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

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

Tuition fees are charged based on a flat-fee Annual tuition fees payable during the normative study period are calculated by dividing the programme fees by the number of years of the normative study period. In each academic year, students are required to settle tuition fees for the year by two equal instalments, one in the Autumn term and one in the Spring term. The flat fee will be subject to adjustment annually. Extra credit fees (or course fees for non-credit bearing courses) may apply under certain circumstances. Please see information below.

What if I study more courses than the total credit requirements of my study programme

Students are allowed to take around 10% above the total credit requirements of their respective programmes of study without paying extra credit fees during the normative study period. Details are as follows:

Types of programme	Total credit requirements	Additional no. of credits (including retakes or substitutes) covered by the flat fee
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

Students taking courses beyond the allowable credit limit will be charged on credit basis according to the rate of the year in which the course enrollment takes place.

What if I finish the programme earlier than the normative study period

Students are required to pay the full programme fees, i.e. all the installments for the normative period of the programme, before they graduate. That means even if a student completes the programme requirements earlier than usual, he/she still has to settle the full programme fees before graduation. Any outstanding tuition fee installments will be charged based on the tuition fee rate of the year in which the programme is completed. Note that NMTSS, SSSDP, or the financial assistance schemes administered by the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) might not be applicable to the outstanding tuition fee installments.

Example

A 4-year 120-credit undergraduate programme (operating on a 2 term basis) requiring students to take 15 credits in each of the Autumn and Spring terms. Students manage to complete the programme earlier than the normative study period still have to pay all flat fee installments for the programme in full before they can graduate.

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	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 1^st year rate
2^nd	15 (45)	15 (60)	15 (75)	45	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 2^nd year rate
3^rd	15 (90)	15 (105)	15 (120)	45	Flat fee and remaining balance of programme tuition fees i) Pay flat fee by 2 equal installments at 3^rd year rate ii) Pay two remaining installments of programme tuition fees at 3^rd year rate before the student can graduate

What if I study beyond the normative study period

Beyond the normative study period, students will be charged on credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses) for the courses they enrolled, irrespective of the total number of credits taken during the normative period. Exceptions apply for students who defer their studies or participate in outbound exchange programmes.

Example

A 4-year 120-credit undergraduate programme (operating on 2-term basis), requiring students to take 15 credits in each of the Autumn and Spring terms. Beyond the normative study period, students have to pay on a credit basis basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses).

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	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 1^st year rate
2^nd	15 (45)	15 (60)	3 (63) [retake only]	33	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 2^nd year rate
3^rd	18 (81)	18 (99)	0 (99)	36	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 3^rd year rate
4^th (N)	15 (114)	15 (129)	0 (129)	30	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 4^th year rate
5^th (N+1)	3 (132)	6 (138)	0 (138)	9	Credit fee for 3 and 6 credits for the respective Autumn and Spring terms at 5^th year rate

What if I defer studies or participate in an outbound exchange programme

Flat fee instalment will not be collected during the deferral or outbound exchange period. Upon resumption of studies, students will continue to pay the flat fee instalment(s) until the full programme fees are settled. If a student has to take courses after “N + no. of deferred year(s)”, he/she will be charged on credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses). In any event, the maximum period of study remains unchanged.
If a student paid the flat fee instalment for a term before deferring it, the fees paid for that term will be transferred for use in the resumed term. If the tuition fees paid in the deferred term are lower than the tuition fees payable in the resumed term because of annual fee adjustment, the student has to settle the fee difference. If the student paid more in the deferred term, the University will refund the difference in the resumed term.

Example

A 4-year 120-credit undergraduate programme (operating on 2 term basis) with a deferment period of study. Students will be required to pay tuition fees on flat fee basis except during the deferment period. If a student studies beyond the normative study period plus the deferment period (after 4+1 = 5 years), in the 6th year, the student has to pay extra fees on credit basis (or course basis for non-credit bearing courses).

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	Flat 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 Flat fee will be charged during the deferment period
3^rd	18 (48)	18 (66)	0 (66)	36	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 3^rd year rate
4^th (N)	18 (84)	18 (102)	3 (105) [GE only]	39	Flat fee by 2 equal installments at 4^th year rate
5^th (N+1)	6 (111)	6 (117)	0 (117)	12	Flat 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

Exclusions under the flat fee model: credit or course fees required

There are exclusions under the flat fee model. Tuition fee payment will be charged on credit/course basis under the following circumstances.

Exceptions	1^st Attempt	Subsequent attempts	Example courses
Courses stipulated as exception at admission stage	Charge on credit / course basis	Charge on credit / course basis	CHIN 2007ACF for all programmes
Courses involving payment to external party	Include in flat fee	Charge on credit / course basis	Practicum courses of School of N&HS Global immersion programme of School B&A

Late Payment of Tuition Fees

Application grounds

Students who are not able to settle the tuition fees for a term by the stipulated deadline must apply for ‘Late Payment of Tuition Fees’ during the designated period of the term.

Applications must be based on students' genuine financial situation, and that of their dependent family members. Pending financial assistance disbursement from the Government or other agencies would not constitute automatic payment deadline extension; students must submit an application. The University may request provision of related proof and/or other documents substantiating students' financial situation for consideration.

Application process

Details of late payment application arrangements of 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 via the ePayment platform during the designated period. The University will not process the application if students have failed to do so.

The late payment deposit is set as $5,000. Once it has been paid, the deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. It will count towards the tuition fees payable. 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 (and documents received, if applicable). Students may be requested to provide clarification or additional documents. An interview for late payment application may also be conducted if necessary.

Application results will be announced by University email:

If the application is approved, students will be informed of the new extended payment deadline which is set at the full discretion of the University. The extended deadline would still be within term period.
If the application is not approved, students will be required to settle the remaining balance during a specified short period after result notification.

Please also note that, despite approved late payment, there could be related conditions or restrictions regarding various government subsidy schemes and access to certain University services. Students are advised to read the important notes of application carefully prior to submission.

De-registration and Late Registration

If students fail to settle tuition fees by the payment deadline and have not applied for late payment of tuition fees, they will be de-registered from their studies at the University. They are required to apply for 'late registration' should they wish to continue with their studies in the term. For details, please visit De-registration and Late Registration.