Secretary for Education Christine Choi on Saturday said it was necessary to tighten eligibility for subsidised university places for children of non-local talent. Speaking on Commercial Radio, she said the move announced earlier this week by the Education Bureau would ensure fairness for local students and prevent misuse of public funds.

Currently, children with dependant visas or entry permits obtained before the age of 18 are considered local students and qualify for subsidised education. However, from the 2028-29 academic year, these students will need to live in Hong Kong for the two years prior to the start of their courses. If they do not meet this requirement, they will have to pay tuition fees like international students.

“We had gathered extensive feedback and studied policies from other countries and regions," she said.

"We think that this is necessary to make a more appropriate use of public funds and ensure local students are not disadvantaged when applying for university places or subsidies.

"That's why we are making the adjustments,” she said.

Choi pointed out that in the 2024-25 academic year, over 1,000 dependant visa students had applied for subsidised places without having lived in Hong Kong, up from about 200 four years ago.

She also said the transition period gives non-local talent time to arrange for their children to become full-time students in Hong Kong.

Separately James Tang, Secretary General of the University Grants Committee (UGC), said there are high expectations for universities and that they must be held accountable for poor performance.

This follows the signing of new University Accountability Agreements between the UGC and eight publicly funded universities. These agreements state that funding may be adjusted in cases of "serious circumstances," such as major governance issues or violations of Hong Kong laws.

Speaking on the same programme, Tang emphasised that the new terms are meant to improve transparency in university governance and help the public understand what the UGC expects from higher education institutions.