HKU Postgraduate Scholarships and Undergraduate Tuition at a Glance (HKPFS / Presidential Scholarship)

Tuition and scholarship information for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at The University of Hong Kong (HKU, hereafter "the University"), including PhD funding. Fee figures date quickly, and are quoted on several different bases — local / non-local, STEM / non-STEM, academic-year version. Always cite the academic year and student category alongside any figure, and defer to the University's official Schedule of Fees. Information compiled: June 2026.

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# 1. Undergraduate Tuition (Composition Fee)

The University's official documents refer to undergraduate tuition as the "Composition Fee", and it is set on two axes: local students (government-funded / UGC-funded) versus non-local students; non-local students are further split into STEM / non-STEM faculties (with a STEM surcharge applied to the STEM band).

# 1.1 2025–26 Academic Year (per the official Calendar Schedule of Fees)

According to the HKU Calendar Schedule of Fees^※, full-time undergraduate tuition for the 2025–26 academic year is:

# 1.2 2026–27 Academic Year (per the Admissions Office fees page)

According to the HKU Admissions Office fees page^※, tuition for the 2026–27 intake has been raised:

⚠ Local tuition rises after years of freeze: the local composition fee had long sat in the HK$42,100–44,500 range; according to the official sources cited above, it now stands at 44,500 for 2025–26, rising to 47,000 for 2026–27 and 49,500 for 2027–28 (the latter figure appears in the official enumeration under §3 on HKPFS fee waiver). Non-local tuition, meanwhile, has been raised substantially year on year, with a STEM / non-STEM split. When citing "HKU tuition of HK$X", always specify the academic year + student category + whether STEM.

# 1.3 Why tuition is rising after a freeze of nearly two decades

The local composition fee remaining frozen at HK$42,100 for so long was no accident. According to a South China Morning Post report^※, government-funded undergraduate tuition in Hong Kong had not been adjusted for nearly 20 years, until this round of increases decided to raise it gradually over three years: 2025–26 from 42,100 to 44,500 (up 2,400), 2026–27 to 47,000 (up 2,500), and 2027–28 to 49,500 (up 2,500) — a cumulative rise of 17.6% over the three years. The official line is: "We have not adjusted tuition fees for nearly 20 years, so we consider it necessary to carry out a very moderate adjustment," adding that the move is unrelated to the government's fiscal deficit. The report also quotes UGC-funded universities, noting that all five (sic) institutions have said they will offer financial support to students in need (corresponding to the TSFS / NLSFT schemes and institutional bursaries covered in §5, "Student Financial Assistance", below). This rhythm — a long freeze followed by a gentle catch-up — also explains why the local and non-local tuition curves have diverged so markedly in recent years: non-local fees had already been rising year on year throughout the period, whereas local fees are only now seeing their first "catch-up" increase.

# 1.4 Programme-specific variations

Undergraduate tuition broadly follows the "local / non-local × STEM / non-STEM" two-axis pricing above; professional programmes such as Medicine (MBBS) and Dentistry (BDS) charge their non-local tuition at the STEM-band rate (the media has reported higher non-local fees for certain professional programmes, but precise programme-by-programme rates are set by the relevant year's HKU Schedule of Fees; this archive will not assert a specific fee for any programme on the strength of a single secondary figure).

# 1.5 Estimated living costs (not tuition)

According to the HKU Admissions Office fees and living expenses page^※, estimated non-tuition annual living costs (for reference by non-local students) are roughly: on-campus accommodation HK$17,290–37,940^※, off-campus accommodation approximately HK$30,000–50,000, and general living expenses up to HK$50,000; these are indicative ranges, not fixed charges.

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# 2. Postgraduate Tuition

According to the HKU Calendar Schedule of Fees^※ and the HKU Graduate School fees page^※, the composition fee for research postgraduate programmes (PhD / MPhil) is the same for local and non-local students, and follows the same UGC tuition schedule as local undergraduates (see §1):

According to the Graduate School page, the full-time rate will rise further to HK$49,500 / year for the 2027–28 academic year, in lockstep with the undergraduate local fee schedule (see §1.3). Taught master's programmes are priced individually by programme; fees vary widely from course to course and are set out on each faculty / programme page — they are not listed in the table above.

# Taught master's fees: indicative magnitudes (selected examples, not exhaustive)

"Priced individually by programme, with wide variation" is not an empty phrase — two master's streams in the same engineering department can differ by tens of thousands of dollars, while flagship business-school programmes can run to several hundred thousand. The three examples below are all taken from official programme pages and are given purely as order-of-magnitude references; they must not be extrapolated to other programmes:

According to the Business School's MBA admissions page, the full-time MBA also offers merit-based entrance scholarships ranging from HK$150,000 to HK$350,000; some taught master's programmes in the Faculties of Science and Engineering additionally offer a "continuing education fund" that can offset part of the tuition (the amount depending on the fund's published terms for the year in question). Fees and scholarship criteria can differ between programmes in the same faculty, and even between streams of the same programme — always verify the current year's official figures for the specific programme, and never extrapolate from undergraduate or PhD fees.

