This is a program to support professionally-trained elite athletes to receive continuing education and self-enhancement after retirement. After approval, eligible elite athletes will be granted tuition fee subsidy as well as living allowance during the training period.

1. Eligibility:

1.1            Retired Elite Level 1 and Elite Level 2 professionally-trained athletes who have represented Macao in competition events and were once eligible to join the ‘Training Subsidy Program for Elite Athletes’;

1.2            The athlete had received professional training for four consecutive years before retirement.

2. Courses Eligible for Subsidy Application:

2.1            Degree programs recognized by the Tertiary Education Services Office (GAES) and offered by various Macao higher education institutions;

2.2            Certificate or diploma programs offered by continuing education centers or educational institutions that have been registered with the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ);

2.3            Post-secondary or university programs in Mainland China or overseas recognized by the local governments.

3. Amount of Subsidy and Appropriation:

3.1            Tuition Fee Subsidy: a maximum amount of MOP 100,000 will be granted on reimbursement basis for the actual payment made per year;

3.2            Living Allowance:

                 3.2.1     Retired athletes who are applying for full-time long-term educational programs are eligible to apply for living allowance. The Macao Sport Development Board will grant subsidies to the retired athletes based on analysis of the program duration stipulated by the educational institutions;

                 3.2.2     The amount of allowance will be calculated based on the full amount (100%) of the subsidy granted to the athlete for the highest rank he or she has obtained when representing the Macao Special Administrative Region to participate in competition events during the professional training period of the “Training Subsidy Program for Elite Athletes”;

3.3            Subsidy is appropriated to the relevant sports associations once a year, which will then be transferred to the subsidized athletes.

4. Conditions and Responsibilities:

4.1            Each eligible athlete can freely enroll in any educational programs that are eligible for subsidy application;

4.2            Each eligible athlete can only receive subsidy once and enroll in one program;

4.3            Each eligible athlete has to submit the application two months before the program commences. Otherwise, the approved subsidy will be granted on a prorata basis;

4.4            The subsidized athlete shall provide academic documents to the Macao Sport Development Board every year;

4.5            The subsidized athlete shall provide the original copies of the tuition fee receipts to the Macao Sport Development Board every year;

4.6            When applying for other scholarships or loans, the subsidized athlete is liable for reporting the condition of being granted subsidy from the Macao Sport Development Board to the relevant departments;

4.7            Concerning the approval of living allowance, the Macao Sport Development Board will not consider the conditions in which the retired athlete is granted with other subsidies (such as  scholarships or grants provided by the government or educational institutions).

5. Subsidy Denial and Subsidy Termination:

5.1            Any deemed repeated programs will not be subsidized;

5.2            If the subsidized athlete fails to complete or gives up the enrolled program, he or she must notify the Macao Sport Development Board in writing within two months of dropping out. It is not necessary to pay back the granted tuition fee subsidy and living allowance will be granted until the following month of the dropping out date. The remaining amount of the granted living allowance has to be returned to the Macao Sport Development Board.

6. Remarks:

6.1            Eligible retired athletes who are interested in joining this program have to submit the application via the relevant sports associations within two years of retirement;

6.2            Subsidized retired athletes, who fail to complete their studies due to injury or illness (a medical certificate issued by the Sports Medical Center of the Macao Sport Development Board must be submitted), or have to defer graduation due to other special circumstances, can have their tuition fee subsidy extended after their application to the Macao Sport Development Board has been approved. However, the maximum period is one year;

6.3            Subject to the aforementioned point 6.2, living allowance for the retired athletes can also be extended for a maximum period of one year;

6.4            Since admission dates are different in different colleges and regions, the Macao Sport Development Board accepts the relevant application at any time within two years of the athletes’ retirement;

6.5            The Macao Sport Development Board reserves all rights to approve and interpret the above program.