Starting from the 2018/19 academic year, the Government has provided a tuition waiver for all local full-time students enrolled in the UGC-funded Research Postgraduate(RPg) programmes.

The objective of the tuition waiver is to incentivise more local students to join the RPg programmes, so as to build up a pool of local research talents in order to sustain Hong Kong's competitiveness and propel the development of our higher education sector.

The scheme provides non-means-tested tuition waiver to all eligible local full-time students enrolled in the UGC-funded RPg programmes. Many students find this scheme appealing for the following reasons:

1. waived tuition fees for eligible students;
2. unlimited number of waiver recipients;
3. a waiver scheme that covers the tuition fees for the normative study period of the UGC-funded RPg programmes including:
   1. MPhil study – 2 years;
   2. PhD study for students who possess a research master's degree – 3 years; and
   3. PhD study for students who do not possess a research master's degree – 4 years.
4. students that enroll in a PhD programme after completing an MPhil programme will be entitled to tuition waivers for both programmes.

The tuition waiver scheme commences from the 2018/19 academic year; i.e. effective as of 1st July 2018.

Currently, all part-time RPg programmes are not funded by UGC.

To qualify for Tuition Waiver for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) Students, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Local full-time students who are enrolled in the UGC-funded RPg programmes in following universities:
   1. City University of Hong Kong;
   2. Hong Kong Baptist University;
   3. Lingnan University;
   4. The Chinese University of Hong Kong;
   5. The Education University of Hong Kong;
   6. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University;
   7. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and
   8. The University of Hong Kong
2. both current and new students of RPg programmes are eligible.

For the definition of local and non-local students, please refer to the link below:
https://www.jupas.edu.hk/en/page/detail/3670/#def_nls

Moreover, on July 31, 2025 the Government announced the revision of the eligibility criteria for government-subsidised post-secondary student places and subsidies: introducing two categories of tuition fees and revising the eligibility criteria. The revision will apply to the 2027/28 academic year and thereafter (the application cycle for the 2027/28 academic year commencing in October 2026). This will allow the affected persons reasonable time to make their own plans and the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) Office and the admissions offices of various institutions sufficient time to make corresponding administrative arrangements.

Two categories of tuition fees are introduced under the revision. Category I refers to subsidised fees. Persons holding the following documents are eligible for tuition waiver in relation to University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded Research Postgraduate (RPg) programmes:

• A Hong Kong permanent identity card, other documents issued by the ImmD showing the right to land/right of abode in Hong Kong, and a visa label for unconditional stay;
• A One-way Permit for entry to Hong Kong; and
• A dependant visa/entry permit: holders who were below 18 years old when first issued with such visa/entry permit by the ImmD, provided that they have resided in Hong Kong for two years immediately preceding the first day of their respective programmes. Regarding first-year student places, to facilitate institutions' admissions procedures, the two-year period will be specified appropriately by the JUPAS office or the institutions concerned having regard to the first day of the respective programmes. Whether the residency requirement is met is determined at or before the start of each academic year and shall remain the same for the remainder of that academic year. The first day of the academic year of a programme is determined by the programme's start day.

Category II refers to non-subsidised fees and applies to persons not meeting the eligibility criteria in the above-mentioned Category I. These persons include:

• Dependant visa/entry permit holders who were below 18 years old when first issued with such visa/entry permit by the ImmD, and they do not meet the two-year residency requirement;
• Holders of a full-time employment visa/work permit;
• Holders of a visa/entry permit for various admission schemes (including the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme or the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents); and
• Non-local students (such as holders of a student visa/entry permit; holders of a visa/entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates; dependant visa/entry permit holders who were 18 years old or above when first issued with such visa/entry permit by the ImmD).

Category II persons may still apply for UGC-funded Research Postgraduate (RPg) programmes but cannot qualify for the tuition waiver.

The Government will put in place a transitional arrangement for the above-mentioned revision, whereby the residency requirement for the 2027/28 academic year (its application cycle commencing in October 2026) will be set at one year. The two-year residency requirement will be implemented starting from the 2028/29 academic year.

For the original announcement regarding the revision of the eligibility criteria for government-subsidised post-secondary student places and subsidies applicable to the 2027/28 academic year and thereafter, please refer to the link below:

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202507/31/P2025073100290.htm

To avoid double benefit situations, should the RPg student’s tuition fee be fully waived by any other scheme, then they cannot qualify for the tuition waiver.

1. Should the tuition fee be partially waived, then the RPg students can still qualify for the remaining tuition waiver.
2. Scholarships, awards or stipends, which do not aim to cover the tuition fees, do not affect the waiver.

In case of dispute, the decision of the UGC and the UGC Secretariat shall be final.

Students covered under this scheme will no longer qualify for tuition fee grants under the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme – Publicly-funded Programme (TSFS) of the Student Finance Office. Notwithstanding, eligible students may still apply for means-tested grants and loans under the TSFS to cover their academic and living expenses respectively.