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# 3. PhD Funding: HKPFS and the Presidential PhD Scholarship

# 3.1 The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) is administered by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC, under the University Grants Committee, UGC) and targets top PhD applicants worldwide. According to the UGC/RGC HKPFS official page^※, both the number of places and the stipend have been increased over the last two cohorts:

RGC's official figures are usually quoted on an annual basis: per the UGC page, the annual allowance for 2026/27 is approximately HK$344,400 (344,400 ÷ 12 ≈ 28,700, consistent with the monthly figure). The 400 places territory-wide are distributed across the eight UGC-funded universities — this is not an HKU-only quota. How many each institution receives in a given cohort is announced by that institution's graduate school for the year in question; this archive has not obtained an official per-university breakdown and will not speculate. ⚠ Some text on the HKU Graduate School page still carries the older wording of "approximately 300 places / HK$28,400 per month", lagging behind the latest UGC announcement; defer to the latest figures on the UGC/RGC official page.

Applicants who receive HKPFS and name HKU as their institution are simultaneously considered for the HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship top-up described below; the two combined are the core funding package for PhD study at HKU. For what PhD graduates go on to do, see Graduate Outcomes.

# 3.2 The HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship — the University's top-up

According to the HKU Graduate School page^※, the University awards an additional HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship to every HKPFS holder studying at HKU, layered on top of the HKPFS package:

• Cash award: HK$40,000 in Year 1, then HK$20,000 per year thereafter^※ (within the normal study period);
• Full fee waiver: the composition fee is waived for the normal study period — the University's official list of annual rates is 2025/26 HK$44,500, 2026/27 HK$47,000, 2027/28 HK$49,500^※;
• Accommodation: a hall place is guaranteed for Year 1 (with the possibility of renewal).

Timeline for the 2026/27 cohort: according to the Graduate School page, both the RGC preliminary application and the HKU formal application must be submitted by 12:00 noon (Hong Kong time) on 1 December 2025. Exact dates shift slightly each cohort — check the official website.

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# 4. Entrance Scholarships (Undergraduate)

The University offers several categories of entrance scholarships to new undergraduate students. According to the HKU Admissions Office scholarships page^※ and faculty pages:

• HKU Entrance Scholarships for HKDSE Students (local DSE high achievers): per HKU admissions materials, awarded to local entrants who achieve outstanding results in the HKDSE, such as 5** or above in five or more subjects; no separate application required — award is automatic on results (as relayed from the HKU Admissions Office page).
• Non-local / international entrance scholarships: per HKU admissions materials, top non-local entrants may receive entrance scholarships covering up to full tuition, accommodation and a living allowance; the exact amount is assessed on academic results and overall performance.
• HKU Foundation Scholarships for Outstanding Students: established by the Hong Kong University Foundation, open to both local and non-local students admitted to undergraduate programmes at HKU with outstanding academic results, and awarded on academic merit (per HKU Foundation / admissions materials).
• Programme-specific entrance scholarships: for example, the Business School (Faculty of Business and Economics) offers a one-off entrance scholarship to high-achieving local students admitted via JUPAS. According to Business School admissions materials^※, top JUPAS entrants in the 2025 intake could receive up to HK$250,000 (one-off); programmes in Actuarial Science, Artificial Intelligence / Computing and similar fields also offer entrance scholarships to high performers in the relevant public examinations.
• Mainland China entrance scholarships: per mainland admissions materials, the highest entrance scholarship can cover tuition and living expenses for the full duration of the student's studies at HKU (as relayed from HKU's mainland admissions materials; specific quotas and amounts are set by the prospectus for the year in question).

⚠ A note on sourcing: the HKU Admissions Office scholarships page is a dynamic search tool (filterable by student category / level of study / faculty — the page reports "42 potentially eligible scholarships"); individual amounts and eligibility must be looked up item by item within that tool. The list above covers representative entries traceable to faculty pages and admissions materials; specific amounts, coverage and quotas are subject to the official HKU scholarship pages current for the year in question. We do not give credence to the popular claim that "everyone gets an award / full funding is guaranteed".

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# 5. Student Financial Assistance

Government financial assistance for local students is not unique to HKU; it is a government mechanism administered centrally by the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA), open to students at all eight UGC-funded universities. HKU students are eligible on the same terms. The schemes are set out individually below.

# 5.1 Tertiary Student Finance Scheme (TSFS) — means-tested

According to the official WFSFAA TSFS page^※, TSFS is the principal means-tested source of support for local full-time students on UGC-funded programmes. Assistance is awarded as a percentage (0%–100%) determined by "Adjusted Family Income"; the caps for the 2026/27 academic year are:

The grant portion carries no repayment obligation; the loan portion must be repaid with principal and interest on schedule after graduation. Actual amounts awarded are scaled down according to family income and assets — not everyone receives the full entitlement.

