Application Processing Timetable – Continuing Applicants
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The following timetable is applicable to continuing applicants (i.e. applicants who have successfully applied for financial assistance in the 2023/24 school year on or before 1 March 2024 for (i) primary and secondary students ; or (ii) students at pre-primary and primary / secondary levels ; or (iii) pre-primary students and the child(ren) will be attending primary 1 in the 2024/25 school year)
| Approximate Time | Procedures |
|---|---|
| 2024 | |
|
Starting from mid-March |
The Student Finance Office (SFO) will issue either Access Codes for access to pre-filled E-Form, or paper-based pre-filled forms together with relevant application documents, to continuing applicants in batches. |
|
In or before end May |
Applicants should complete the pre-filled form and upload copies of the relevant supporting documents for online submission; or submit the completed pre-filled form together with the supplementary form (if applicable) and copies of the relevant supporting documents to the SFO by post, using the addressed envelope provided. Insufficient information / documents will delay the application processing or even result in disqualification of the application. Applicants should submit fresh application for their children for every school year and fill in the form the particulars of all unmarried child(ren) residing with them. Applicants only have to submit one paper-based pre-filled form or electronic pre-filled form. Do not submit more than one application form (unless advised by the SFO). Multiple applications from the same applicant will be voided and lead to delay in processing the application. |
|
After submitting applications by applicants |
The SFO will acknowledge receipt of applications by means of SMS or by post (within around 20 working days) after receiving the applications. The acknowledge receipt will be issued by means of SMS to those applicants who have provided Hong Kong mobile phone number; for applicants who are unable to provide Hong Kong mobile phone number, the acknowledge receipt will be made in writing by post. If the Hong Kong mobile phone number or correspondence address provided by the applicants is incorrect, the SFO will not be able to issue acknowledgement to these applicants. Therefore, applicants are required to fill in the relevant information accurately. If applicants do not receive any acknowledgement of receipt of applications by means of SMS or in writing from the SFO within 20 working days after submitting their application form, please call the SFO enquiry hotline (Tel: 2802 2345) to check so as to avoid any delay in application due to wrong / unsuccessful delivery. The SFO may contact the applicants for supplementary information during application processing and when performing means test. |
|
July / August |
If applicants submitting applications on or before 31 May 2024 have provided all necessary information with supporting documents, met the eligibility criteria and passed the means test, the SFO will release the provisional School Textbook Assistance (TA) to eligible student-applicants and Subsidy for Internet Access Charges to eligible families. For continuing applicants (i) who have not been disbursed with School TA in the 2023/24 school year; or (ii) whose child(ren) will be attending Primary 1 (P1) in the 2024/25 school year: Provisional School TA is not applicable to the child(ren) concerned. |
|
Starting from around August |
The SFO will issue notification of result to eligible applicants. Applicants who have NOT been disbursed with School TA in the 2023/24 school year or who have children attending P1 in 2024/25 : Apart from notification of result, the applicants will receive Eligibility Certificate (EC) for the student-applicant. “Notification of Ineligibility” will be issued to those families which cannot pass the means test; have failed to provide the required supplementary information by the deadline set by the SFO; or have withdrawn their applications. |
|
September |
Applicants receiving ECs must verify carefully the personal information and selected Scheme(s) pre-printed on the ECs. Applicants should return the completed ECs to the school in which the children are attending within one week after the commencement date of the schools or within two weeks from the issue date of ECs (whichever is the later) for processing. Schools will certify the student-applicants’ enrolment status and attendance and then forward the ECs to the SFO. In general, the SFO will not accept any ECs submitted after the deadline. |
|
End October / November or beyond |
For those students who have been disbursed with the provisional TA : The SFO will re-calculate and determine the amount of subsidies that the applicants are eligible for and release the remaining subsidy amount to the applicants or recover the overpayment from the applicants, as and when the textbook grant rates for the 2024/25 school year are available, and the school information of the student-applicant has been verified with the database of EDB. Applicants who have NOT been disbursed with School TA in the 2023/24 school year or who have children attending P1 in 2024/25 : After verifying the returned ECs, the SFO will release financial assistance by autopay to those students who are confirmed to be eligible for the respective schemes they applied. The SFO will send SMS to inform eligible applicants of the related payment information, if the applicants have provided their valid local mobile phone numbers in the application form. |