HONG KONG – For the first time in 27 years, Hong Kong plans to increase the tuition fees of local public universities beginning in 2025, by 5 to 9 percent annually, according to media reports on Wednesday.

The increase of eight publicly funded universities’ tuitions is expected to last for three years starting with the 2025-26 academic year.

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Currently, local undergraduates of the universities need to pay HK$42,100 ($5,390) annually for their first degree, resulting in a total fee of HK$168,400. The standard has been maintained for 27 years, since the 1997-98 academic year.

Based on the current university costs, each student would need to pay a tuition fee of about HK$60,000 each year to achieve the government’s target cost-recovery rate of 18 percent

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin reportedly met with some lawmakers on Wednesday morning to discuss the plan for tuition hikes.

In a local radio program on Monday, the education chief said that the Hong Kong government aims to establish tuition fees at a level that covers 18 percent of its investment in university education. Currently, the rate is about 13 percent.

Based on the current university costs, each student would need to pay a tuition fee of about HK$60,000 each year to achieve the government’s target cost-recovery rate of 18 percent. Now was the time to review the increase in tuition fees, she said.

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Choi said that the government plans to increase the tuition fees from 2025 to 2028, but added that the increase will not be implemented all at once. It will be gradually raised to alleviate the financial burden on students, she said.