New two-year residency requirement for govt-funded tertiary education access

The government on Thursday announced the revisions to the eligibility criteria for government-funded tertiary institution places and subsidies, requiring applicants to have resided in the city for a minimum of two years.

The revision came after rising concerns that some students who are dependent visa/entry permit holders did not come to reside in the city but applied for government-subsidised student places at UGC-funded universities as local students, which affected opportunities for university admission and the targeted use of public funds.

Thus, the government decided to require dependent children to reside in Hong Kong for two years before becoming eligible for government-subsidised post-secondary student places. 

The revision will apply starting from 2027/28 academic year, which the government said will allow the affected persons reasonable time to make their own plans and the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) Office and the admissions offices of various institutions (including the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the Vocational Training Council) sufficient time to make corresponding administrative arrangements.

A transitional arrangement will be in place for the revision, whereby the residency requirement for the 2027/28 academic year will be set at one year. The two-year residency requirement will be implemented starting from the 2028/29 academic year.

Holders of a full-time employment visa/work permit or a visa/entry permit for various admission schemes will no longer be eligible for government-subsidized post-secondary student places.

Regarding other government-subsidized post-secondary places, including those about sub-degree, senior year undergraduate and taught postgraduate programs of UGC-funded universities, the relevant institutions are required to process the applications in an approach similar to the revised measures.

(Phoebe Poon)