A study subsidy scheme of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will subsidize total 4,781 places in 57 undergraduate programs having manpower demand during the 2026-27 academic year, according to the Education Bureau.
The scheme will cover 3,425 places in 57 first-year-first-degree programs and 1,356 places in 45 top-up degree programs of eight post-secondary institutions, the EDB said in a statement on Tuesday.
The subsidized programs covered by the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors fall under 10 disciplines identified as having keen manpower demand. Those are: architecture and engineering, computer science, creative industries, financial technology, healthcare, insurance, logistics, sports and recreation, testing and certification, as well as tourism and hospitality.
The programs include 16 applied degree programs, which will receive additional subsidies, with a view to further strengthening the vocational and professional education and training progression pathway at the post-secondary level.
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The annual subsidy amounts for the 2026-27 academic year will remain at HK$81,450 for laboratory-based programs and HK$46,780 for non-laboratory-based programs, according to the EDB.
For applied degree programs, including the additional annual subsidies, the total annual subsidy amounts will also be unchanged, at HK$89,620 for laboratory-based programs and HK$51,880 for non-laboratory-based programs.
Both new and continuing students will be eligible for the subsidy, which is tenable for the normal duration of the programs concerned.
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Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable, the EDB added.
Launched as a new initiative under the 2014 Policy Address, the scheme aims to increase the supply of subsidized undergraduate places with a view to nurture talent in support of specific industries with keen demand for human resources.
