PolyU tuition fees 2025: non‑local HK$200,000, including postgraduate funding figures

Money at PolyU flows in two opposite directions: what students pay in (tuition fees, acceptance deposits and sundry charges), and what the University and donors pay out (scholarships). Local students pay very little for UGC-funded programmes, while non‑local students — including gaokao self-funded entrants from mainland China — effectively bear the full cost, and fees have been rising year on year since 2025. This article unfolds in four layers: local tuition, non‑local tuition, other expenses, and scholarships. Every figure is dated and sourced.

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# 1. Local tuition: frozen for a quarter of a century, then a three‑year gentle rise from 2025

PolyU local students (and local students at all eight UGC‑funded institutions in Hong Kong) enrol in UGC‑funded programmes whose fees are set by the Government and have long been far below the actual cost of provision.

According to the Government press release (20 June 2024)^※, the Government announced that the fees for UGC‑funded full‑time bachelor’s, taught postgraduate and research postgraduate programmes would rise from the existing HK$42,100 per annum to HK$44,500, HK$47,000 and HK$49,500 in 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 respectively — an average annual increase of about 5.5%.

Why was the fee frozen for so long? As the same press release^※ notes, the fee had been held at that level since the 1997/98 academic year, during which time the Composite Consumer Price Index had risen by about 40%. The release also disclosed that the cost‑recovery ratio for funded undergraduate places was projected to fall to about 12.5% in 2024/25; the aim of this round of adjustments is to bring it back to about 13.4% by 2027/28 (the original policy target was 18%). In other words, tuition covers little more than one‑tenth of the cost of provision; the other nine‑tenths are borne by public money.

PolyU’s undergraduate admissions pages confirm that the local tuition fee is currently HK$47,000 per annum (based on PolyU’s JUPAS tuition page^※, reflecting the 2026/27 rate). New local students must pay an acceptance deposit of HK$5,000 when they accept an offer; it can be offset against the first semester’s tuition and is non‑refundable (same page).

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# 2. Non‑local / international tuition: first increase in seven years, and now climbing

Non‑local students — international students, gaokao self‑funded entrants from mainland China (the gaokao is mainland China’s national university entrance exam), and others — form a striking contrast: they take the same programmes but pay almost the full cost, and their fees have been going up every year since 2025.

PolyU’s current official page lists the non‑local tuition fee as HK$200,000 per annum (2026/27 edition, approx. US$25,641), payable in two instalments before the start of each semester (per the PolyU International & Other Qualifications – Tuition Fees page^※ and the PolyU JUPAS tuition page^※); for the 2025/26 academic year the non‑local tuition fee was HK$175,000 (per the PolyU page on fees for government‑funded programmes for mainland gaokao candidates^※).

Context for the 2025 across‑the‑board rise in non‑local fees at all eight institutions: According to a report in HK01 on 14 January 2025^※, Hong Kong’s eight UGC‑funded universities raised non‑local undergraduate fees simultaneously, with increases ranging from 6.3% to 22.8%; PolyU raised its fee from HK$160,000 to HK$175,000, an increase of about 9.4% (media‑compiled figures). The common official reason given by all institutions was inflation and rising teaching costs.

Mainland-gaokao self‑funded students pay the non‑local rate: According to PolyU’s mainland‑gaokao tuition page^※, mainland gaokao entrants admitted through the independent JEE admissions route who enrol in government‑funded programmes pay HK$200,000 per annum for the 2026/27 academic year. A non‑refundable acceptance deposit of HK$20,000 must be paid first (offset against the first semester). Overseas telegraphic transfers incur an additional HK$240 bank handling charge.

# The gap between local and non‑local fees

Lay the two tables side by side: same programme, same campus, yet a local student in 2026/27 pays HK$47,000 while a non‑local student pays HK$200,000 — roughly 4.3 times as much. That gap is the weight of UGC funding: more than 90% of the cost of a local student’s place is covered by public money; non‑local students must cover the cost themselves.

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# 3. Other costs and estimated expenses

Based on PolyU’s undergraduate fees page^※:

So for a non‑local student: tuition HK$200,000 + hall fees approx. HK$17,305 + meals approx. HK$52,000 + personal expenses approx. HK$18,350 — an on‑paper total of over HK$280,000 a year (excluding off‑campus rent). All amounts are subject to PolyU’s official announcements.

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# 4. The scholarship system

PolyU’s undergraduate scholarships centre on entry scholarships (awarded automatically on the basis of academic results, with no separate application needed), supplemented by faculty‑/department‑specific awards and donor‑named scholarships. Based on the PolyU undergraduate scholarships page^※:

# 4.1 Entry scholarships for local JUPAS students

# 4.2 Scholarships for non‑JUPAS (local) / A‑Level and equivalent

# 4.3 Non‑local / international scholarships

According to the PolyU undergraduate scholarships page^※, most entry scholarships do not require a separate application; eligible students are considered automatically when offers are made. For non‑local students, scholarships are the main way to offset tuition fees of HK$175,000–200,000.

