Eric Chan and lawmakers defend ‘modest’ university fee adjustments

Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and lawmakers have defended the 5.5 percent increase in university fees for three consecutive years, saying the adjustment is modest, necessary and reasonable. 

This came after the government announced on Thursday that the fees for UGC-funded full-time undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research postgraduate programs will be increased to HK$44,500 in 2025-26, HK$47,000 in 2026-27 and HK$49,500 in 2027-28. 

Chan said the government has been providing grants and low-interest loans to students and they can apply to postpone the settlement of their debts. He added that the government doesn’t wish to see students deprived of an education because of the fee adjustments. 

“Our goal [to achieve the cost recovery rate for the tuition fees at 18 percent] is not related to the city’s financial deficit,” Chan said. 

“Yet, we haven’t adjusted the fee levels for more than 20 years and we think it is necessary to adjust the fees in a modest way.” Chan also said the goal has always been to subsidize 82 percent of the tuition fees and the 18 percent cost recovery rate has not been met. 

“The plan is to increase the fees for three consecutive years and that’s it. So far we don’t have plans to further increase the fees three years later.” 

Speaking on an RTKH program this morning, lawmaker and Lingnan University Associate Vice-President Lau Chi-pang said authorities should establish a mechanism to regularly review the tuition fees in the future. 

Lau also said spreading the increase across a four-year education, the fee would increase by HK$200 to HK$300 per month and the outstanding amount could be canceled out by extra two to three hours at students’ part-time jobs. 

He also suggested charging different levels of tuition fee depending on the particular subject students are taking, calculated at the costs of the course offered by the university. 

Lawmaker Rock Chan Chung-nin of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) also said the adjustments are mild and reasonable and most parents and students can afford it. 

Rock Chan stressed that the government is not increasing the fees in one go but for three consecutive years in order to alleviate families’ financial burdens. He said the government has factored in the social environment and families’ affordability. 

He also believes the Education Bureau will increase the amount of grants and loans accordingly to ensure students can continue their higher education. 

Also read: Govt to increase UGC-funded university fees by 5.5pc for three consecutive years