Hong Kong’s Solina Chau to give HK$3,300 to each female student taking university exam
- Solina Chau, co-founder of venture capital firm backed by tycoon Li Ka-shing, to give HK$60 million in total to female students sitting Diploma of Secondary Education
- Initiative comes after government says it will stop paying exam fees for candidates in 2025 due to budget deficit
Hong Kong businesswoman Solina Chau Hoi-shuen, co-founder of a venture capital firm backed by tycoon Li Ka-shing, will give a HK$3,300 (US$420) cash handout to more than 15,000 female students taking the city’s university entrance examination next year.
The government had announced it would stop paying the examination fee for candidates in the coming year due to a budget deficit.
The H.S. Chau Foundation said on Monday it would donate HK$60 million to female students sitting the Diploma of Secondary Education in 2025. Eligible students would also need to be studying full-time in local subsidised or government schools.
The handout was expected to cover the examination fee for taking six subjects. More than 15,000 girls stood to benefit.
In 2023, about 50,000 candidates applied for the examination, of which 42,000 were full-time students.
There is no restriction on the use of the subsidy and students are encouraged to make use of the money flexibly to achieve their dream and life goals, according to the foundation.
