Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students (NLSFT)

Please visit the government's webpage.

For details of the NLSFT, please visit the Student Finance Office (SFO)'s homepage at: www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/postsecondary/nlsft/overview.htm.

SFO YouTube Channel for introduction of NLSFT

For enquiries (e.g. check progress of your application), you may wish to contact the SFO:

Address: Room 1204, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon

(near exit C1 of the Shamshuipo MTR station)

Office hours: Mon - Fri - 8.45 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5.45 pm; except public holidays

24-hour automated enquiry hotline: 2802 2345

NLSFT enquiry number during office hours: 2150 6222

NLSFT fax number: 3101 1908

E-mail address: wg_sfo@wfsfaa.gov.hk

(1)	Students who apply for NLSFT only, i.e. have not applied for assistance under the TSFS or fail to obtain assistance under the TSFS, may receive NLSFT loan(s) up to the maximum amount of their tuition fees payable.
(2)	Students who receive financial assistance under the TSFS may be entitled to loan(s) under the NLSFT up to the difference between the maximum financial assistance under the TSFS and the amount of financial assistance they may receive under the TSFS, subject to the NLSFT loan maximum (equivalent to the tuition fees payable) not being exceeded.
(3)	With effect from the 2012/13 academic year, a combined life-time loan limit is imposed on students eligible for receiving loans under NLSFT and NLSPS [i.e. students taking courses covered by TSFS and FASP]. The loan limit will be price-adjusted annually in accordance with the Composite Consumer Price Index. For the 2024/25 academic year, the combined life-time loan limit is HK$406,700.
(4)	Loan(s) disbursed from the 2012/13 academic year and onwards will be counted towards the combined life-time loan limit, which is not of revolving nature and will not be reset by any repayments.
(5)	Eligible students who have exhausted their combined life-time loan limit for studying courses for attaining their first degree-level study may apply to use up to HK$100,000 of their life-time loan limit under ENLS (applicable to students not covered under TSFS or FASP and pursuing specific part-time and full-time post-secondary and continuing and professional education courses in Hong Kong). Such applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The SFO will consider factors such as whether the students are studying for their first degree-level study and the tuition fee level of the course, etc.

Please refer to NLSFT Administrative Fee and Interest Rate posted on the Government's webpage for the prevailing NLSFT interest rate.

All the full-time government-funded PolyU programmes covered under the NLSFT 2024/25 are stated on the Course Coding Sheet. You should check your course information stated on it for completion of "Step 3" of the application form.

If you want to have an idea about financial assistance schemes applicable to you, you are welcome to join one of the following briefing sessions on financial assistance schemes conducted by PolyU Student Affairs Office (SAO).

POSS Programme Code	Venue	Date / Time	Enrollment
SS-SF-SAO-SSA-U1-A	PolyU Room PQ306 Language: Cantonese¹	27 Aug 2024 (Tue)²/ 2.30 pm - 5 pm
SS-SF-SAO-SSA-U1-B	PolyU Room PQ306 Language: Cantonese¹	30Aug 2024(Fri)²/ 10.30 am - 1 pm
SS-SF-SAO-SSA-U1-C	PolyU Communal Building S208 Language: Cantonese¹	4 Sept 2024 (Wed)²/ 2.30 pm - 5 pm

¹ If you want to get information about financial assistance in English, you may send an email with your contact information to sao.fa@polyu.edu.hk for arrangement.

²When the Hong Kong Observatory announces that the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.8 or above/Black Rainstorm Warning/"Extreme Condition" is likely to be hoisted/issued OR when the Signal/Warning is still hoisted/issued within 2 hours from the commencement of the briefing session, the briefing session will be cancelled.

Enrollment:

Please register to reserve a seat via the PolyU Online Student Services (POSS). For enquiry, please call 3400 3764.

"Learn to Manage Money Before It Manages You" - Think twice about your repayment ability before you apply for any loans.

Between 18 Apr and 31 Dec 2024 (tentative), eligible applicants can submit electronic application for the 2024/25 “Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students (NLSFT)” via the online platform “SFO E-link – My Applications” (ess.wfsfaa.gov.hk). Online demonstration and related documents can be found on this platform.

