Hong Kong, or the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a cosmopolitan city located in South China. With over 7.5 million population across its 426 square miles territory, it is also among the world’s most populated places. Despite this, Hong Kong has a thriving economy, booming with financial centers and commercial ports. It also has the world’s second most billionaires in a city and the eighth-most traded currency.

Tourism is another core strength of Hong Kong’s economy, making it one of the popular holiday destinations in the world. Tourists explore its cityscapes, experience its eastern and western food culture blend, and find great deals in its shopping districts.

Considering how economically developed this region is, it’s inviting those pursuing higher education in professional fields. But, with a cost of living that can be financially unbearable, fortunately, here are some of the best scholarships in Hong Kong for international students.

Best Scholarships in Hong Kong

1. HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: US$10,300 per year
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelors, Master’s, Ph.D.

The HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund aims to attract outstanding local and international students to study in Hong Kong. Since the fund’s establishment in 2008, it has awarded over 5,500 scholarships to successful local and non-local applicants. Furthermore, the fund supports nine educational institutions, including the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

International students might be eligible for these scholarships in Hong Kong to cover their degree studies. The fund provides HK$80,000 or US$10,300 per year to successful applicants. Institutions select awardees based on excellent academic performance, contribution to society, leadership, a solid commitment to the Hong Kong community, and good communication skills.

When choosing your destination school in Hong Kong, check first if it offers the HKSAR Government scholarship. This way, you’ll have a better chance of completing your tertiary studies without worrying about your finances.

2. City University of Hong Kong Entrance Scholarship Scheme

The Entrance Scholarship Scheme of the City University of Hong Kong selects international students with outstanding academic performance. The students must also receive an offer to study in a full-time government-funded undergraduate degree program. This Hong Kong scholarship comes in three types: Top Scholarship, Full-Tuition Scholarship, and Half-Tuition Scholarship.

Awardees of the Top Scholarships shall receive around US$23,000 to cover tuition fees, living expenses, and on-campus accommodation. Meanwhile, the Full-Tuition Scholarships provide approximately US$18,000 for annual tuition fees. Lastly, the Half-Tuition Scholarships cover half of the yearly tuition, capped at about US$9,000.

Prospective international students need not apply for this scholarship. Applicants get automatically considered depending on academic merit. When selected, international students must maintain at least 3.4 CGPA to qualify for scholarship renewal next academic year. As long as you can keep the required CGPA, you can complete your bachelor’s studies through this scholarship.

Check Also: Available Programs for International Students

3. Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: US$41,400 per year
  • Eligible Degree: Ph.D.

It was in 2009 when the Research Grant Council in Hong Kong established the Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme. It targets outstanding students to pursue graduate studies in Hong Kong academic institutions. To be eligible for this scholarship in Hong Kong, applicants must apply for full-time Ph.D. studies at any of these eight universities:

  • Hong Kong Baptist University
  • City University of Hong Kong
  • Lingnan University
  • The Education University of Hong Kong
  • The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
  • The Hongkong Polytechnic University
  • The University of Hong Kong
  • The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Additionally, applicants must showcase exemplary academic performance, research potential, and interpersonal, leadership and communication skills. Successful candidates will receive approximately US$41,400 annual stipend and US$1,730 yearly research and conference travel allowance. Candidates may renew the award for up to three years. For candidates who will be taking Ph.D. degrees for over three years, their chosen universities may offer a supplementary grant.

4. University Admissions Scholarship Scheme for IB Diploma Holders at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: up to full-tuition coverage and US$6,000 allowance
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s

This scholarship scheme applies to both local and international students at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The IB Diploma holder must complete their requirements before September of the incoming school year to be eligible. The university will award the scholarships to students with 36 or above IB total points, including the bonus points.

The scholarship amount depends on the student’s IB total points. However, students with a 45 IB score will receive up to full tuition coverage and US$6,000 living allowance, renewable for their entire study duration at the university. Meanwhile, the scheme offers a one-time full-tuition subsidy for candidates with IB scores of 42 to 44. Other schemes depending on the IB score are the following:

  • IB Score 40 to 41: One-time, half-tuition coverage
  • IB Score 38 to 39: One-time, approximately US$1,900
  • IB Score 36 to 37: One-time, about US$1,200

The university automatically considers all IB Diploma holders for this Hong Kong scholarship, so interested students need not submit a separate application. Then, it will inform selected awardees in due course.

5. Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: US$10,300
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s and Master’s

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Education Bureau established the Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers to attract professionals with outstanding English proficiency to pursue bachelor’s or teaching training programs. To be eligible for this Hong Kong scholarship, local and international applicants must have completed secondary school and achieved at least a Grade B in AS English level in GCE examination, or equivalent in IB Diploma.

Moreover, applicants must be starting their first year of relevant degree program studies in Hong Kong by the incoming school year. Make sure to check out the list of accepted English degree programs and the institutions that offer these. Selected applicants will receive up to US$10,300 annually, renewable based on the student’s academic performance and good conduct.

