HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant (AGG)
HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant (AGG) 香港浸會大學恩傳助學金
Introduction
The Grant was set up with donations raised by the Village CARE Campaign in 2019. A group of HKBU alumni pledged a sum donation in support of students with special educational needs (SSEN). The Grant represents a way to show the alumni’s gratitude to their alma mater, an encouragement for the next generation of students to thrive in their own way.
Objectives
Through the applicants’ participation or organization of local or global activities/projects:
1. To enhance the overall competences of SSEN.
2. To enhance the sense of belonging, support and care of SSEN.
Eligibility
Full-time HKBU students studying UGC-funded or self-financed sub-degree or above level programmes, registered with special educational needs, as categorised as follows:
- Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Hearing Impairment
- Mental Illnesses
- Physical/Mobility Disabilities
- Speech Impairment and/or Language Impairment
- Specific Learning Disabilities
- Visceral Disability/Chronic Illness
- Visual Impairment
- Multiple Types of Disabilities
- Others
1. The proposed activities or projects must meet the objectives of the Grants as listed in the objectives above. The activities may include participation or organization of local or global experiential programmes, service-learning opportunities, short-term overseas study or service trip, language courses taken in Hong Kong, sports/music/arts or other skills training/courses taken in Hong Kong, etc.
2. No retrospective application will be considered.
3. Multi-application is accepted on different nature of proposed activities/projects in each academic year.
Method
Open application
Criteria
1. Applications will be assessed on the basis of the followings:
- Capability of fulfilling the objective of the Grant.
- The impact and significance of the proposed activities/projects in fostering any of the seven HKBU graduate attributes of the applicants.
- Effectiveness of raising participants’ awareness and understanding of SEN/disability/inclusion/equal opportunity.
2. Preference will be given to eligible applicants who have never received any SEN- related funding before.
3. Up to ten per year subject to the availability of the funding source.
4. Maximum Fundable Amount
- HK$12,000
- Discretion will be exercised to approve additional grants for activities/projects with strong justifications and the initiatives are proven to be well deserved.
5. Eligible applicants can apply for grants to support their learning activities/projects in different types more than once. A separate application for grants should be made for each learning activity/project.
HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant (AGG) supports outside-of-classroom learning activities offered by HKBU Departments, Offices, student bodies and external organisations, which fall under the scope of the Grant. Suggested learning activities shall include, but not be limited to the following:
| Category | Remarks |
|---|---|
Thematic training events with topics related to SEN/disability/inclusion/equal opportunity | NA |
| Short-term overseas study or service trip, training programme, competition or conference |
|
| Language learning courses |
|
| Sports/music/arts or other skills training/courses |
|
| Research Study |
|
| Publication |
|
Rules & Regulations:
1. Please note that eligible students can only use the Grant to support their organisation and/or participation in outside classroom learning activities until the approved amount is depleted.
2. For final year eligible students, each learning activity must be completed by 17 July of their graduation year.
3. Students are allowed to receive the Grant with other funding resources concurrently provided that the total funding support obtained does not exceed the net fees/cost they have paid. Interested eligible students must declare their other sources of funding on the activity proposal AT LEAST SIX WEEKS prior to the start of the learning activities/projects along with all support documents. If other additional sources of funding are secured/confirmed after the submission, students should inform USSEN immediately about such an update.
4. Students will not be reimbursed with any grant if they fail to complete the approved activity and submit all relevant documents, including official proofs and original receipts for the cost/fee paid.
5. The Office of Student Affairs reserves the right to decide on each application and adjust the approved grant amount if deemed appropriate.
Application Timeline and Procedures
Timeline for 2024-25 applications
| 1 September 2024 to 30 June 2025 | Application Period |
|---|---|
| Within 5 calendar weeks | Notification of application result |
Within 2 calendar weeks upon receipt of the end of learning activity | Submission of required documents |
Around 8 - 12 weeks upon submission of completed set of required documents | Receive Reimbursement |
| 15 October 2025 | Deadline for submission of required documents |
Interested students should:
1. complete the online application form,
2. submit the following supporting documents to USSEN via email:
(a) Supporting/information of the medical intervention/special transportation service related to the disability;
(b) Copies of most recent medical reports and/or supporting documents such as assessment report to prove your special education need(s);
Successful applicants shall:
1. be notified of application results within five calendar weeks after submission of all required documents/meeting held and further information provided if any;
2. receive and sign an offer letter of the grant;
3. submit the following documents within two calendar weeks upon the end of learning activity:
(a) a sharing article,
(b) original invoice and receipt from the service provider,
(c) bank account details and
(d) three photos;
4. not submit the above documents late as this may result in score deduction in applying for other HKBU SEN-related financial schemes;
5. be invited to present/share the application and outcomes;
6. receive reimbursement normally in around 8 - 12 weeks upon acceptance of the final auditing and submission of documents; and
7. hold valid HKBU full-time equivalent (FTE) studentship at the time of reimbursement, or no approved fund will be reimbursed. USSEN reserves the rights on the decisions of subsidy allocation and guidelines amendment at any time as appropriate.
