Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme

The Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (hereafter referred to as the 'Voucher Scheme') provides fee subsidy for parents/legal guardians/registered custodians to meet towards school fees for pre-primary education of their children in the form of pre-primary education vouchers. Eligible children who attend nursery, lower or upper classes in eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens or Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres (hereafter collectively referred to as kindergartens) may benefit from the Voucher Scheme. Parents may refer to the Profile of Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres, accessible at http://chsc.edb.hkedcity.net/kindergarten/, for information on the list of kindergartens joining the Voucher Scheme.

Eligibility Criteria 2009/10

Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any condition of stay (other than a limit of stay) in Hong Kong; and

born on or before 31 December 2006 and will be attending kindergarten classes in the 2009/10 school year. Those who were born on or after 1 January 2007 is not eligible to apply for the Voucher Scheme for the 2009/10 school year.

The Voucher Scheme is not applicable to children holding two-way exit permits, student visas, visitor visas or who are dependents of non-local students/ student-visa /visitor-visa holders.

All parents on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) with children at the age appropriate for pre-primary education, like other parents with pre-primary children, are required to submit applications to the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) for PEVS in order to receive fee subsidy through PEVS, if they have not been issued with the Certificate of Eligibility for PEVS.

Children currently benefiting from the Child Care Centre Fee Assistance Scheme (CCCFAS) of SWD who opt for the Voucher Scheme will not be eligible for assistance under the CCCFAS again.

Children, who are existing beneficiaries of the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS), will attend kindergarten classes in the 2009/10 school year and are able to meet the eligibility criteria for the Voucher Scheme, are advised to apply for the voucher to receive fee subsidy in the first instance. If the subsidy is not enough to cover the entire school fee, needy families may apply for additional financial assistance under the KCFRS in 2009/10 separately.

Application Procedures 2009/10

"Application for Assessment of Eligibility for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme" is family-based. Each family is advised to submit one application only. Applicants must be parents of the student-applicants.

Applicants should only provide particulars of children who were born on or before 31 December 2006 and who will be attending kindergarten classes in 2009/10 in the application form.

Data provided by the applicants in the application form must be supported by copies of relevant documents. Insufficient information may lead to delay in processing and/or invalidation of an application by the SFAA.

The following application documents are available at the District Offices, the Post Offices, the Regional Education Offices of the Education Bureau (EDB) and SFAA –

"Application for Assessment of Eligibility for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme" [SFAA 244E];

"Guidance Notes on Application for Assessment of Eligibility for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme" [SFAA 245E]; and

Acknowledgement of Application [SFAA 247].

The documents can also be downloaded from the EDB's homepage at www.edb.gov.hk or the SFAA's homepage at www.sfaa.gov.hk.

Applicants may submit the completed application form and copies of the relevant supporting documents by post to the SFAA at TSTPO Box 95161, Kowloon. Sufficient postage must be affixed for proper delivery of mail.

Applicants may also enclose the documents in an envelope, sealed with front cover labelled "Application for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (2009/10)" and drop it into the drop-in box of the SFAA on 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.

Notification of Result

The SFAA will generally take 6 to 8 weeks upon receipt of the application and all necessary information to complete processing of the application. The SFAA will inform applicants of the results by post. Each eligible student-applicant will be issued with a "Certificate of Eligibility".

Applicants who wish to receive the Certificates of Eligibility for the Voucher Scheme for their children attending kindergarten before the beginning of the 2009/10 school year are advised to apply for assessment of eligibility for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme on or before 31 May 2009.

Procedures to obtain fee subsidy with the Certificate of Eligibility

Original of the Certificate of Eligibility must be presented to the eligible local non-profit-making kindergarten which the child is enrolled upon the request of the kindergarten so that the kindergarten can arrange for voucher redemption with the EDB and parents can at the same time receive fee subsidy.

Review Mechanism

If applicants disagree with the result of the assessment, they may apply in writing to the SFAA for re-assessment within 30 calendar days from the issue date of the notification of result, providing detailed justifications and documentary evidence in support of their application. The application for re-assessment must be duly signed by the applicant. The SFAA will not accept any late submission for re-assessment of eligibility. Re-assessment of eligibility normally takes 90 days.

Enquiry

Applicants may visit the EDB's homepage at www.edb.gov.hk for details of the Voucher Scheme or the SFAA's homepage at www.sfaa.gov.hk for information on application. For enquiries on individual applications, applicants may also call the following enquiry hotlines -

The "Certificate of Eligibility" is to certify the eligibility of the student-applicant for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme. Each Certificate has a unique certificate number. The name, date of birth and identity document number of the eligible child as well as the validity period of the Certificate will be shown on the Certificate.

The validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility is determined on the basis of the kindergarten classes the eligible student-applicants are attending in 2009/10, and will normally range from 1 to 3 years. Details are illustrated in the table below -

Each child is provided with a maximum of three years' of fee subsidy under the Voucher Scheme. The validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility will normally not be extended. Children reaching the age of 6 or above should normally attend primary schools. For enquiry on admission to Primary One, parents may call the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB at 2832 7700 / 2832 7740 or the 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system at 2891 0088.

Successful applicant shall, during the validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility and for a period of one year thereafter, maintain all information and documents relating to this application for inspection, verification, or otherwise for the purpose of administration and monitoring the operation of the Voucher Scheme.

Loss or damage of the Certificate of Eligibility must be reported to the SFAA immediately (tel. no.: 2154 2130) so that the SFAA can void the Certificate. Eligible applicant may apply for re-issue of the Certificate of Eligibility from the SFAA at cost.

Holder of the Certificate of Eligibility needs not re-apply for the Voucher Scheme within the validity period as specified in the Certificate.

In order to benefit from the Voucher Scheme, parents should apply for an assessment of eligibility for the Voucher Scheme for their children in the first instance. Children assessed to be eligible for the Voucher Scheme will receive a Certificate of Eligibility for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme. By presenting the original of the Certificate to the eligible local non-profit-making kindergarten which their children are attending, the kindergarten will be able to redeem the voucher from the EDB and parents will at same time receive fee subsidy.

Application forms and guidance notes are available at the District Offices, Post Offices, the Regional Education Offices of the EDB and the SFAA. Application forms and related documents may also be downloaded from the homepage of the EDB at www.edb.gov.hk or the homepage of the SFAA at www.sfaa.gov.hk.

Parents may send the duly completed application form together with copies of necessary identity documents by post to the SFAA, TSTPO Box 95161, Kowloon. Alternatively, parents may enclose all relevant documents in an envelope, sealed and labelled "Application for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (2009/10)" and drop it into the drop-in box at the office of the SFAA on 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.

The Voucher Scheme is now open to application. As it takes time to process applications, parents wishing to receive the Certificates of Eligibility for the Voucher Scheme for their children attending kindergarten before the beginning of the 2009/10 school year are advised to apply on or before 31 May 2009.

No. The Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) will still accept application beyond this date. However, as it takes time for SFAA to process the applications, parents wishing to receive the Certificate of Eligibility for their eligible children before the beginning of the 2009/10 school year are advised to submit their application form on or before 31 May 2009.

If parents can only submit their applications after 31 May 2009 due to individual circumstances, they may also send the duly completed application form together with copies of necessary identity documents to SFAA for processing.

For parents who have completed the Acknowledgement of Application (SFAA 247) and returned it together with the application form to the SFAA, the SFAA will mail the Acknowledgement of Application to the parents within ten working dates from the postal date of the application to confirm receipt of the application.

Upon receipt of the application and all necessary information, the SFAA will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the application. The SFAA will inform parents of the results by post. Each eligible student will receive a Certificate of Eligibility while unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the result by way of a notification letter. Enquiries about individual applications may be directed to the SFAA's hotline at 2154 2130.

Under normal circumstances, the SFAA will issue to each eligible child a Certificate of Eligibility with a suitable validity period that will tie in with the period of study of the child to complete the pre-primary education. Those already issued with a Certificate of Eligibility need NOT re-apply for the Voucher Scheme within the validity period as specified in the Certificate.

To join the Voucher Scheme, children must be Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than a limit of stay) in Hong Kong. The Voucher Scheme is not applicable to children holding visitor visas, two-way exit permits, student visas or who are dependants of visitor-visa or student-visa holders. The Voucher Scheme is also not applicable to children holding forms of recognizance.

To further elaborate on this, children born in Hong Kong who possess the Hong Kong Birth Certificate with the word ‘Established’ shown in the ‘Status of Permanent Resident’ column or who bear the identity of Hong Kong Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for the Voucher Scheme, regardless of whether their parents are permanent residents of Hong Kong or not (e.g. residents of the Mainland). In other words, children with established Hong Kong permanent residency status are all eligible to apply for the Voucher Scheme.

