Hong Kong approves average fee hikes of up to 4.75 per cent for non-public schools

The Education Bureau in Hong Kong has granted private, semi-private, and international schools the authority to increase tuition fees by an average of 4.75 percent, 4.07 percent, and 4 percent, respectively, for the 2026-27 academic year. As of August 31, the bureau had received applications from 185 schools seeking to adjust their fees for the upcoming year.

These schools included 49 semi-private institutions under the government's Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS), 74 private schools, and 62 international ones. One international school's application was still under review.

DSS schools faced an average fee increase of 4.07 percent, while private schools could raise their fees by 4.75 percent and international schools by 4 percent. Last year, DSS schools were allowed to hike fees by 4.64 percent on average for the 2025-26 academic year, with a higher increase of 4.8 percent the previous year, the highest in five years. Private and international schools were permitted to raise fees by 4.62 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, in the prior year.

Under the new rules, DSS schools must submit budgets and justifications for their fee increases and undergo consultation to ensure they allocate at least 10 percent of their total tuition revenue for fee remissions and scholarships for students facing financial difficulties. The Christian Tai Po Sam Yuk Secondary School plans to implement one of the most significant fee hikes, raising tuition from HK$12,400 to HK$15,500 (US$1,580 to US$1,975) for Form One students, a 25 percent increase.

Elite schools like Diocesan Boys' School, Heep Yunn School, and St Paul’s Co-educational College requested 4.2 percent increases, with fees ranging from HK$45,585 to HK$87,800 per year for Form One students. Creative Secondary School in Tseung Kwan O sought a 3.9 percent rise, increasing its fees from HK$96,250 to HK$99,990. Dion Chen, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, explained that each fee increase requires approval from the school management committee, after consulting with parents, teachers, and Education Bureau approval.

He attributed the fee increases to factors such as reduced government funding, higher teacher salaries, and inflation, noting that DSS schools have more teachers than public schools, and the government's subsidy may not cover additional salary increases. Chen also mentioned that schools could invest in AI, STEAM education, smaller class sizes, or hire more teachers to offer a diverse range of electives as reasons for the fee hikes.