CareER Scholarship & Fellowship Program 2026
CareER Scholarship & Fellowship Program 2026
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The CareER Scholarship & Fellowship Program recognises students with disabilities and/or special educational needs (SEN) for their dedication to community and social service participation, contributions to society, and accomplishments in extracurricular activities. Beyond financial support through a scholarship, it features a structured fellowship program designed to cultivate personal growth, leadership, and active community engagement.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
· Community Impact - To facilitate a cohesive peer community by inspiring scholarship recipients to contribute to the SEN community by serving as mentors
· Identity Empowerment - Encourage students to embrace their unique identities and lived experiences with pride and confidence, and enhance their disability acceptance through the storytelling workshop
· Financial Support - To provide financial support to the awardees to enable them to acquire assistive equipment and technology to enhance their employment prospects and opportunities
· Work Experience Opportunity - Empower students with disability/SEN to pursue more fulfilling careers with work experience and exposure.
TARGEY BENEFICIARIES
· Local Senior Secondary School Students in Form 5 to 6 with disabilities and/or SEN: Open to those from local mainstream or special schools who demonstrate outstanding involvement in extracurricular activities and meaningful contributions to society.
· Local Associate Degree / Higher Diploma / Undergraduate Students with disabilities and/or SEN: Open to all current undergraduate students with disabilities and/or SEN of local higher education institutions , regardless of the funding source of the institutions, i.e. both self-financing local programmes and publicly-funded programmes are eligible. Selected based on their dedication to career development and active engagement in community service.
ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA
· Applicants must be holders of a valid Hong Kong PERMANENT identity card, which states that the holder has the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
· Applicants must have a disability and/or SEN confirmed by medical professional(s) with the relevant supporting document
· Post-secondary applicants must be current Associate Degree or Higher Diploma students, or current undergraduate students (2025/26) of local higher education institutions, regardless of the funding source of the institutions, i.e. both self-financing local programmes and publicly-funded programmes are eligible.
· Senior-secondary applicants must be current students in Form 5 to 6 at local schools (including special schools) in the academic year of 2025/26
· Incoming exchange students not pursuing their entire academic programs at their respective schools are NOT eligible for the award
VALUE OF AWARDS
(1) The Scholarship Award
· Senior Secondary Group:
There will be eight awards and each successful candidate will receive a grant of HK$8,000.
· Post-secondary Group:
There will be fifteen awards and each successful candidate will receive a grant of HK$10,000.
The scholarship award will be distributed in two instalments. The first instalment, 30% of the award, will be disbursed at the award ceremony; while the remaining 70% will be disbursed after the awardees have fulfilled their responsibilities of the program and submitted their final assignment. Awardees who fail to comply with the program requirements will not be eligible for the second instalment of the scholarship award.
(2) The “Excellence Fellows” Award (Post-secondary scholars only)
Among all fifteen post-secondary scholarship awardees, five of them will be selected as “Excellence Fellows” based on Reflective & Learning Reports and their performance throughout the program. Each “Excellence Fellow” will receive another grant of HK$10,000, and the award cheque will be disbursed at the closing ceremony.
In the event of a lost award cheque, CareER reserves the right to decide on any reissue request. The awardee is responsible for any costs incurred for reissuing the cheque.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants are required to complete the online application form and enclose the scanned copies of the following documents:
· Your recent student photo (in JPG format)
· Your curriculum vitae (not exceeding 2 pages) in English (in PDF format)
· Your valid student card issued by the school attending in the academic year 2025-26
· Your most recent academic transcript or report card showing all completed courses or grades
· The relevant document(s) confirming you disabilities/SEN by medical professional(s)
· The documentary proof(s) for the allowances and/or subsidies you and your family are receiving
Acceptable documentary proofs for disabilities or SEN* include:
· Medical certificate
· Referral letter
· Assessment report
· Medical report
· Certificate of attendance
· Registration card for people with disabilities
* The proof(s) must clearly state the applicant’s diagnoses, certify their disabilities or SEN and be issued by medical professional(s).
UNQUALIFIED documentary proof(s) of SEN include but are not limited to:
· Notification letter of disability allowance
· Any acceptable documents WITHOUT any diagnosis
PROGRAM CONTENTS AND TIMELINE
(1) Stage 1: Scholarship Award
· Awarded to students who excel in social services and extracurricular activities
· All scholarship awardees automatically join the Fellowship Program.
(2) Stage 2: Fellowship Program
Participants would engage in a series of developmental activities, including:
· Mentorship
· Storytelling workshops & events
· Experience sharing sessions
· Summer internship at the Kerry Group (only for shortlisted post-secondary applicants, subject to interview selection)
· Job shadowing at the Kerry Group (only for shortlisted senior secondary applicants, subject to interview selection)
· Reflective & learning report
· Closing ceremony
For full details, please refer to the poster or the application guidelines. Interested parties shall complete the e-application form and submit via CareER online system by 21 February 2026. Late applications will not be accepted
For enquiries, please contact the CareER scholarship team at 3844 6363 or email scholarship@career.org.hk.