Children holding the Hong Kong Birth Certificates which bear the words ‘Not Established’ in the ‘Status of Permanent Resident’ column are usually those who are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for a limited period of time. Their permitted period of stay normally coincides with the permitted period of stay of their parents. In such circumstances, the parents of the children must be holding valid travel documents with the visa issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR Government not falling into the category of student visa or visitor visa for the children to be eligible to apply for the Voucher Scheme.

As regards age, to tie in with the minimum age for admission to primary one, children must be aged 2 years and 8 months or above as at 31 August of the year of school admission to be eligible to apply for the Voucher Scheme. In other words, those attending kindergartens in the 2009/10 school year must be aged 2 years and 8 months or above as at 31 August 2009 (i.e. born on or before 31 December 2006).

Those born between 1 January and 31 December 2006 should apply for the Voucher Scheme in the 2009/10 school year.

Children, who are Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land, or valid permission to remain without any condition of stay (other than a limit of stay) in Hong Kong, are eligible to apply for the Voucher Scheme, regardless of the ethnicity.

What kind of documents should be submitted in applying for the Voucher Scheme?

Applicant and his/her spouse have to provide copies of their Hong Kong identity cards in applying for the Voucher Scheme. If this is not available, applicant and/or his/her spouse should provide copies of other valid identity documents e.g. copies of their valid travel documents or identity documents issued by other authorities.

As for the child, if he/she was born in Hong Kong, the applicant should submit a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child. If the word "Established" is shown in the "Status of Permanent Resident" column of the Birth Certificate, the applicant needs not provide other documentary proof.

However, if the "Status of Permanent Resident" is "Not Established", apart from providing a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child (if applicable), the applicant should provide one of the following valid identity documents of the child –

If the identity document of the child belongs to category (6) or (7) above, the applicant, his/her spouse and the child have to produce their own valid travel documents (pages showing the bearer's particulars, the latest visa label issued by the Immigration Department of HKSAR Government and the latest "Permission to remain" stamp issued by the Immigration Department indicating the latest period of lawful stay of the applicant, his/her spouse and the child) to the SFAA as well.

Should children attending child care centres who are eligible for fee remission under the KCFRS in the 2008/09 school year and who will be attending kindergarten classes in the 2009/10 school year continue to apply for the KCFRS in the 2009/10 school year without applying for the Voucher Scheme?

No, if the applicant wishes to apply for fee subsidy for his/her child for pre-primary education in the 2009/10 school year, and the child has reached the appropriate age for admission to kindergarten classes in 2009/10, the applicant should first apply for the Voucher Scheme for the child. If the fee subsidy from the Voucher Scheme is not adequate to cover the tuition fee and the family is financially in need, the applicant may consider applying for the KCFRS for the child at a later stage. Details about application for the KCFRS (2009/10) will be available in around July 2009. For enquiries, please visit SFAA's homepage at www.sfaa.gov.hk or call 2154 2130.

If the applicant's family is receiving assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme (CSSA) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD), should the applicant's children apply for the Voucher Scheme?

All parents on CSSA with children at the age appropriate for pre-primary education, like other parents with pre-primary children are required to submit applications to the SFAA for PEVS in order to receive fee subsidy through the Voucher Scheme, if they have not been issued with the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS. In case additional financial assistance on top of the subsidy from the voucher is required, they should approach SWD for additional assistance under the CSSA Scheme. They are not required to apply for fee remission from the SFAA. For enquiries on application for PEVS, please call SFAA's hotline at 2154 2130. Enquiries about applications for assistance under the CSSA Scheme for pre-primary education may be made to SWD's hotline at 2343 2255.

If children previously in receipt of CSSA cease to be eligible for the scheme in the middle of a school year, could they apply for the PEVS?

Families who cease to be eligible for the CSSA in the middle of a school year and whose children are not holding any Certificate of Eligibility for PEVS should first apply to the SFAA direct for joining the PEVS in order that their children studying in kindergartens can benefit from the PEVS. In parallel, parents can also apply for additional assistance under the KCFRS in case the fee subsidy under the PEVS is inadequate to cover the entire amount of school fee and the family is financially in need. After receiving the Certificate of Eligibility, the parent should present the Certificate to the kindergarten to show that his/her child is eligible to pay the "Fee with Education Voucher Redeemed". However, if the children are already in possession of the Certificates of Eligibility for PEVS, and parents wish to apply for additional assistance to cover the school fee, it is only necessary for them to apply to the SFAA for fee remission under the KCFRS. Details of application for the KCFRS in the 2009/10 school year will be announced by the SFAA in around July 2009. For enquiries, please visit the SFAA's homepage at www.sfaa.gov.hk or call 2154 2130.

