Tuition Fees (Under the 3-credit-unit System)

Tuition Fees (Under the 3-credit-unit system)

Tuition fees are charged based on a programme fee. The programme fees cover studies during the normative period of study, up to a specified maximum credit limit. Programme fees are charged annually in two equal installments: one in the autumn term and one in the spring term for each academic year. To calculate the annual tuition fees, the prevailing programme fee rate is divided by the number of years in the normative study period of the programme, which remains uninterrupted even in situations where there is no course enrolment. It is important to note that this programme fee rate is subject to adjustment annually.

Additional credit fees (or course fees for non-credit-bearing courses) will apply for studies beyond the normative period of study, courses exceeding the predefined maximum credit limit, retaking experiential/workplace education courses and courses excluded from the programme fees. For further details, please refer to the information below.

Maximum Credit Limit

During the normative period of study, students may take extra credits beyond the total requirements of their programmes without incurring additional fees.

If students enroll in courses beyond this allowable credit limit, additional fees will be charged on a per credit basis, according to the prevailing tuition fee rate for their programme of study.

In cases where students initially aim to complete an honors degree within an undergraduate programme but later decide to pursue an alternative exit for any reason, the “extra credits allowed” may change depending on the chosen pathway. This variation could result in additional credit fees. Students are reminded to consider carefully on the financial impact that may arise before making a decision.

Types of programme	Total credit requirements	Extra credits allowed (including retakes or substitutes e.g. approved distance learning courses)
1-year top-up	30 to 59	+3
2-year top-up/higher diploma	60 to 89	+6
3-year degree (e.g. Year 2 entry)	90 to 119	+9
4-year degree and senior year entry of double degree	120 to 149	+12
Double degree and N&HS degree	150 and above	+15

Completion of programme before the end of the normative study period

Students are required to pay the full programme fees before graduation. Any outstanding installments will be due immediately by the time of programme completion. Outstanding tuition fee installments will be charged based on the tuition fee rate of the year when the programme is completed. Note that NMTSS, SSSDP, or the financial assistance schemes administered by the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) may not apply to these outstanding tuition fee installments.

Studying beyond the normative study period

Students will be charged on a per credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses) for any courses enrolled beyond the normative study period, irrespective of the total credits taken during the normative study period. However, if students are studying beyond the normative study period due to deferment, suspension, and outbound exchange, please refer to the following section for specific guidelines and exceptions that may apply to these circumstances.

Deferment, Suspension and Outbound Exchange

Programme fee instalment(s) will not be collected during deferral, suspension (which include suspension due to disciplinary actions) or outbound exchange periods. When studies resume, charging of programme fee instalment(s) will also resume until the full programme fees are paid. For courses taken after the normative period of study plus any deferred/suspended/outbound exchange period, tuition fees will be charged on a per credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses). The maximum period of study remains unchanged.

If a programme fee instalment was paid for a term before deferment/suspension, those fees will be applied to the resumed term. If the tuition fees paid for the deferred/suspended term are lower than the tuition fees payable in the resumed term due to annual fee adjustments, the student has to pay the fee difference. Conversely, if more was paid in the deferred/suspended term, the University will refund the excess amount in the resumed term.

Example

Students will not be required to pay programme fee installment during the deferment period. Take a 4-year 120-credit undergraduate programme (operating on a 2-term basis) as an example, if a student has deferred for 1 year and studied beyond the normative study period plus the deferment period (after 4+1 = 5 years), the student has to pay extra fees on credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses) in the 6th year.

Year	Actual credits taken (cumulative credits taken)				Remarks on fee collection
Year	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Year total	Remarks on fee collection
1^st	15 (15)	15 (30)	0 (30)	30	Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 1^st year rate
2^nd (defer study for the whole year)	0 (30)	0 (30)	0 (30)	0	No programme fee will be charged during the deferment period
3^rd	18 (48)	18 (66)	0 (66)	36	Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 3^rd year rate
4^th (N)	18 (84)	18 (102)	3 (105)	39	Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 4^th year rate
5^th (N+1)	6 (111)	6 (117)	0 (117)	12	Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 5^th year rate
6^th (N+2)	0 (117)	3 (120)	0 (120)	3	Credit fee for 3 credits at 6^th year rate for the Spring term

Change of Programme

Upon approval of programme change, students will be informed whether their normative study period (N) will remain the same (i.e. counting from the initial admission term/year), or restart from the point of the programme change. This decision will depend on the relevance of the previous programme to the new one. Tuition fees will be charged based on the fee rate of the new programme starting from the point of change. Please see two examples below.

Example 1

Below is an example for a student of a Year-1 entry programme whose normative study period continues to count from the initial admission term (i.e. remain the same) and who changes programme in his/her 2^nd year. New programme fees will be charged based on the remaining number of installments. Additionally, credit fees will apply for any courses taken beyond the normative study period.

