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Continuing Education Fund 2026 | $25,000 Subsidy Application Guide: 9 Popular CEF Courses + Eligibility Summary

6 Oct 2026

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AI is taking jobs and causing widespread anxiety. Instead of worrying every day about being laid off, why not consider how to make good use of the government's "hidden tuition subsidy" to equip yourself? The Continuing Education Fund (CEF) offers a $25,000 subsidy for adults aged 18 or above, with no income test and no upper age limit. Anyone aged 18 or above can make good use of this "free upskilling" opportunity.


💰 Subsidy Model: Co-payment

The Continuing Education Fund was increased from $10,000 to $25,000 in August 2022, but the premise is "you only get it after you use it." The subsidy model is co-payment:

(A) For the first $10,000, the government pays 80% and the institution pays 20%;

(B) For the subsequent $15,000, the government pays 60% and the student pays 40%.


A practical example: for a $25,000 course, on first application, the government reimburses about $17,500, and you actually only pay $7,500 in tuition. Want to know how much is left in your account? Call 3142 2277, or ask the "Vocational Education Bot" chatbot and it will be sorted out in a couple of questions.


🎓 10 Popular CEF Courses

  1. Learning to drive (private car/light goods vehicle/bus) is a classic choice. Both the Hong Kong School of Motoring and Lee Kin Driving School offer CEF courses, with tuition around $12,000 to $19,000.

  2. The Security Personnel Training Certificate ranges from $480 to $600, completed in two days, at Qualifications Framework Level 1, and Primary 6 education is sufficient.

  3. The Dental Surgery Assistant Certificate takes 12 months to complete, with tuition of $17,800, but the Department of Health's starting salary is $19,535, rising to a maximum of $38,715, making it highly sought after by many.

  4. The Home Maintenance Foundation Certificate costs $4,500. Within two months, you can learn to repair pipes, change door locks and inspect electrical boxes. It can save you money on hiring tradesmen and even let you do part-time home repairs for friends.

  5. The Pet Grooming course costs $18,000 to $20,000. Hong Kong people's spending power on their furry children keeps growing, so it is not afraid of being replaced and disappearing due to AI.

  6. Information security and digital marketing are relatively safe choices. HKU SPACE and HKBU's School of Continuing Education both offer related certificate courses, with tuition ranging from $4,600 to $48,000.

  7. The Mediator course is even more worth noting. With the International Mediation Institute settling in Hong Kong, hourly rates can reach as high as $3,000. PolyU's School of Professional Education and Executive Development and Lingnan University both offer it.

  8. Language courses always have a market—Japanese, Korean, Spanish, IELTS preparation classes—with HKU SPACE and CUHK's School of Continuing and Professional Studies offering the most choices.

  9. Elderly care courses are not just for finding work. If you have elderly people at home, learning basic physiotherapy techniques and medication management is very practical, with tuition from $3,750 to $18,000.

  10. Courses specially designed to provide professional knowledge for coffee lovers and those interested in entering the coffee industry, including green bean processing, roasting, blending and brewing, enabling students to master coffee brewing and coffee shop management skills and enhancing their understanding of the coffee industry. Fees range from $16,800 to $109,560.


⚠️ Three Things to Remember Before Applying

First, check the course registration status. The CEF course list is updated, and some courses are no longer subsidised once their registration period expires. Before enrolling, you must go to the Vocational Training Council website, search by course number or keyword, and check clearly whether the "course valid registration period" is still valid. All information is of course subject to the official website's announcements.


Second, attendance and assessment must meet the standard. "Successful completion" is defined as at least 70% attendance, plus a passing final assessment (if any). Do not assume that paying the money and finishing the course is enough—CEF will actually verify your eligibility with the institution.


Third, apply within one year after completion. From the date of successfully completing the course, a reimbursement application must be submitted within one year; late applications will not be accepted. For electronic applications, "iAM Smart+" digital signature can be used, with no need to submit physical forms.


💡 $25,000 Is a Learning Credit, Not Cash

$25,000 is not cash and will not be directly transferred, but it is a very real "learning credit." You can use it to learn driving, maintenance, mediation, languages, or even how to care for elderly family members. The key point is that this money will not depreciate if unused, but your workplace competitiveness will depreciate over time. While you still have the chance to choose, why not pick something to study properly? It is better than waiting until the day you are laid off to panic.