Policy Objectives

The Government's policy objectives are to:

• provide multiple and flexible articulation pathways for our young people to pursue post-secondary education (Currently nearly 80% of the relevant age cohort have access to post-secondary education, including about 50% who have access to degree education);
• further develop Hong Kong as a regional education hub;
• support the development of the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee through the provision of publicly-funded study places at various levels (including 15 000 first-year first-degree places and 5 000 senior year undergraduate intake places per annum from the 2018/19 academic year and onward), as well as the provision of research grants and capital grants;
• support the development of the self-financing post-secondary sector and promote the diversification of post-secondary education through various support schemes such as the Land Grant Scheme and Start-up Loan Scheme;
• ensure that no qualified students are denied access to higher and post-secondary education due to a lack of financial means;
• make available to working adults further opportunities for higher education through the Hong Kong Metropolitan University;
• assure the quality of post-secondary education and ensure its relevance to the needs and development of the community; and
• ensure that courses leading to non-local higher academic and professional qualifications are conducted by recognised institutions and professional bodies and have attained comparable standards and recognition as similar courses in the home countries concerned.