Contact
For any enquires, please contact us at the Unit for Students with Special Educational Needs, Counselling and Development Centre, Office of Student Affairs:
Tel : +852 3411 5230
Email : ussen@hkbu.edu.hk
Address : Room DLB704A, Level 7, David C. Lam Building, Shaw Campus
Opening Hours
Mondays to Fridays – 9:00am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 5:30pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays – Closed
Recipients of HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant 2023-24
CHEUNG Wai, Bachelor of Social Work (Hons.)
As a recipient of the HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant, I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue my interest in learning the guitar. This grant has provided me with the necessary financial support and enabled me to achieve significant learning outcomes and personal growth.
Through the private guitar classes funded by the grant, I have explored and developed my passion for playing the guitar. My objectives of learning guitar theory and skills have been met, and I have experienced a sense of ...(more)
LAU Batis, Bachelor of Chinese Medicine and Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Biomedical Science
Over the past few months, I have embarked on an advanced ATCL guitar lesson journey, seeking to expand my skills and knowledge in this art form.
The objectives I set for myself at the beginning of these lessons were to enhance my technical proficiency, deepen my understanding of music theory, and develop my improvisational skills. I am pleased to say that these objectives have been largely met. Through intensive practice and guidance from my instructor, I have seen significant improvement in my finger dexterity, accuracy, and speed. I have also gained a deeper understanding of complex chord progressions and scales, enabling me to create more intricate and harmonically rich compositions. Furthermore, my improvisational skills have flourished, allowing me to express myself more freely and creatively through my guitar playing.
While the overall experience of the advanced ATCL guitar lessons ...(more)
LAU Batis, Bachelor of Chinese Medicine and Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Biomedical Science
The goals I set for myself in the advanced Thai Boxing lessons were to improve my technique, enhance my physical fitness, and deepen my understanding of the sport. Through consistent training and guidance from my instructor, I have seen significant improvement in my kicks, punches, and defensive manoeuvres. My overall strength, speed, and agility have also increased, allowing me to perform more effectively in sparring sessions. Furthermore, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the art of Thai Boxing and its cultural significance.
While the advanced Thai Boxing lessons has been a rewarding experience, I did encounter a few obstacles along the way. One significant challenge was overcoming mental barriers and building resilience. Thai Boxing requires a high level of mental toughness and the ability to push through physical and mental fatigue. There were moments when I doubted my abilities and felt ...(more)
TANG Sai Fung, Postgraduate Diploma in Education English (Secondary Focus)
In the immersion programme, I was required to demonstrate two English lessons on teaching a grammar item and vocabulary items on a specific topic, respectively, in the last three weeks.
My two teaching practices were a grammar lesson on ‘will’ and ‘be going to’ based on the travelling theme and a vocabulary lesson on personality. I achieved two of my goals. First of all, I have improved my skills in guiding students by posing more concept-checking questions (CCQs) and I was able to pose instruction-checking questions (ICQs) in varied ways to make sure I made myself clear and students were on task in the lessons. Another outcome I achieved was ...(more)
A student from Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in English Language and Literature
With the financial support from the HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant (AGG), I have completed the training with two fitness instructors. Each of them had something unique to contribute to my fitness training and with their assistance, I have achieved fantastic outcomes.
One of the fitness instructors was my movement specialist. He is skilled in explaining the elements of different exercises and delivering clear advice on how to improve the execution. I mentioned to him that my second fitness instructor changed my outfit a lot with details and thus, he constantly adjusted my form to slightly improve some of the lifts. This practice made me get in a position to build up my strength and at the same time inhibit any possibility of an incident.
My second fitness instructor is a vegan bodybuilder who accompanied ...(more)
A student from Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in English Language and Literature
Thanks to the HKBU Alumni Gratitude Grant, I started my journey of learning to play drums.
Before attending drum lessons, I found it difficult to maintain concentration while studying at school for hours, doing homework, or listening to the speeches in classes. However, I observed the huge changes on me when I continued to learn and practice the drums. Drumming requires lots of regular and long-time practice. What I discovered is that my school- and work-related ...(more)