6. HKUST Beyond Academic Admission Scholarship

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: one-time stipend of 50,000 HKD
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology offers the Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship program for talented students in music, arts, sports, and entrepreneurship. The scholarship is highly selective, with only 20 spots available for international students each year.

To be eligible, you must be a local or non-local student with non-academic talents. This scholarship in Hong Kong is a good fit for you if you have the following skills: community engagement, leadership, innovation, creativity, sports, music, arts, and entrepreneurship. Candidates must demonstrate excellent results and beneficial effects of their field of expertise at local, regional, or international levels. Each applicant may enter up to three achievements for each area of talent. Multi-talents will be prioritized. To apply, upload supporting documents for talent and a recommendation letter to the online application portal.

Applicants must meet the University’s minimum entrance requirements, the program requirements, and any English language requirements imposed by the participating institutions. Scholarship recipients will receive a one-time payment of $50,000 to cover study and living expenses. Outstanding students may also be eligible for bonuses and additional funding.

7. PolyU Scholarship

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: one-off scholarship of 50,000 HKD and post-entry scholarships valued between 8,000 to 80,000 HKD
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s, Masters

Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a world-class academic institution known for its diverse curriculum. They provide full-time undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, as well as research and fellowship opportunities. The scholarships are divided into two categories: entry and post-entry. Entry scholarships are awarded based on the candidate’s admission results, whereas post-entry scholarships are awarded based on the student’s current academic record at PolyU.

Scholarships are available in a variety of programs for both local and non-local students. Candidates will be evaluated based on their academic and extracurricular accomplishments. There will also be a scholarship interview with the selection panel.

Recipients will receive a one-time scholarship of 50,000 HKD. They will also be required to work as an ambassador for international studies with the Global Engagement Office. PolyU also provides post-entry scholarships ranging from 8,000 to 80,000 HKD to full-time undergraduate students. Visit the PolyU website for more information on other scholarship opportunities such as fellowships and research.

8. SPSS Outstanding Performance Scholarship Fund

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: annual scholarship of 40,000 to 80,000 HKD for Bachelor’s degree students
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s

The Committee on Self-financing Postsecondary Education (SPSS) is a platform that advocates for high-quality education for all students. This Hong Kong scholarship provides scholarships to students with exceptional academic standing who wish to study at one of their partner institutions.

Candidates may enroll in SPSS-accredited institutions such as the City University of Hong Kong, HKCT Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, and others. The official SPSS website has a complete list of partner universities. To be eligible, students must have a high level of academic performance, good leadership and communication skills, and a strong sense of commitment to and contribution to the Hong Kong community.

Undergraduate scholarship holders will receive a fund worth 40,000 to 80,000 HKD per year.

9. Lingnan University Scholarship

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: partial or full tuition, academic and living expenses
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s

Lingnan University is a Hong Kong public university known for its English-language and liberal arts programs. It is Hong Kong’s only public liberal arts university with a broad curriculum and extensive academic and non-academic programs. They offer courses in arts, business administration, and social sciences.

Students from countries other than Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland can apply for merit-based scholarships to pursue a full-time undergraduate degree. To apply, the student must first fulfill the General Admission Requirements and take an English Language Proficiency test. The selection criteria include the student’s academic record and involvement in community service. Candidates with a strong track record of civic engagement will be prioritized.

Scholarship recipients may be awarded half or full tuition coverage, and a stipend for living and academic expenses. There are also tuition-only scholarships that cover half or full tuition costs. You can learn more about the scholarships by visiting the Lingnan University website.

10. HKU Presidential Ph.D. Scholar Programme

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: scholarship package of up to 420,900 HKD in the first year and up to 400,900 HKD for the succeeding years
  • Eligible Degree: Ph.D.

The Presidential Ph.D. Scholar Programme at Hong Kong University Graduate School provides scholarships to students from around the world. This scholarship is available to full-time Doctoral students at the University of Hong Kong.

Candidates will be chosen based on their academic records and research achievements. To apply, you must submit an undergraduate and postgraduate transcript, a statement of research interest, academic referee reports, and score reports for accredited English language proficiency tests. To see the complete list of requirements, click on the link above and go to the guidelines section. After the application, a panel of professors from various disciplines will choose the candidates. Candidates who have been shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

Grantees will receive a generous scholarship package consisting of a cash award of 20,000 to 40,000 HKD, a wavier of composition fees for the whole duration of the study, a scholarship valued at 27,100 HKD monthly, an allowance for research-related purposes of 13,600 HKD per year, and a guaranteed place of accommodation for the first year. The total scholarship package is worth approximately 420,000 HKD. Outstanding students may also be eligible for additional financial assistance as a reward for their research achievements. Aside from the financial aid, Ph.D. scholars will also receive training support and teaching opportunities for career advancement.

 

We hope that this article on the best scholarships in Hong Kong for international students was helpful. To know more information like this, check out the Available Programs for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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