Govt to consider adjusting the tuition fee for subsidized bachelor degrees: Christine Choi

Education minister Christine Choi Yuk-lin said the government will review if it is now time to adjust the annual tuition fee of HK$42,100 for subsidized bachelor degrees, after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po hinted that public services may be pricier under the “user pays” principle. 

Speaking to the media on Friday, Choi admitted that the subsidized university fee has not been adjusted for a long time, and said the Education Bureau will review all the fees charged under the “user pays” principle. 

Still, Choi said the government has to shoulder social responsibilities while nurturing talent for the future of the city, and take into account objective standards, like the appropriate timing and the affordability of different social classes. 

The bureau will inform the University Grants Committee of relevant principles on the adjustment of university tuition fees, she added. 

As for the goal of developing universities of applied sciences outlined in last October’s policy address, permanent secretary for education Michelle Li Mei-sheung said the bureau will release a road map this month and list out all the requirements for granting the upgrade. 

Li also said that authorities will commence the start-up fund to form the Alliance of Universities in Applied Sciences in February’s Budget to subsidize schools to develop subjects of applied sciences. 

When asked about the resignation of Chinese University president Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, Choi believes the university will soon establish a selection committee to commence global recruitment independently. 

Former vice-president Henry Wong Nai-ching earlier blasted that “some people played politics” and said that “no smart people are willing to become a [university] president in Hong Kong” after seeing how Tuan was treated with such a negative attitude. 

In response, Choi said people enjoy freedom of speech and can have their own interpretations on the matter. She also believes that Hong Kong remains attractive to overseas scholars.