Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students (NLSFT)

With effect from 1 January 2025, the "SFO E-link – My Applications" online platform will cease to accept online applications for NLSFT for the 2024/25 academic year. All incomplete online applications in the "SFO E-link – My Applications" online platform will be automatically deleted after 31 December 2024.

• The general Workflow of Application Processing is as follows -

  

• Please pay attention to the following points to note for various stages of the application -

  • Part 1: Before submitting the Application #

    • Register as a user of "iAM Smart" and/or "MyGovHK" and safekeep the relevant username and password (if applicable) carefully for future login.
    • Study the "NLSFT Guidance Notes" carefully.
    • Prepare the required documents according to the "Checklist of Supporting Documents".

  • Part 2: Completing the Application Form #

    • Applicants should complete and submit the NLSFT application through the "SFO E-link - My Applications" online platform. Please refer to the "Online Demonstration" for details about submission of the online application for the NLSFT.
    • Before submitting the application, please check the course information and personal particulars provided on the application form carefully to ensure their completeness and accuracy.

    Remarks: Once the online application is submitted, no online amendments will be allowed. All subsequent amendments should be made in writing to the SFO.

  • Part 3: Submission of "Declaration Form" and Supporting Documents #

    • Please submit the duly signed "Declaration Form" (if choose to sign on paper) and the required supporting documents (if any) to the SFO within seven calendar days from the date of submission of the application, through one of the following means:

      • through online upload;
      • by mail to the SFO at the following address:
        Student Finance Office,
        Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency,
        Room 1204, 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices,
        303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon
        (Attn.: NLSFT APU); or

        Remarks: For proper delivery of the mail items to the SFO, and to avoid unnecessary delivery delay or unsuccessful delivery, please ensure that the mail items bear sufficient postage with return address before mailing.
      • by using the SFO drop-in boxes located on 11/F (during office hours) or in the G/F lift lobby (outside office hours) of the Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices (CSWGOs). The SFO’s office hours are 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. Please enter the CSWGOs through the side entrance near the security counter outside office hours.

    Note: Some of the institutions may arrange additional channels for collection of the "Declaration Form" and supporting documents. Applicants should refer to the announcements of the respective institutions for the relevant arrangement.

    • All supporting documents submitted are not returnable. Applicants are advised to retain a paper copy or computer backup for own reference.

  • Part 4: After submitting the Application Form, "Declaration Form" and Supporting Documents #

    • Please notify the SFO in writing immediately if any mistakes are identified on the application form.
    • Please notify the SFO in writing immediately if there are any changes of the applicant’s financial, legal and residential status. #

      • Applicants are obliged to notify the SFO in writing immediately if -

        • a bankruptcy petition is filed by or presented against the applicants or a bankruptcy order is made against the applicants;
        • the applicants have applied/are applying for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (“IVA”) under the Bankruptcy Ordinance;
        • a receiver, administrator, administrative receiver, trustee or similar officer has been appointed over any or all of the applicants’ assets; or
        • the applicants intend to leave Hong Kong for a period longer than three months or to emigrate. Upon receipt of such notification, unless the SFO has otherwise come to an agreement with loan borrowers concerning the repayment arrangement or unless the SFO is satisfied that they shall be able to continue to repay the loan based on the original repayment schedule, the SFO could demand their immediate repayment of all outstanding balance of the NLSFT loan, interest, overdue interest (if any), administrative fee (if any) and any recovery expenses.
    • Please notify the SFO in writing immediately if there are any changes in the applicants’ programmes of study. #

      • If applicants:

        • cease to be registered full-time students;
        • decide to withdraw from, suspend or defer studies or apply for leave of absence for any reasons;
        • change the programme / institution; or
        • are not required to pay the full amount of tuition fee in the 2024/25 academic year,

        they should notify the SFO in writing immediately for follow-up action, including but not limited to withholding the disbursement of the NLSFT loan to the institutions.
        
      • In the event that the disbursement of the NLSFT loan to respective institutions has been or is being arranged, cancellation of the NLSFT loan will not be accepted. Loan borrowers will be liable for the NLSFT loan arranged/to be arranged for disbursement and the interest accrued/to be accrued thereon and to repay the SFO the NLSFT loan so disbursed/to be disbursed and the interest accrued/to be accrued thereon, plus any recovery costs incurred by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Government) in a lump sum / by instalments.
    • The SFO will review the relevant application and adjust the loan amount, if necessary.
    • Any overpaid NLSFT loan shall be refunded immediately upon demand of the SFO.

  • Part 5: Receipt of Notification of Result #

    • NLSFT and/or Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS) applicants will receive the "NLSFT Notification of Result" at different times subject to their respective situations -

      Apply for the NLSFT only #

      • If the information provided is complete upon submission of application, the SFO will normally issue the "NLSFT Notification of Result" to applicants:

        • within three weeks from the issuance date of the "Acknowledgement of Receipt of Application"; or
        • before mid-July when the life-time loan limits for the current academic year are determined,

        whichever is later.

      • The application processing time will be longer under the following circumstances:

        • the information provided in the application is incomplete or inconsistent with that in the supporting documents; or
        • the SFO needs to contact the applicant, the respective institutions, other Government bureaux / departments, or other organisations to obtain the information required.

      Apply for the TSFS only #

      • Applicants will be informed of the financial assistance and/or loan they are entitled under the TSFS and the NLSFT (if any) simultaneously in the "TSFS Notification of Result" even if they have not applied for the NLSFT.
      • If applicants wish to accept the NLSFT loan offered, please submit the required documents to the SFO on or before the deadline as stated in the "TSFS Notification of Result". For details, please refer to "Acceptance of NLSFT Loan".
      • If students wish to apply for and be offered with the NLSFT loan earlier, they are required to submit a separate NLSFT application for processing.

      Have applied for the TSFS and submitted a separate NLSFT application before the TSFS results are known #

      • The SFO will not be able to determine the loan amount that the applicants may be entitled under the NLSFT until the TSFS results are known.
      • In this instance, applicants will be issued a letter asking whether they would wish to obtain the NLSFT loan up to the maximum amount of the tuition fee payable. If they obtain the NLSFT loan under such arrangement, adjustments to the NLSFT loan amount previously offered may be required after the TSFS application results are known. Details of the offsetting arrangements are set out in paragraph 10 of the "NLSFT Guidance Note".
    • Applicants must check the information printed on the "NLSFT Notification of Result" or the "TSFS Notification of Result" (applicable to applicants applying for TSFS only and with NLSFT loan offered). Should there be any discrepancies, please inform the SFO immediately by the specified amendment forms, and provide a copy of the relevant supporting document. For details, please refer to "Change of Information".