Deferment of Repayment

  • Further Extension of Interest-free Deferral of Student Loan Repayment

    The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council has approved to further extend the current interest-free deferral of student loan repayment for one year from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2025. Please click here to learn more.

  • If student loan borrowers have proven difficulties in repaying the loans due to further full-time study, financial hardship or serious illness, they may apply for deferment of loan repayment. The Student Finance Office (SFO) will consider each application on its own merits.

  • Application for deferment of loan repayment should be submitted in writing by the specified form, together with the necessary documentary proof, to the SFO before the due date(s) of the instalment(s) under application.

  • For application by fax or by email, the date of receipt of the fax or email will be regarded as the date of application. For application by mail, the postmark date on the envelope will be regarded as the date of application. The application form concerned is available on the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency website.

  • Application for deferment of loan repayment is only applicable to the total amount due for repayment, which may comprise administrative fee(s) (if any), interest and outstanding principal. Application for deferment of only a part of the repayment amount will not be acceded to.

  • The deferred loan may be repaid on a revised repayment schedule with fewer numbers of instalments and at a larger amount or on any other terms as decided by the SFO.

  • To alleviate the financial burden of loan borrowers with proven repayment difficulties, loan borrowers whose application for deferment has been approved may be eligible for interest-free deferment and extension of the entire loan repayment period, subject to a maximum of two years (i.e. the entire repayment period will be up to 17 years).

  • More details on Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly funded Programmes (TSFS) and Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP)

    1. Interest will not accrue over the period of deferment.

  • More details on Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students (NLSFT), Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS) and Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS)

    1. Interest will accrue over the deferment period. Interest accrued during the deferment period will be capitalised and form part of the outstanding principal for calculation of the amount to be repaid in the remaining instalments. In addition, for deferment of more than 12 calendar months, the interest accrued during the deferment period will be capitalised once every 12 calendar months. Loan borrowers who have been granted approval for deferment of loan repayment are still required to pay the administrative fee during the period of deferment. The administrative fee accrued during the period of deferment will be demanded for repayment in the first demand note after resumption of loan repayment.