# 5.2 Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students (NLSFT)

According to the WFSFAA NLSFT page^※, NLSFT is aimed at students who do not wish to rely on family support, or who did not receive sufficient assistance under the TSFS means test. It involves no means test, but the loan accrues interest at a market rate (interest is calculated on the outstanding balance and begins accruing while the student is still an undergraduate). It can be applied for in parallel with TSFS; the combined lifetime loan limit of the two schemes is HK$413,600. NLSFT can also be used to pay tuition fees, and complements rather than excludes the TSFS grant.

# 5.3 Institutional bursaries at HKU: the example of the "HKU Foundation Scholarship"

Beyond government support, the University runs its own bursaries for continuing students facing financial difficulty. According to the HKU scholarships and bursaries search system^※, the "HKU Foundation Scholarship" (not to be confused with the "HKU Foundation Scholarships for Outstanding Students" in the entrance-scholarship section above — the names are similar but the intended recipients differ: the former is for current undergraduates and is applied for on an annual basis, while the latter is a new-entrant entrance scholarship) is worth approximately HK$10,000, and is assessed on a combination of academic performance, verified financial need, and participation in extracurricular activities. Applications open in the first semester of each academic year (e.g. late August to late September for 2025–26). HKU also maintains emergency financial assistance and other short-term mechanisms for students in temporary difficulty; specific eligibility is set out on the current pages of CEDARS (the Centre of Development and Resources for Students) and the scholarship search system for the year in question.

A reminder on application channels: TSFS / NLSFT applications go through the government's WFSFAA e-platform; internal HKU bursaries and scholarships are searched and applied for via the HKU scholarships and bursaries search system (scholar.aas.hku.hk)^※. The two systems are independent of each other and must be submitted separately. Applicants holding Non-JUPAS / international qualifications, or holding non-local status, have different eligibility and routes for financial aid — see Doors Beyond JUPAS.

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# FAQs

Q: How much is undergraduate tuition at HKU per year? A: Per the HKU Calendar Schedule of Fees, the annual tuition for local students in the 2025–26 academic year is HK$44,500; for non-local students entering non-STEM faculties, HK$198,000; and for non-local students entering STEM faculties (including the STEM surcharge), HK$218,000. Per the HKU Admissions Office fees page, tuition for the 2026–27 intake has risen to HK$47,000 for local students, HK$224,000 for non-local students in non-STEM faculties, and HK$249,000 for STEM. Always quote the academic year and student category alongside any figure.

Q: How is postgraduate tuition at HKU calculated? A: It depends on the category — and varies widely. For full-time research postgraduates (PhD / MPhil), tuition is the same for local and non-local students: HK$44,500 / year for 2025–26, and HK$47,000 / year for the current 2026–27 academic year (part-time remains unchanged at HK$63,000 / year). However, taught master's programmes are priced individually, with wide variation from programme to programme; they are not itemised in the table above and must be looked up on the relevant faculty / programme page for the current year.

Q: Is all HKU master's tuition the same? A: No. In the University's official fee schedule, the only category where local and non-local pay the same is research postgraduates (PhD / MPhil — HK$47,000 / year for the current 2026–27 academic year; HK$44,500 for 2025–26). Taught master's programmes, by contrast, are priced individually by programme: fees can differ markedly between faculties and disciplines. You must consult the official tuition page for the specific programme in question; do not extrapolate from undergraduate or PhD figures.

Q: What funding can HKU PhD students apply for? A: Primarily the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) topped up by the HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship. Per the latest UGC announcement, the territory-wide number of HKPFS places for 2026/27 has been expanded from 300 to 400, with the monthly stipend raised to HK$28,700, plus an annual conference and research travel allowance of HK$14,400, for up to three years of support. Every HKPFS holder studying at HKU additionally receives the Presidential PhD Scholarship top-up: a cash award of HK$40,000 in Year 1 (then HK$20,000 per year), a full fee waiver for the normal study period, and a guaranteed hall place in Year 1.

Q: Why has local undergraduate tuition at HKU suddenly gone up? Wasn't it unchanged before? A: Correct — local tuition had held at HK$42,100 for many years. According to the South China Morning Post, the government's current round of increases is a gentle catch-up over three years: rising to HK$44,500 in 2025–26, HK$47,000 in 2026–27 and HK$49,500 in 2027–28, a cumulative rise of 17.6%. The official line is that "fees had not been adjusted for nearly 20 years, so a moderate adjustment was considered necessary", with the added assurance that the move is unrelated to the government's fiscal deficit.

Q: Besides tuition itself, what financial assistance can local HKU students apply for? A: Principally two government channels plus institutional support: the means-tested Tertiary Student Finance Scheme (TSFS — comprising a tuition grant, a maintenance loan and a hall allowance), and the non-means-tested loan scheme (NLSFT — which charges interest and shares a combined lifetime loan ceiling of HK$413,600 with the TSFS loan); in addition, HKU runs its own bursaries for continuing students, such as the "HKU Foundation Scholarship", along with emergency financial assistance. The two government schemes are applied for through the WFSFAA e-platform, while HKU institutional bursaries are applied for through scholar.aas.hku.hk — the two systems are separate and each requires its own application.

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