EDB Subsidy Schemes for Exchange Activities

updates

The Education Bureau (EDB) is offering the following subsidy schemes to support HKBU students to participate in academic exchange activities (semester or academic year exchanges or summer abroad programmes):

Scheme on Subsidy on Exchange for Post-secondary Students (Mean-tested SSE)
Scheme for Means-tested Subsidy on Exchange to "Belt and Road" Regions (Means-tested SSEBR)
Non-means-tested Mainland Experience Scheme for Post-secondary Students (Non-means-tested MES)
Scheme for Non-means-tested Subsidy on Exchange to "Belt and Road" Regions for Post-secondary Students (Non-means-tested SSEBR)

Notes

The list of Belt and Road Regions can be found here (subject to review and updated by EDB from time to time.)

EDB Eligibility Requirements

Schemes	Eligibility Criteria
Mean-tested SSE/ Mean-tested SSEBR	Local students must be: Enrolled in full-time Government-funded undergraduate programmes. In receipt of Government’s grants/loans with documentary proof issued by the Student Finance Office (SFO), or whose families are in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) with documentary proof issued by the Social Welfare Department (SWD). Meeting HKBU’s eligibility requirements.
Non-means-tested MES	Local or Non-local students must be: Enrolled in full-time Government-funded undergraduate programmes. Meeting HKBU’s eligibility requirements.
Non-means-tested SSEBR	Local students must be: Enrolled in full-time Government-funded undergraduate programmes. Meeting HKBU’s eligibility requirements.

Schemes

Eligibility Criteria

Mean-tested SSE/

Mean-tested SSEBR

Local students must be:

Enrolled in full-time Government-funded undergraduate programmes.
In receipt of Government’s grants/loans with documentary proof issued by the Student Finance Office (SFO), or whose families are in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) with documentary proof issued by the Social Welfare Department (SWD).
Meeting HKBU’s eligibility requirements.

Non-means-tested MES

Local or Non-local students must be:

Enrolled in full-time Government-funded undergraduate programmes.
Meeting HKBU’s eligibility requirements.

Non-means-tested SSEBR

Local students must be:

Enrolled in full-time Government-funded undergraduate programmes.
Meeting HKBU’s eligibility requirements.

Notes

Students are only eligible for assistance under the Means-tested SSE, Non-means-tested MES and Non-means-tested SSEBR ONCE throughout their entire undergraduate studies, regardless of whether the assistance is summer abroad programmes offered by HKBU partner institutions or semester or academic year exchange programmes.
For Means-tested SSEBR, eligible students will be able to apply for assistance TWICE at most, subject to the maximum amount of subsidy to be received by them, i.e. HK$60,000 discounted by the latest level of student finance approved by SFO throughout their entire undergraduate studies.
Students who have previously received subsidy TWICE under the Means-tested SSEBR are not eligible for assistance under the Non-means-tested SSEBR.
Destinations of every exchange activities subsidized under Means-tested SSE, Means-tested SSEBR and Non-Means-tested SSEBR should be different in terms of country/region.
Students are not allowed to apply for subsidy under Means-tested SSE, Means-tested SSEBR, Non-means-tested MES and Non-means-tested SSEBR concurrently for the same programme. Therefore, students are required to indicate which Scheme they will apply.
Students receiving assistance under the EDB Subsidy Schemes may receive subsidies from other sources (including those from the Government and/or other organizations, if eligible) to cover expenses for the same summer programme. However, priority will be given to students who have not received any subsidy under any scholarship/sponsorship/subsidy schemes wholly or partly funded by the HKSAR Government.
In principle, the amount of subsidy granted to an eligible student under the EDB Subsidy Schemes should not exceed the direct costs arising from his/her participation in the concerned exchange activity. The University may, at its full discretion, adjust the actual amount of subsidy to be granted to the student downwards from the maximum amount, having regard to the actual travelling expenses and other subsidy/sponsorship received by the student to support his/her participation in the exchange activity.

HKBU Eligibility Requirements

Students must have attained cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above at the time of application and at the conclusion of the semester prior to the start of the summer programme.
Students must have fulfilled the host institution’s admission requirements.
Students must be accepted to summer programmes offered by HKBU partner institutions that last for at least 14 days.
Students must successfully complete the programmes offered by the host institutions and pass the enrolled course(s).

