138 Mainland higher education institutions to admit Hong Kong students

     The Education Bureau (EDB) welcomed the announcement by the Ministry of Education on the detailed arrangements of the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions (Admission Scheme) for the 2024/25 academic year. The number of Mainland higher education institutions participating in the Admission Scheme will increase to 138 (listed in the Annex), coming from 21 provinces/municipalities and one autonomous region of the Mainland. They will accept applications from candidates sitting for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination in 2024.

     A spokesperson for the EDB said today (November 16), "The Mainland higher education institutions participating in the Admission Scheme admit Hong Kong students based on their HKDSE Examination results, hence exempting them from taking the Joint Entrance Examination for Mainland Institutions. The 138 participating higher education institutions offer various programmes. We encourage Hong Kong students to pursue further studies on the Mainland through the Admission Scheme and seize the opportunity to learn about the country's latest social, economic and cultural landscape, and plan ahead for their future development. The EDB will continue discussion with the Mainland with a view to inviting more renowned Mainland institutions to participate in the Admission Scheme and providing students with multiple study pathways and opportunities to connect with the country's development.

     "As in previous years, there is the School Principal Nomination Scheme under the Admission Scheme and each secondary school can nominate up to eight students. The minimum entrance requirement adopted by the participating Mainland institutions is 'Attained' in Citizenship and Social Development subject and a total score of 8 or above in the three core subjects (i.e. Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics) in the HKDSE Examination, and among them none is below 2."

     Students interested in participating in the Admission Scheme for the 2024/25 academic year can log on to the designated website to apply online from March 1 to 31, 2024, and subsequently review and confirm application verification results before April 10. As for cases in which students provided supplementary information as per the system's request, they can log on and review verification results before April 23. Those who have passed the application verification should make payment of the application fee (HK$460) by April 30, after which Mainland institutions participating in the Admission Scheme may arrange interviews based on the application information submitted by students. Institutions will announce admission results in late July 2024 and arrange for supplementary enrolment according to the enrolment situation.

     Details of the Admission Scheme are available on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/admissionscheme). Students, teachers and parents can also participate in the Mainland Higher Education Expo 2024/25 jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the EDB on December 2 and 3, 2023 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Details will be announced in due course.

     In addition, eligible Hong Kong students enrolled in undergraduate programmes of designated Mainland institutions can apply for a means-tested subsidy or a non-means-tested subsidy under the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme. The subsidy level of the Scheme has been increased from the 2022/23 academic year onwards, with a view to enhancing the support for Hong Kong students pursuing further studies on the Mainland.