THE Student Financial Assistance Agency is expected to spend 20 per cent more in the coming fiscal year.
An increase of 20 per cent, or $83.3 million, is earmarked to provide grants and fees assistance to students from kindergartens to universities.
The total expenditure targeted is $484.5 million.
A total of $188.1 million is allocated as grants for tertiary students who study in Hongkong or Britain.
This represents an increase of $53 million or 39.5 per cent over the revised 92-93 estimate, mainly because of an increase in the size of grants and the number of successful applications.
The amount allocated for kindergarten fee assistance also recorded a sharp increase of 38 per cent, when the 93-94 estimate is $54.4 million, compared with the 92-93 revised estimate of $40.6 million.