FULL" or "HALF" subsidies
- Form of Subsidy: Allowance will be disbursed upon successful completion of the subjects
- "Tuition Fee Reimbursement" Website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/sfo/primarysecondary/yjd/overview.htm
Note:
The above is only a brief summary of the basic information of some government subsidy / loan schemes. For details, please refer to the websites of the respective schemes. The information announced on the government websites shall prevail.
HKCT Related Programme Information
1. Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong (NMTSS)
