Money problems no barrier to further study

There are many university grants available if you know where to look Students with financial hardships should not give up hope of furthering their studies. An almost unlimited array of scholarships and grants is available. The main problem is tracking them down. Few scholarships are sufficient to cover all of your expenses so you should not stop if you are successful in applying for one type of financial aid. Enterprising students can apply for funding from a variety of sources. The key is to apply early and often. Start by visiting the student affairs office of the institution where you are studying. Officials will guide you on the choices available. According to a spokesman at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), there are hundreds - if not thousands - of funding options available for students at local post-secondary institutions.Because CUHK comprises four colleges - Chung Chi, New Asia, Shaw and United - it has more than one office. Most institutions have only one. 'Scholarships and prizes are intended to honour students of high academic ability and encourage them to continue excelling in their studies and improve through various sponsored programmes. In addition to awards offered through the office of student affairs, the four constituent colleges administer their own scholarship schemes,' the spokesman says. The scholarships offered by the university are divided into two basic types - local and overseas. 'Local scholarships are awarded to students with outstanding academic achievement. Other criteria such as leadership and personal qualities, extra-curricular activities and services to the community may also be considered,' the spokesman says. A total of 1,595 scholarships and prizes with an aggregate value of $17.74 million were awarded last year to outstanding students as an incentive for them to continue to excel in their studies. Of the awards administered by the university or its colleges, 633 were administered by the office of student affairs. Of this number, about 6 per cent were sufficient to cover the annual tuition fee of $42,100. About $3.28 million was granted to 63 students to take part in university-arranged exchange programmes, postgraduate studies, conferences and overseas study tours. The Esther Yewpick Lee Millennium Scholarship was established with $18 million worth of funds from the estate of the late Dr Lee. Candidates must meet rigorous academic standards, 'have a respect for humanity, a curious mind, moral integrity and a spirit of adventure, and should also reveal the potential to make a contribution to the well-being of the community'. Open exclusively to CUHK students, it covers all university and college fees at Oxford, an economy class return air fare to London, and an annual personal allowance to take care of board and lodging, and other costs. Business associations are another potential source of funds. The American Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation offers a United States Studies Scholarship. Under the scheme, a qualified secondary school graduate receives a one-time scholarship award of $16,000 to help defray the cost of pursuing undergraduate study at a university in the US. Some scholarships are funded by professional bodies. The Hong Kong Bar Association offers scholarships to encourage 'candidates of the highest calibre' to join the Bar by providing them with financial incentive or assistance during their 'pupilage'. Many governments establish scholarships to encourage students from other places to study in their countries. In Singapore, the government offers undergraduate scholarships to Hong Kong permanent residents who have completed their A-levels in the science stream. In addition to a strong academic background, students are expected to have taken part in extracurricular activities. Students completing their A-levels this year will also have to submit SAT I and SAT II results. Britain's Chevening Scholarships are aimed at postgraduate students with 'high potential' and young professionals from Hong Kong and Macau. The scheme is managed by the British Council in Hong Kong on behalf of the British Consulate-General. Priority is given to students wanting to study subjects relevant to the region's commercial, economic and social development, including business administration, finance, international relations and law. Other subjects have included architecture, design, education administration, engineering and photography. Two types of award are offered: postgraduate scholarships for one-year taught masters' degrees and specialist scholarships for three- to six-month professional development courses. Some scholarships target specific institutions. The University College of London offers scholarships jointly funded by the Vinson Chu Charitable Foundation, Professor Denys Holland, Cowan Cheung Scholarship and UCL Hong Kong Scholarship Foundation. Undergraduate and graduate scholarships are offered. Alumni associations are another source of funding. The University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation and the University of Toronto Alumni Association (Hong Kong) offer financial aid for Hong Kong students wanting to study at that institution. The more prestigious the institution, the better the chance you have of getting aid. So, if you have the test scores and the grades, shoot for the stars. Some of the most prestigious universities in the US have a policy of accepting students regardless of their ability to pay.