# 4.4 The Emerging Global Leaders Scholarship (EGLS): up to HK$300,000

In addition to the route‑based scholarships above, PolyU’s most prestigious flagship entry scholarship is the Emerging Global Leaders Scholarship (EGLS) — aimed at local students with outstanding HKDSE results. Each recipient can receive up to HK$300,000, covering the full tuition of an undergraduate programme, and is designed to attract and nurture top students with leadership potential. For the highest‑scoring DSE candidates, the EGLS represents not only a waiver of tuition but also an honour and a package of development support — a key card in PolyU’s hand when competing with HKU, CUHK and others for the best candidates.

# 4.5 Faculty‑/school‑specific awards: SHTM, Design and FCE

Several PolyU faculties and schools run their own entry and continuing‑student scholarships, with varying thresholds and amounts:

• School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM): According to the SHTM webpage^※, the School offers entry scholarships to HKDSE entrants admitted via JUPAS who have strong academic performance, as well as a large number of donor‑ and industry‑sponsored named scholarships (e.g. D. H. Chen Foundation Scholarship Program, ISTTE Scholarship, Tourism Education Scholarship – Peter L. Atkins Memorial Fund, among others) in recognition of academic, extra‑curricular and community‑service achievements; exact amounts and selection criteria are published on a per‑award/per‑year basis on the School’s website.
• School of Design: According to the PolyU undergraduate scholarships page^※, PolyU lists entry scholarships for designated schools, including the School of Design (the page shows each school’s awards when “Load More” is expanded; amounts are listed individually).
• Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE): According to the FCE entry scholarships page^※, eligible JUPAS applicants who achieve an aggregate score of 25 or above across the best five subjects will be considered — one of the few faculty‑level scholarships that publishes a specific score threshold.

Information gap: PolyU’s official scholarship pages and the SHTM/School of Design pages list award titles but do not show a specific HK$ amount for each on the public page (they typically say “per award regulations / announced annually”). This article therefore faithfully retains the top‑tier ranges + award names without fabricating exact figures. For mainland‑gaokao entrants, the official page merely states that financial assistance and scholarships are available, and that some departments offer internal scholarships; it does not publish a unified “top‑scorer scholarship” tier (unlike CUHK, which publicises a “full scholarship + allowance” structure). For the independent JEE admissions route, see the section on mainland‑gaokao entrants at PolyU.

# 4.6 Non‑academic achievement can also earn scholarships

According to the Student Affairs Office page on scholarship types^※, PolyU scholarships recognise not only academic results but also non‑academic achievements — outstanding performance in sport, the arts, community service, technological innovation and similar areas is likewise taken into account. This aligns with PolyU’s admissions policy of “priority consideration for applicants with exceptional non‑academic achievements”: PolyU wants both academic high‑flyers and students with distinguished talent and potential in other fields.

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# 5. Gaps

PolyU’s official materials do not disclose per‑award amounts for the SHTM/Design scholarships, nor do they publish a unified “top‑scorer scholarship” tier for mainland‑gaokao entrants — these have been explicitly noted above as “amounts announced per award / per year” and “no unified public tier available”; figures have not been fabricated. For MPhil/PhD tuition and funding details, see section 14.

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# 6. Research postgraduate studentships (MPhil / PhD): a quick overview

PolyU research postgraduate (RPg) students operate under a separate funding system, consisting mainly of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), PolyU Research Scholarships and allowances from supervisors’ research grants — see section 14 for a full breakdown (amounts, competitiveness, application timeline).

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# 7. Government financial assistance and loan schemes

The Hong Kong Government provides several forms of financial assistance for undergraduate students:

# 7.1 Student Finance Assistance Agency (SFAA)

The Student Finance Assistance Agency (SFAA) administers several schemes:

PolyU local students can access support through SFAA to help cover tuition and living costs.

# 7.2 Financial assistance for non‑local students

Non‑local students are generally ineligible for SFAA support and must rely on:

• PolyU entry scholarships (such as the Cultural Ambassador Scholarships);
• Scholarships from their home government or home‑country bodies (e.g. China Scholarship Council, provincial‑/municipal‑level awards);
• Departmental awards.

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# 9. The scholarship ecosystem at a glance

PolyU’s scholarship provision can be summarised in three tiers:

# Representative named scholarships

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# 10. Items unconfirmed or pending verification

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# 11. Tuition payment schedule and procedures

# 11.1 Due dates and procedures per semester

According to the PolyU undergraduate fees page^※, tuition is payable per semester. The standard process is as follows:

Specific deadlines are announced each year by the Student Affairs Office; always follow the University’s official notices. Late payment may incur an administrative late‑payment charge, as set out in the University’s financial regulations.