Year as student at the university	Actual credits taken (cumulative credits taken)				Remarks on fee collection
Year as student at the university	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Year total	Remarks on fee collection
1^st	15 (15)	15 (30)	0 (30)	30	Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 1^st year rate
2^nd (change to a new programme with normative study year which counts from the initial admission year)	12 (42)	12 (54)	0 (54)	54	New programme fee by 2 equal installments at 2^ndyear rate
3^rd	15 (69)	12 (81)	0 (81)	81	New Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 3^rd year rate
4^th (N)	12 (93)	15 (108)	3 (111)	111	New Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 4^th year rate
5^th (N+1)	3 (114)	3 (117)	0 (117)	117	Credit fee for a total of 6 credits at 5^th year rate
6^th (N+2)	3 (120)	0 (120)	0 (120)	120	Credit fee for a total of 3 credits at 6^th year rate

Example 2

Below is an example for a student of a Year-1 entry programme whose normative period of study restart from the point of the prorgramme change. The student changes programme in his/her 2^nd year. New programme fees will be charged from the point of programme change by installments during the normative period of study of the new programme. Additionally, credit fees will apply for any courses taken beyond the normative study period of the new programme.

Year as student at the university	Actual credits taken (cumulative credits taken)				Remarks on fee collection
Year as student at the university	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Year total	Remarks on fee collection
1^st	15 (15)	15 (30)	0 (30)	30	Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 1^st year rate
2^nd (change to a new programme with normative study year which counts from the initial admission year)	12 (12)	12 (24)	0 (24)	24	New Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 1^st year rate
3^rd	15 (39)	15 (54)	0 (54)	54	New Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 2^nd year rate
4^th	15 (69)	12 (81)	0 (81)	81	New Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 3^rd year rate
5^th(N)	12 (93)	15 (108)	3 (111)	111	New Programme fee by 2 equal installments at 4^rd year rate
6^th(N+1 under the new programme)	3 (114)	3 (117)	0 (117)	117	Credit fee for a total of 6 credits at 5^th year rate
7^th (N+2 under the new programme)	3 (120)	0 (120)	0 (120)	120	Credit fee for a total of 3 credits at 6^th year rate

Courses requiring payment of credit or course fees

Beyond the normative study period, students will be charged on credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses) for all courses they enrolled, irrespective of whether the course(s) are taken for the first time or retake. Additional credit or course fees will also apply under the following circumstances:

Course Type	1^st Attempt	Subsequent attempts	Example
Courses stipulated as exception at admission stage	Charge on credit / course basis	Charge on credit / course basis	CHIN 2007ACF for all programmes
Workplace Education or Experiential Learning Courses involving external party	Include in programme fee if taken normative study period	Charge on credit / course basis	Please refer to the link HERE.

Late Payment of Tuition Fees

Application grounds

Students who are unable to settle the tuition fees for a term by the payment deadline due to valid grounds must apply for 'Late Payment of Tuition Fees' within the application period announced by the University. Applications should reflect the genuine financial situation of the student and their dependent family members.

Pending financial assistance disbursement from the Government or other agencies does not automatically extend the payment deadline; a formal application for late payment is required. The University may require related supporting documents to verify the students’ financial situation for consideration.

Application process

Details about late payment application arrangements for each term will be announced by email. In general, students will be required to submit an online application form and pay a late payment deposit of $5,000 via the ePayment platform within the designated application period. Applications will not be processed if these steps are not completed.

The late payment deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. It will be applied towards payment of the tuition fees. Therefore, the remaining balance will be the original tuition fees amount minus the late payment deposit.

The University will review the late payment applications based on the justification provided and any supporting documents submitted. Students may be requested to provide clarification or additional supporting documents. An interview for late payment application may also be conducted if necessary.

Application results will be communicated via university email:

If approved: Students will receive a new payment deadline, determined at the full discretion of the University, which will still fall within the term period.
If not approved: Students must settle the remaining balance within a specified short period after result notification.

Please note that even with an approved late payment, there may be related conditions or restrictions affecting eligibility for various government subsidy schemes and access to certain University services. Students are advised to read the important notes of application carefully before submitting their applications.

De-registration and Late Registration (Reinstatement)

Students who do not settle their tuition fees by the payment deadline will face the following consequences:

Transcripts will not be issued.
Grades for current course(s) will not be released.
Conferment of qualifications (degrees or certificates) will be withheld.

Students who continuously fail to settle the tuition fees by deadline will be de-registered from their studies at the University.

If they wish to continue with their studies in the term concerned, they are required to apply for 'late registration (reinstatement)’. For more details, please visit De-registration and Late Registration.