The Government today announced the revision of the eligibility criteria for government-subsidised post-secondary student places and subsidies.

The revision - which will introduce two categories of tuition fees and revise the eligibility criteria - will apply to the 2027-28 academic year and thereafter.

Under the current admissions arrangements, dependant visa/entry permit holders who were below 18 years old when first issued with the visa/entry permit by the Immigration Department (ImmD) are considered local students.

There has been recent concern that some of these students did not come to reside in Hong Kong but applied for government-subsidised student places at University Grants Committee-funded universities as local students, which affected opportunities for university admission and the targeted use of public funds.

Having regard to overseas practices and the practical situation in Hong Kong, the Education Bureau considers it necessary for dependant children to reside in Hong Kong for two years before becoming eligible for government-subsidised post-secondary student places.

In addition, 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-subsidised post-secondary student places.

The two categories of tuition fees being introduced are subsidised fees and non-subsidised fees respectively.

Persons holding specific documents are eligible for government-subsidised student places in relation to sub-degree, undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes.

These documents include a Hong Kong permanent identity card, other documents issued by the ImmD showing the right to land/right of abode in Hong Kong, and a visa label for unconditional stay; a One-way Permit for entry to Hong Kong; and a dependant visa/entry permit.

Holders of a dependant visa/entry permit who were below 18 years old when first issued with the visa/entry permit by the ImmD, must have resided in Hong Kong for two years immediately preceding the first day of their respective programmes. 

The Government will put in place a transitional arrangement 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.