# 11.2 Payment methods

According to official PolyU sources, tuition can be paid in the following ways:

• Online bank transfer (most common): transfer to the PolyU bank account, quoting the student number as reference;
• ATM payment: some banks’ ATMs support transfer payments;
• Cheque: crossed cheque payable to “The Hong Kong Polytechnic University”, sent by registered mail to the Finance Office;
• Overseas telegraphic transfer (non‑local students): an additional bank handling charge applies (according to the mainland‑gaokao tuition page^※, mainland students must pay an extra HK$240 handling fee for telegraphic transfers).

# 11.3 Refund policy

If a student withdraws or drops courses before specified deadlines, PolyU generally refunds a portion of the tuition as follows:

• Withdrawal before the semester begins: most of the current‑semester tuition is refundable (acceptance deposit is normally not refundable);
• Withdrawal after the semester has begun: the refundable proportion diminishes based on the week of withdrawal; after a certain number of weeks (typically the mid‑point of the semester) no refund is payable;
• Detailed refund policies are set out in the PolyU Student Handbook and the Finance Office’s annual announcements.

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# 12. Scholarship application process and timeline

# 12.1 The automatic assessment mechanism for entry scholarships

A key feature of PolyU entry scholarships is that no separate application is needed — PolyU automatically assesses all new students at the admissions stage:

According to the PolyU undergraduate scholarships page^※, entry‑scholarship assessment criteria cover:

• Local JUPAS students: HKDSE results (especially the number of “5**” grades);
• Non‑JUPAS local students: equivalent results such as A‑Levels;
• Mainland‑gaokao entrants: total gaokao score and the admissions standard of their home province;
• Non‑local / international students: academic results and non‑academic performance (extra‑curricular activities, community service, etc.).

# 12.2 In‑course scholarships that require an application

Some scholarships require an active application (typically open at the start of each academic year):

# 12.3 Scholarship information for mainland‑gaokao entrants

According to the PolyU mainland‑gaokao tuition page^※, PolyU has scholarships for mainland students admitted through the gaokao JEE admissions route, but the official page does not disclose a unified scholarship‑amount tier (in contrast to some institutions that publicise a “top‑scorer scholarship + allowance” package); for the specific scholarship arrangements, students should enquire with the PolyU Admissions Office after receiving an offer, or refer to the current year’s admissions brochure.

Media reports indicate that some top mainland students joining a UGC‑funded institution can receive a full tuition waiver (covering HK$175,000–200,000), but the conditions and amounts are subject to the official announcement for each academic year.

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# 13. Cross‑institution comparison of Hong Kong eight‑institution tuition fees (2026/27)

# 13.1 Local tuition fees (UGC‑funded programmes, uniform standard)

The local undergraduate tuition fee at every UGC‑funded institution is set by the Government; for 2026/27 it is HK$47,000 across the board. Local fees are identical at all eight institutions; differences lie in acceptance deposits, hall fees and other supplementary charges:

Data from the Government press release (20 June 2024)^※; the three‑year adjustment plan applies to all eight institutions, and local tuition is identical at all of them. Each institution’s acceptance deposit and hall/supplementary fees should be verified from its own official announcements.

# 13.2 Non‑local tuition fees (set by each institution; for reference only)

Non‑local tuition is decided by each institution independently; there is considerable variation in 2026/27:

Important note: Non‑local tuition figures are set by each institution and adjusted annually; all entries in the table other than PolyU’s are indicative only, and readers must consult the relevant institution’s official announcement for the applicable year. As reported by HK01 (14 January 2025)^※, all eight institutions raised non‑local fees in 2025, by varying margins.

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# 14. Research postgraduate (RPg) funding in detail

# 14.1 MPhil/PhD tuition and funding overview

The tuition structure for PolyU research postgraduate (RPg) students is quite different from that for undergraduates:

For exact RPg tuition rates, refer to the PolyU Graduate School fees page^※, which is outside the scope of this article.

# 14.2 Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) details

The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), administered by the Research Grants Council (RGC)^※, is the most competitive PhD award in Hong Kong:

According to the RGC HKPFS website^※, HKPFS awardees must enrol in a full‑time PhD programme in Hong Kong; PolyU has a number of awardees each year, with the exact figure published in the University’s annual report.

# 14.3 PolyU Research Scholarship (PolyU Scholarship for RPg)

Beyond the HKPFS, PolyU offers its own Research Scholarship (PolyU Scholarship) to admitted RPg students, which generally includes:

• Full tuition coverage;
• Monthly living allowance (exact amount announced per academic year, normally referenced to or slightly below the HKPFS rate);
• Some supplementary research funding (covered by supervisors’ research grants).

