Provision of One-off Grant for Education-related Expenses and Subsidy for Internet Access Charges
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved on 14 May 2010 the provision of a one-off grant for education-related expenses of $1,000 for needy students. Students from kindergarten to secondary education who are eligible in the 2010/11 school year for the flat-rate grant for school-related expenses (SRE) under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme and kindergarten students who are eligible for fee assistance under the Fee Assistance (FA) Scheme for Child Care Centres in the same school year will benefit from the one-off grant. Besides, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved on 28 May 2010 to grant a household-based cash subsidy for Internet access charges (SIA) starting from the 2010/11 school year for families with children, who are receiving primary or secondary education and are eligible for SRE under the CSSA Scheme. The subsidy serves to reduce the burden of the CSSA families in meeting the Internet access charges for e-learning of their children at home. The full subsidy for each eligible CSSA family is $1,300 in the 2010/11 school year. Beneficiaries are not required to make application for the one-off grant and SIA. Applicants of the CSSA cases eligible for the one-off grant and/or SIA will receive the payments on 17 August 2010 through the existing payment arrangement (i.e. through autopay to the designated bank account). Applicants of the FA cases eligible for the one-off grant will receive a crossed cheque amounting to $1,000 by post issued on the same day.
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