(1)	Read the Guidance Notes and documents related to NLSFT, which can also be downloaded from the SFO webpage: www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/postsecondary/nlsft/application/forms.htm.
(2)	Submit online application with payment proof / immediate online payment for the HK$296 administrative fee via “SFO E-link – My Applications” (ess.wfsfaa.gov.hk);
(3)	Submit the signed "Declaration Form" (on paper / digitally) and required supporting documents to the SFO within 7 days by one of the following methods:
	1.	by online upload via “SFO E-link – My Applications” (ess.wfsfaa.gov.hk); (PDF or JPEG format, max capacity 40MB); or
	2.	by mail to the SFO (Address: Student Finance Office, Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency, Room 1204, 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon (Attn.: NLSFT APU)) or use the drop-in boxes located on 11/F (during office hours) or in the G/F lift lobby (outside office hours) of Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices; or
	3.	by hand to the government SFO drop-in box at Student Affairs Office (SAO) in Room QT308, 3/F, Core T between 11 Sept and 17 Oct 2024 (Collection time: Mon - Fri: 9 am to 12.30 pm & 2 pm to 5.45 p.m.; except public holidays).
	* Remarks: For proper delivery of the mail items to the SFO, and to avoid unnecessary delivery delay or unsuccessful delivery, please ensure that the mail items bear sufficient postage with return address before mailing.
(4)	If the information provided is complete, the gov’t SFO will normally issue the “Notification of Application Result” within 3 weeks from the date of the SFO’s issue of the “Acknowledgement of Receipt of Application”;
(5)	Download and fill in the loan documents and return the complete set of required documents together to the SFO before the deadline shown on the result letter. Late submission will lead to delay in loan disbursement;
(6)	Receive a letter/email issued by the SFO to acknowledge receipt of your NLS loan documents submitted within 1-2 weeks. Call the Counter Service Unit (for matters relating to submission of loan documents) at 2152 9307 for checking if no response is received;
(7)	Receive the "Remittance Advice" issued by the SFO about 3 weeks before the loan disbursement date (i.e. the loan draw down date) shown on the advice**; and
(8)	Before the loan disbursement date, receive an email issued by the Finance Office of PolyU about the update of NLSFT transaction record on the Student Account Portal (SAP) facility at https://www40.polyu.edu.hk/fosae/.
(9)	If you have settled the tuition fee in full by the time your borrowed NLSFT loan is released, PolyU Finance Office will normally refund the NLSFT loan to your designated bank account provided in the SAP (https://www40.polyu.edu.hk/fosae/) after 1 to 2 working days. To avoid delay, please ensure you have input bank account on SAP about 2 weeks before the loan draw down date.
	** Neither your application nor the approval for an NLSFT loan carries any implications that the payment due date of your tuition fee has been or will be deferred by PolyU. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you are able to settle your tuition fee on or before the due date.

(1) For local full-time government-funded students of taught programmes admitted in 2023/24 or before

The normal application period is over, however, you can consider submitting late application.

Late application after the official deadline

"SFO E-link - My applications" (http://ess.wfsfaa.gov.hk) platform is open for online application until 31 Dec 2024 (tentative). Eligible applicant can submit late application until the platform is open.

Tuition Fee Payment for semester 1 of 2024/25

The tuition fee for semester 1 of 2024/25 will be due on 3 Sept 2024 (Tue).

If you want to borrow the NLSFT loan for direct settlement of tuition fee for semester 1 of 2024/25 academic year, which will be due on 3 Sept 2024 (Tue), please submit application not later than 7 Jun 2024 and ensure that you can receive "Remittance Advice" issued by the government SFO by early Aug 2024.

Neither your application nor the approval for an NLSFT loan carries any implications that the payment due date of your tuition fee has been or will deferred by PolyU. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you are able to settle your tuition fee on or before the due date.

If you have genuine financial difficulties and have to wait for the late disbursement of the NLSFT loan for direct settlement of tuition fee, you may apply for Deferred Payment. For details, please visit http://www.polyu.edu.hk/sao/fa/def from early Aug 2024.

(2) For new local full-time government-funded students of taught programmes admitted in 2024/25

Official deadline: 27 Sept 2024 (Friday)

Late application after the official deadline

"SFO E-link - My applications" (http://ess.wfsfaa.gov.hk) platform is open for online application until 31 Dec 2024 (tentative). Eligible applicant can submit late application until the platform is open.

(3) For local full-time government-funded research students

Starting from 2018/19 academic year, the Government has provided tuition waiver for all local students enrolled in UGC-funded Research Postgraduate (RPg) programmes (https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/tws.html). All local students enrolled in UGC-funded RPg programmes are provided with tuition waiver. Therefore, eligible students are no longer eligible for applying the Non-means-tested Loan.

Please visit the SFO webpage for details.