Fifth cohort of School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme opens for applications in October
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A spokesman for the EDB said, "Launched in the 2022/23 academic year, the SNDAS is a scheme that recognises the exceptional talents of students in specific disciplines that may not be fully assessed by the HKDSE Examination by allowing students with special and diversified talents to be matched with programmes that suit their potential. It provides opportunities for these students to be considered for direct admission to local universities."
The nomination period for the fifth cohort of the SNDAS will run from October 9 to December 3, 2025. Students who intend to apply for their preferred programmes through the SNDAS must be nominated by their secondary schools. Each local secondary school can nominate two students with exceptional talents and interests in specific disciplines/areas, and each student nominee can apply for admission to one designated University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded undergraduate programme participating in the SNDAS.
Participating universities will arrange interviews for all students nominated for the SNDAS and make firm offers to successful students prior to the release of the 2026 HKDSE Examination results.
The eight UGC-funded universities have designated over 300 publicly funded undergraduate programmes to participate in the fifth cohort of the SNDAS and set admission criteria that are not based on HKDSE Examination results for individual programmes. Details of the SNDAS and specific admission requirements of the participating programmes have been uploaded to the scheme's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/postsecondary/policy-doc/SNDAS/index.html).
The EDB adds that the SNDAS was introduced to provide an additional pathway to university for students with exceptional talents. Those nominated for the SNDAS, like other Secondary Six students, are required to apply for admission to universities through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System in parallel and to sit for the HKDSE Examinations, ensuring they do not limit their opportunities for further studies.
To promote a culture of multifaceted excellence, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau launched the Multi-talent Development Scholarship (MDS) in the 2025/26 academic year, funded by the Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries, for admittees of the SNDAS demonstrating outstanding achievements in arts, sports and/or community service on top of the firm offers made under the SNDAS. Among the students being formally admitted to their respective universities under the SNDAS, each of the eight UGC-funded universities will be invited to nominate SNDAS admittees demonstrating outstanding performance in arts, sports and/or community service for the award of the scholarships in addition to the firm offers made. The quotas of scholarship nominations will be distributed proportionally, having regard to the number of students admitted to each university by the SNDAS. Each awardee, not subject to means testing, will be granted a scholarship of $10,000 per year across his/her four-year tuition period. The universities shall enjoy the autonomy to select and nominate awardees for the MDS.
The EDB set up the Task Force on Review of School Curriculum in November 2017 to holistically review the primary and secondary curricula. The review report submitted by the Task Force to the EDB in September 2020 put forward six directional recommendations, including the implementation of a new direct admission scheme to enhance flexibility in university admissions. The EDB accepted the recommendation and introduced the SNDAS starting with the 2022/23 academic year.
Ends/Thursday, September 25, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:00
Issued at HKT 12:00
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