According to the PolyU Graduate School website^※, the PolyU Research Scholarship aims to ensure that the majority of full‑time RPg students receive basic financial support for the duration of their studies, reducing the risk of a student having to interrupt their research because of financial pressure.

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# 15. Financial support pathways for non‑local students

# 15.1 Funding sources accessible to non‑local undergraduates

Non‑local undergraduates are generally ineligible for Hong Kong Government student assistance (SFAA support is for local students only) and must rely mainly on:

# 15.2 Estimated financial pressure for international students

Taking a non‑local student in the 2026/27 academic year as an example, the total annual cost estimate is:

If awarded a top‑tier Cultural Ambassador Scholarship (HK$60,000 per year), the net out‑of‑pocket cost falls to about HK$227,655. With a full‑tuition scholarship covering the HK$200,000, the living‑cost portion is about HK$87,655, greatly reducing financial strain.

These estimates are based on the PolyU undergraduate fees page^※; actual figures will vary depending on lifestyle, whether the student lives in a hall, and other factors.

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# 16. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How much does a local Hong Kong student really pay to attend PolyU? Where does the government subsidy go?

In the 2026/27 academic year the local annual tuition is HK$47,000 (see section 1). The student‑paid portion covers only about 13% of the cost of provision; the remaining roughly 87% is borne by public money. The Government subsidy is paid directly to the University — the student does not “see” that money — and it is this public funding that allows local students to receive a university education at a fee far below market cost.

Q2: Is there a difference in fees between mainland‑gaokao self‑funded (JEE) students and other international students?

According to the mainland‑gaokao tuition page^※, mainland‑gaokao self‑funded students (JEE) enrolled in government‑funded programmes pay the same HK$200,000 annual tuition in 2026/27 as other non‑local international students. The main differences between the two groups lie in the admissions route (JEE applicants use their gaokao scores, while international applicants use other qualifications), the acceptance deposit (both are HK$20,000), and the types of scholarship available (JEE students may be eligible for CSC scholarships and provincial‑/municipal‑government awards; other international students have alternative sources).

Q3: Can entry scholarships be renewed, and what are the renewal conditions?

According to the PolyU undergraduate scholarships page^※, some entry scholarships — such as the non‑JUPAS-local “full‑tuition scholarship + HK$60,000 annual living allowance” and the non‑local “Cultural Ambassador Scholarship of up to HK$60,000 per year” — are labelled “renewable”. The general condition is that the student maintain a specified GPA while pursuing the programme within the normal period of study (the exact GPA threshold is set out in the terms of each award). If the GPA falls below the threshold, the scholarship may be suspended or cancelled; reinstatement conditions are likewise governed by the individual award terms.

Q4: How difficult is it to get the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)? Does PolyU have a good success rate?

According to the RGC HKPFS website^※, only about 300 awards are available territory‑wide each year, open to applicants from all over the world; the success rate is very low (usually below 3–5%). PolyU has HKPFS awardees every year, but the exact number varies from year to year. For applicants with a strong research background, top undergraduate results and demonstrable research output, PolyU’s pool of supervisors in its areas of strength — engineering, design, applied science — can offer favourable support. Applicants must complete the PolyU RPg admission application in parallel; the two processes run concurrently.

Q5: Could tuition still go up? Will there be further increases after 2027/28?

The current round of adjustments covers the three academic years from 2025/26 to 2027/28 (eventually reaching HK$49,500), aiming to raise the cost‑recovery ratio from about 12.5% to about 13.4% (the original policy target was 18%). Whether there will be further adjustments after 2027/28 will depend on a new Government evaluation and announcement at that time. Given the still‑very‑large gap between real provision cost and tuition, the possibility of further gradual increases cannot be ruled out, but any concrete decision will be subject to the Government’s announcement at the relevant time.

Q6: Can non‑local scholarships cover the full tuition? What is the maximum PolyU can award?

Based on the PolyU undergraduate scholarships page^※, the university‑level scholarship for non‑local students (such as the Cultural Ambassador Scholarship) is capped at about HK$60,000 per year, which covers only about 30% of the HK$200,000 tuition. PolyU does not advertise a unified “full‑tuition scholarship” tier for non‑local students. However, some faculty‑/department‑level and donor‑named scholarships can be stacked. According to media reports, the very top mainland‑gaokao entrants (such as provincial champions) have the opportunity to receive a scholarship arrangement covering the full tuition, but this must be confirmed against PolyU’s admissions announcements and individual notifications for the year in question; no unified “top‑scorer scholarship” amount is published on PolyU’s official pages.

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