What are the eligibility criteria for the Kindergarten & Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS) and Grant for School-related Expenses for Kindergarten Students (Grant-KG)？

Applicants may view the video clips for details of the KCFRS and Grant-KG.
 

Contents

• Applicant
• Student-applicant
• Family of the student-applicant

KCFRS provides fee subsidy for parents/legal guardians/registered custodians to meet towards school fees for pre-primary services of their children in the form of fee remission.  Kindergarten children of needy families who are receiving fee subsidies from Kindergarten Education Scheme (KG Education Scheme) and require financial assistance on top of that may apply for fee remission under the KCFRS. In addition, KCFRS will provide assistance to children who are receiving whole-day child care services in child care centres. Kindergarten students attending whole-day classes who are eligible for fee remission will also be granted meal allowance.

Grant-KG provides an additional grant to needy kindergarten students who can pass the means test and meet the same eligibility criteria under KCFRS to defray school-related expenses incurred from the students’ kindergarten education.   

The eligibility criteria of 2024/25 KCFRS and Grant-KG are as follows:
 

I) Applicant must be:

The parent or legal guardian of the student-applicant (if the applicant is not the father or mother of the student-applicant, he/she must submit written explanation to the SFO and provide supporting documents).
 

II) The student-applicant must be:

1. Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any condition of stay (other than the limit of stay) in Hong Kong (students holding visitor visas, two-way exit permits, student visas or who are dependents of student-visa / visitor-visa holders are not eligible); and
2. Attending the following classes in 2024/25:

• Nursery, Lower and Upper classes in Kindergarten (K1 to K3):
  • born on or before 31 December 2021（at least 2 years and 8 months old as at 31 August 2024）；
  • attending non-profit-making kindergarten under the KG education scheme(For a kindergarten that joined the KG education scheme in the 2023/24 school year but does not intend to stay in the KG education scheme in the 2024/25 school year, the students who were admitted before the 2024/25 school year and will remain in the eligible classes in that kindergarten (referring to K2and K3 classes in the 2024/25 school year and K3 classes in the 2025/26 school year) will still be eligible for applying for financial assistance for pre-primary students); AND
• Holding valid Registration Certificate under KG Education Scheme and have to pay for school fee in that school year

Or

• Child Care Centre (group aged 0-2)/ Child Care Centre (group aged 2-3):
  • receiving whole-day care services in child care centres (day crèches, day nurseries or relevant age groups in kindergarten-cum-child care centres) registered with Education Bureau (EDB)/Social Welfare Department (SWD).

III) The family of the student-applicant must be:

• Passing the means test. Please click here for details.
• For children receiving whole-day child care services (i.e. groups aged 0-2 and 2-3), the applicant's family must also pass the 'social needs' test during the same assessment period in addition to the means test. In addition to the application form for KCFRS, the above applicants should also complete the “Social Needs” Assessment Form for Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission ( SFO235A ) and submit the completed form and related documentary evidence to the SFO directly.  About the criteria for assessing social needs and documentary evidence required, please refer to the back side of “Social Needs” Assessment Form for Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission ( SFO235A).

Note: Children in receipt of special grant under Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) to cover kindergarten fees will not be provided with fee remission from KCFRS/Grant-KG for the same period.