Government announces Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors for 2020/21 cohort – sub-degree programmes

     The Government announced today (October 9) that the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP) will subsidise a total of 2 416 places in 31 sub-degree programmes of six post-secondary institutions in the 2020/21 academic year.
 
     These 31 designated sub-degree programmes fall under six disciplines that have been identified as having keen manpower demand, namely architecture and engineering, computer science, creative industries, health care, sports and recreation, and tourism and hospitality.
 
     The sub-degree programmes and number of subsidised places under the SSSDP were determined by the Education Bureau in consultation with relevant policy bureaux and departments. Details of the participating institutions, the programmes and the number of subsidised places are listed in the Annex.
 
     In the 2020/21 academic year, the annual subsidy amount for laboratory-based sub-degree programmes will be increased from $36,400 in the 2019/20 academic year to $37,300 while that for non-laboratory-based sub-degree programmes will be increased from $20,850 to $21,400 according to the movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index.
 
     The adjusted subsidy amounts are applicable to both new and current students meeting the criteria. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Subsidised students will pay a tuition fee after subsidy. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
 
     For admission to the designated sub-degree programmes under the SSSDP, students may apply directly to the institutions concerned.
 
     The SSSDP was launched in the 2015/16 academic year to subsidise students to pursue designated full-time locally accredited self-financing undergraduate programmes in selected disciplines with a view to nurturing talent for industries with keen human resource demand. The scope of the SSSDP was expanded with effect from the 2019/20 academic year to benefit about 2 000 students per cohort enrolling in designated full-time locally accredited self-financing sub-degree programmes in selected disciplines.
 
     For details of the SSSDP, please visit www.cspe.edu.hk/en/SSSDP.