Subsidy Amount

The maximum amount of subsidy to be granted to an eligible student for participating in an exchange activity under the EDB Subsidy Schemes varies according to the respective destinations and durations of the exchange activities as set out below:

Means-tested SSE

Table (1A)		Table (1B)
Destination	Subsidy Amount (HK$)	Duration	Subsidy Amount (HK$)
Asia (including Middle East)	3,000	14 - 28 days	6,000
Africa	7,000	29 - 90 days	10,000
Oceania & Europe	8,000	91 - 180 days	25,000
North America	9,000	Over 180 days	45,000
Central and South America and the Caribbean	15,000

Means-tested SSEBR

Table (2A)		Table (2B)
Destination	Subsidy Amount (HK$)	Duration	Subsidy Amount (HK$)
Asia (including Middle East, excluding the Mainland, Taiwan and Macao )	3,000	14 - 28 days	6,000
Africa	7,000	29 - 90 days	10,000
Oceania & Europe	8,000	91 - 180 days	25,000
Central and South America and the Caribbean	15,000	Over 180 days	45,000

Non-means-tested MES

Table (3A)		Table (3B)
Destination	Subsidy Amount (HK$)	Duration	Subsidy Amount (HK$)
Mainland	900	14 - 28 days	1,800
		29 - 90 days	3,000
		91 - 180 days	7,500
		Over 180 days	13,500

Non-means-tested SSEBR

Table (4A)		Table (4B)
Destination	Subsidy Amount (HK$)	Duration	Subsidy Amount (HK$)
Asia (including Middle East, excluding Taiwan and Macao)	900	14 - 28 days	1,800
Africa	2,100	29 - 90 days	3,000
Oceania & Europe	2,400	91 - 180 days	7,500
Central and South America and the Caribbean	4,500	Over 180 days	13,500

Calculation of the Maximum Amount of Subsidy under the Schemes

The respective amount is calculated by adding up the subsidy under table (1A) & (1B) or (2A) & (2B) or (3A) & (3B) or (4A) & (4B) above, then discounted by his/her level of student finance (in terms of percentage of full means-tested grant) approved by SFO. The following examples illustrate the calculation of the maximum amount of subsidy to students under the four Schemes:

Example 1 (Means-tested SSE)

Student A:	He/She is granted 50% of full means-tested grant from SFO.
Progamme:	He/She will attend the Summer Programme at the University of A in the U.S. for 30 days.
Calculation:	[(1A) HK$9,000 + (1B) HK$10,000] x 100% = HK$19,000

Example 2 (Means-tested SSEBR)

Student B:	He/She is granted 100% of full means-tested grant from SFO.
Progamme:	He/She will attend the Summer Programme at the University of B in Italy for 21 days.
Calculation:	[(2A) HK$8,000 + (2B) HK$6,000] x 75% = HK$10,500

Example 3 (Non-means-tested MES)

Student C:	He/She is a non-local student.
Progamme:	He/She will attend the Summer Programme at the University of C in the Mainland for 25 days.
Calculation:	[(3A) HK$900 + (3B) HK$1,800] = HK$2,700

Example 4 (Non-means-tested SSEBR)

Student D:	He/She is a local student.
Progamme:	He/She will attend the Summer Programme at the University of D in Egypt for 14 days.
Calculation:	[(4A) HK$2,100 + (4B) HK$1,800] = HK$3,900

Steps to Apply

Submit the following items to the International Office (in person or by email to exchange@hkbu.edu.hk) at least 3 weeks prior to the commencement of the summer programme:

Completed the Application for Financial Assistance Summer 2020.
Latest approval letter of means-tested grant/loan issued by SFO.
Confirmation of enrollment/admission letter issued by the host institution.

Late or incomplete applications will NOT be accepted or processed.

Disbursement of Funds

Submit the following items for disbursement of financial assistance (subject to eligibility requirements and availability of funds) to the International Office (in person or by email to exchange@hkbu.edu.hk) within one month of your successful completion of the programme:

An official transcript (original or certified true copy) and/or a certificate of completion issued by the host institution.
An online reflection report on your experience.
2 photos regarding your learning experience (with captions).

Under normal circumstances, applications for disbursement of funds are processed within ONE month upon submission of the above 3 items.

No disbursement will be processed if you submit the required items after 18 September 2020.

Notes

All applications are processed subject to availability of funds given by EDB. In the event that the funding sources no longer have funds available when you submit an application, your application will not be approved regardless of whether you fulfill the eligibility requirements for claiming a fund.
The University reserves the right to withdraw the subsidy if a student fails to fulfill the funding conditions and criteria set by the University and the EDB.