Push to lower uni fees

Several members of parliament have called for an end to higher fees imposed on students from Hong Kong.

In a letter published in The Times, the group of MPs said the British National (Overseas) visa "has been a great success."

However, they added "the higher education rules create an unnecessary impediment to opportunity since BNO visa holders are not eligible for home fees status until they have lived in the United Kingdom for five years."

As such, the letter went on, BNO visa holders face much higher fees than their British counterparts on top of being ineligible for student loans.

Under the current system, students from Hong Kong can pay 22,831 (HK$218,000) more each year than domestic students in university fees.

The letter called on the government to extend the exceptional status afforded to students from Ukraine to Hongkongers.

If the rules are changed, those with BNO visas would pay no more than 9,250 a year for undergraduate courses.

Sunder Katwala, director of integration think tank British Future, said: "We shouldn't be penalizing young people from Hong Kong with high international fees, which will put university out of reach for many. This is their home now and they should be treated as home students."