Editing Direct Subsidy Scheme (section)

==Financing==
DSS schools are free to charge school fees. In the 2009–10 school year, their schools fees range from $3,000 to $110,000 per year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_175/schlist%28fees%29_e_c.pdf |title=Information on Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools in the 2009–10 School Year |accessdate=16 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627075449/http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_175/schlist(fees)_e_c.pdf |archive-date=27 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

A DSS school will receive full recurrent subsidy until its fee level reaches 2 1/3 times the average unit cost of an aided school place. Beyond this level, no recurrent subsidy is available.<ref name=memo/> The average unit cost of an aided school place is calculated based on a two-age based system to address the needs of schools with longer development background. In short, a higher level of subsidy would be available to DSS schools that have been operating for 16 years or above.<ref name=s4>{{cite web|url=http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_1489/ss_section4.pdf|title=Direct Subsidy Scheme Explanatory Notes for Secondary Schools S/S Section 4|accessdate=16 December 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716123238/http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_1489/ss_section4.pdf|archivedate=16 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The level of recurrent subsidy received by a DSS school is hence dependent on the number of students enrolled in that particular school.<ref name=fail1 /><ref name=fail2 />

Also, to help ex-aided DSS schools adapt to new financing methods, ex-aided DSS schools that receive less recurrent subsidy after joining the DSS will continue to receive recurrent subsidy as if they were aided schools for 5 years.<ref name=note>{{cite web|url=http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/En/content_1489/Notes_for_Aided_Secondary_Schools.pdf|title=Notes for Aided Secondary Schools|accessdate=16 December 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001132105/http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/En/content_1489/Notes_for_Aided_Secondary_Schools.pdf|archivedate=1 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

To cater for students from less well-off families, DSS schools are required to set aside at least 10% of their income for fee / scholarship schemes.<ref name=s4/> In addition, for every dollar charged over two-thirds of the average unit cost of an aided school place, the school should set aside 50 cents for scholarship and financial assistance schemes.<ref name=memo/>