Nepal Service Learning Trip (Jan 2020)

Early bird: HK$9,700
Regular: HK$10,000
(subject to final airfare available)

Participants may be able to reimburse up to HK$3,000 subsidy (no separate application needed) upon satisfactory completion of the whole service program.

There are also other subsidies available for application.  Check out the details in the "Subsidies" section to know more. 

Includes:
Round-trip flights to Kathmandu, local transportation, accommodation (shared room), meals during program activities (except the dinner on 19 January 2020), entry fee for visits included in the official program, and travel insurance

Does NOT include:
The dinner on 19 January 2020, personal expenses and expenses out of the official program, travel document/ visa application, additional travel and medical insurance

All participants:
 

(A) Subsidy for trip participants (No application needed)

Participants may be able to reimburse up to HK$3,000 subsidy upon satisfactory completion of the whole service program (#1).

(B) Connect Overseas Learning Experience Sponsorship Scheme (Details)

Students with financial need may apply for the Scheme to receive subsidy to cover part of the program fee up front.

Recipients of Tertiary Student Finance Scheme (TSFS) government grant & loan:

(C) Pre-approval of Connect Overseas Learning Experience Sponsorship Scheme (Present “Notification of Result” of TSFS during interview)

In order to lessen the financial burden on government grant & loan recipients paying the full program fee up front, TSFS Grant recipients can get pre-approval of the Scheme and only need to pay the remainder of the program fee:

Students are expected to apply for Exchange to "Belt and Road" Regions for Post-secondary Students (SSEBR) from government (Details). Successful applicant will be able to get subsidy equal to "$6,500 x % of TSFS grant received".

Example: if you receive 50% government grant, you will receive HK$3,250 subsidy via SSEBR.

Applicant shall submit an online application on the HKUST My StudyAbroad system after receiving trip offer. Upon being awarded the SSEBR subsidy, student receiving pre-approved Connect Overseas Learning Experience Sponsorship Scheme shall return the Scheme/SSEBR subsidy, whichever is lower, to HKUST Connect.

(#1) Satisfactory completion of the whole service program includes attendance, high level of engagement in group preparation tasks, workshops and during the trip, and submission of reflection report. Connect Overseas Learning Experience Sponsorship Scheme / SSEBR / Non-means-tested SSEBR recipients may receive the difference between HK$3,000 and the Scheme/SSEBR being granted.

Application

• Please complete the online registration form.
• Interviews will be held on 9 - 10 October 2019. Shortlisted applicants will be notified via email.

Deadline:

• Early bird deadline: 30 September 2019 (Mon)
• Application closing date: 7 October 2019 (Mon)

• To ensure the quality of the service activities and a positive team experience, students are expected to attend ALL pre-trip activities (workshops and consultation meetings), and will be given priority over those who are unable to commit to full attendance. Request for absence due to academic course-related examinations will be considered on a case by case basis. The organizer reserves the right to terminate the participation for any student who fail to meet the above requirements, and the program fee will not be refunded.
• Participants are required to travel to and from Nepal with the group. No separate travel will be entertained.

Light On Nepal (http://lighton.org.hk/)

Light On Nepal is the branch of Light On Charity Limited from Hong Kong. "Light On" is a charitable organization established by Pink Lee soon after the 7.8 earthquake in Nepal on 25th April, 2015. She was in a bookstore in Kathmandu when the earthquake happened, and she escaped immediately to the street and survived. Seeing the devastating situation in Nepal, she started a fund-raising campaign online, and worked with many Nepalese volunteers to distribute relief aid near the epicenter Gorkha, altogether they had distributed over 7 tons of materials to over 700 families. "Light On" then started the School Rebuilding Project to fund the affected schools to rebuild.