Hong Kong students choose public over private by opting for associate degrees when missing out on university places
Rather than using new government subsidy for private courses, students are attracted to non-degree qualifications at public universities by their better reputation
Associate degree courses at Hong Kong’s public universities are still the choice for many students who miss out on studying for a bachelor’s degree at these institutions, despite the weaker reputation of the qualification and higher fees.
The preference remains despite a new government subsidy aimed at helping those students into degrees at private institutions.
Students say the better reputation of publicly-funded universities over private schools and their higher quality make them preferable.
Secondary school leavers found out on Monday whether they had secured one of about 15,000 highly sought-after places on government-subsidised bachelor’s degree courses at one of the eight public universities in the city. And with 20,800 pupils hitting the basic entry requirements in the Diploma of Secondary Education exams, many eligible entrants were likely to miss out.
To ease the effects of that disparity, the government last month announced an annual subsidy of HK$30,000 for pupils who got those basic entry requirements but end up taking full-time undergraduate programmes at selected non-government-subsidised institutions.