Can children currently benefiting from the Child Care Centre Fee Assistance Scheme (CCCFAS) of SWD apply for the Voucher Scheme in the 2009/10 school year ?

Children currently benefiting from the CCCFAS may opt for joining the Voucher Scheme in the 2009/10 school year. However, once they have opted for the Voucher Scheme, they are taken as giving up the CCCFAS and are no longer eligible for assistance under the CCCFAS.

If parents do not send their children to kindergartens after receiving the Certificate of Eligibility for their children, will they receive other form of subsidy like cash?

Children holding valid Certificate of Eligibility will be eligible for fee subsidy only when they attend kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption during the period specified in the Certificate. Their parents will not receive any form of subsidy if their children do not attend kindergartens.

How to redeem voucher by means of the Certificate of Eligibility for PEVS

How can parents get the fee subsidy after receiving the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS? How is the fee subsidy released to parents?

Upon receipt of the Certificate, parents should produce its original copy to the eligible local non-profit-making kindergarten their children are attending. Parents will then be eligible for fee deduction at the voucher value under the PEVS. With the Certificate, the kindergarten can redeem voucher from EDB to subsidise parents in paying the school fee. Parents will not receive any subsidy in cash. The fee subsidy in the 2009/10 school year is $12,000 per student per annum, which is disbursed to kindergartens by instalments to alleviate the financial burden of parents in paying the monthly school fee. If the school fee is higher than the fee subsidy, parents should pay the difference by instalments. The amount of school fee to be collected from parents and the number of instalments for collection are specified on the Fees Certificate, which should be kept conspicuously in the kindergarten. If school fee is lower than the fee subsidy, the parents do not receive the difference.

Should the original of the Certificate of Eligibility be kept by the kindergarten the student enroll and if yes, will the kindergarten return the original to the student concerned upon transfer?

Students holding the Certificate of Eligibility should present their original copy to the kindergarten they enroll so that students are eligible to pay the "Fee with Education Voucher Redeemed" and kindergartens can redeem the voucher. The Certificate of Eligibility will be kept by the kindergarten the student enrolls and kindergartens will issue a receipt to the parents.

Upon students' graduation or transfer/termination of studies in the middle of a school year, the kindergartens should return the original copy of the Certificate of Eligibility to the parents.

If a student moves to another eligible kindergarten during the validity period, his/her parent can submit the Certificate of Eligibility to the new school so that the kindergarten can redeem the voucher.

Children Already Holding Certificates of Eligibility

If parents have already been issued with a Certificate of Eligibility with a validity period beyond the 2008/09 school year, do they have to apply again to SFAA for PEVS in the 2009/10 school year?

No. The 2009/10 application for PEVS is applicable to children who do not possess the Certificate of Eligibility and who will start or continue to attend kindergarten in the 2009/10 school year. If parents have already been issued with a Certificate of Eligibility, they do not have to make an application again.

If a student holding a valid Certificate of Eligibility is transferred from one kindergarten to another during the 2009/10 school year, will the student still be eligible for school fee subsidy? Is it necessary to make a fresh application for PEVS? How is the amount of fee subsidy calculated for the two kindergartens?

If a student holding a valid Certificate of Eligibility is transferred during the 2009/10 school year from one kindergarten to another local non-profit-making kindergarten eligible for voucher redemption, the student will still be eligible for fee subsidy under PEVS. His/her parents should ask for return of the Certificate of Eligibility from the previous school upon transfer and produce the original of the Certificate of Eligibility to the new school. Fresh application for PEVS is not required. The amount of subsidy received by the two kindergartens will be calculated on the basis of the period that the student has attended the kindergartens during the school year. Parents should be aware of the school fee of the new kindergarten, particularly the school fee after deduction of the fee subsidy under PEVS.

Children already holding Certificate of Eligibility for the Voucher Scheme

If a student holding a valid Certificate of Eligibility is transferred during the 2009/10 school year to another kindergarten which has not joined PEVS, will the student still be eligible for fee subsidy under PEVS?

No. All newly enrolled students or students changing kindergartens in the 2009/10 school year can receive fee subsidy only when they are attending eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens. Students moving to a kindergarten, other than a local non-profit-making kindergarten which is eligible for voucher redemption, in the 2009/10 school year can neither receive fee subsidy under PEVS nor apply for KCFRS in the new school year.

