Raising uni fees for nonlocals 'may hurt' Hong Kong competitiveness

Charlotte Lam

How Hong Kong can maintain its competitiveness should be considered when adjusting tuition fees for international university students, says Undersecretary for Education Jeff Sze Chun-fai.

At a Legislative Council subcommittee meeting on population policy yesterday, Sze responded to lawmakers who inquired about potential adjustments to nonlocal students' tuition fees amid an expected budget deficit of nearly HK$100 billion.

He said the current tuition fees for nonlocal students are similar to those in Japan and Singapore and excessively high fees may drive students to pursue studies elsewhere.

Currently, tuition fees for local students in University Grants Committee-funded undergraduate programs are HK$42,100 per academic year, while tuition fees for nonlocal students range between HK$120,000 and HK$162,000 annually.

Lawmaker Chan Siu-hung questioned whether the government's high budget for education was used efficiently and whether only enhancing talent-hunting policies can build Hong Kong into an international higher education hub.

Chan suggested that the administration start cultivating students' international perspective during primary and secondary schools. He said authorities should not just make comparisons with mainland cities but also those from Europe, Southeast Asia and Belt and Road countries.

Sze said the government's policies are now focused on post-secondary education, citing that the admission cap for nonlocal students in eight UGC-funded universities has been raised to 40 percent since the current 2024-25 academic year.

The increase in nonlocal quotas will not affect the admission of locals since non-locals enroll through avenues outside the Joint University Programmes Admissions System.

For primary and secondary education, Sze said the existing curriculum already includes elements of internationalization and argued it would be difficult for primary and secondary schools to take students to distant places for cultural exchanges.