If a child is already attending an eligible private independent kindergarten in the 2007/08 school year, will he/she be eligible for school fee subsidy in the transitional period between the 2007/08 school year and the 2009/10 school year if they continue to attend the same kindergarten? Will he/she enjoy the fee subsidy under PEVS if he/she changes kindergarten in the 2009/10 school year?

Under the three-year transition period for eligible private independent kindergartens, students already enrolled in the kindergarten classes of the kindergartens concerned since the 2007/08 school year may, subject to a valid Certificate of Eligibility, continue to receive fee subsidy under PEVS in the 2009/10 school year if they continue to attend upper class in the same kindergarten. In addition, if the child is transferred during the 2009/10 school year to another eligible local non-profit-making kindergarten, he/she will continue to be eligible for fee subsidy under PEVS in the new school. However, if he/she changes to another private independent kindergarten (including an eligible private independent kindergarten under the three-year transition period) in the 2009/10 school year, he/she will not be eligible for fee subsidy under PEVS again in the new school.

Parents can choose to send their children holding the Certificate of Eligibility to kindergarten for pre-primary education according to their circumstances during the validity period. The Certificate of Eligibility is redeemable within the validity period and will expire afterwards. Under normal circumstances, the Government will not extend the validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility.

The maximum validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility is three years. The validity period of the Certificate will not normally be extended.

Children Applying for PEVS for the First Time

As long as the child can meet the eligibility criteria to apply for PEVS, he/she will be issued with a Certificate of Eligibility for PEVS. However any newly enrolled student or student changing kindergartens in the 2009/10 school year can receive fee subsidy only when they are attending eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens. In other words, the child cannot enjoy fee subsidy under PEVS when attending a private independent kindergarten even if the kindergarten is an eligible private independent kindergarten under the transitional arrangement and the child is holding a Certificate of Eligibility. In addition, students attending a kindergarten, other than a local non-profit-making kindergarten which is eligible for voucher redemption, in the 2009/10 school year can neither apply for KCFRS in the new school.

PEVS for the 2009/10 school year will only provide fee subsidy to eligible children with effect from the 2009/10 school year. Children who are admitted to kindergarten in the 2008/09 school year (e.g. in early 2009) and wish to benefit from PEVS immediately should apply for PEVS for the 2008/09 school year. Parents can obtain the application form for PEVS for 2008/09 from the SFAA, but they must specify the school year they are applying for.

Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme

Upon implementation of the PEVS, parents with children eligible for the PEVS who are financially in need may apply for additional financial assistance in the form of fee remission under KCFRS for their children attending kindergarten classes in eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens. Provided the parents can pass the means test, SFAA will make reference to the applicant's assessed level of assistance to compute the fee remission amount. Nevertheless, fee subsidy from the PEVS will be used to offset the fee remission amount computed before actual subsidy is disbursed to the applicant. The formula for calculating the fee remission amount is as follows -

Fee remission ceilings for the KCFRS for children attending nursery, lower or upper classes in the 2008/09 school year are:
Half-day class : $16,000 per student per annum (pspa)
Whole-day class : $25,400 pspa
Maximum meal allowance : $400 per student per month

Needy parents with children attending day creches, day nurseries or relevant classes in kindergarten-cum-child care centres will continue to receive fee remission under KCFRS in the same way as it was before the introduction of PEVS, provided the parents can pass the means test and the social needs test (there is no need to deduct fee subsidy from PEVS from the fee remission amount).

How should an applicant eligible for fee subsidy under the 2009/10 PEVS lodge an application for additional financial assistance under the KCFRS?

The applicant should pay attention to details of application for the KCFRS in the 2009/10 school year to be announced by the SFAA in due course. The announcement will be made in around July 2009. For enquiries, please visit the SFAA's homepage at www.sfaa.gov.hk or call 2 if my application will not be accepted beyond 31 May 200998%" colspan="2">　

To ensure that needy kindergarten children, who have become recipients of the KCFRS in the 2007/08 school year and will continue to study in kindergartens in the 2009/10 school year, will not be worse off after the implementation of PEVS, transitional arrangement will continue for these children attending the following types of kindergartens in the 2009/10 school year, provided they can pass the means test -

Needy children who become eligible to apply for PEVS in the 2008/09 school year or thereafter will be able to receive assistance from PEVS and KCFRS only when they are studying in an eligible local non-profit-making kindergarten and can pass the means test. No special arrangement will be provided.