Hong Kong’s Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools had received more than 350 applications from overseas students and more than 90 non-local students had arrived in the city to study by September 4, 2026, according to the DSS Schools Council. Schools involved in the scheme said overseas recruitment would continue.
The expansion plan began operating in the 2026-27 academic year. It allows 48 approved schools—38 secondary schools and 10 primary schools—to add classes and increase capacity for non-local students holding student visas. Overseas promotion began in March, with one report specifying late March.
Reported applicant or enrolled-student origins included Canada, Sweden, India and Macau, while one report also listed Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Venezuela. The lists were not identical and were not presented as exhaustive.
DSS Schools Council vice-chairman Chan Tik-on said some applicants did not ultimately enrol because they did not meet academic or language requirements, sought unsuitable grade levels or school environments, or found the enrolment timing unsuitable after discussions with schools.
Accommodation is another issue as recruitment expands. Eight DSS secondary schools and one primary school authorised to provide boarding collectively offer about 1,700 places. Chan said current capacity was sufficient but could become tight. Some students stay with relatives in Hong Kong, while others use off-campus accommodation, which school representatives may inspect with parents.
Chan said Hong Kong’s safety, comparatively lower tuition than Europe and the United States, proximity to Southeast Asia and internationally recognised curricula—including the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and A-levels—were among the reasons he gave for the city’s appeal to overseas families.
The expansion is taking place amid financial pressure on schools. Education-sector lawmaker Tang Fei said a 10 per cent reduction in primary and secondary school operating subsidies took effect in September, and that schools with too few classes had reported deficits. He said the reduction could affect non-teaching staff, including clerical and janitorial hiring, while some extracurricular activities might need to charge fees because schools could not fully subsidise them.
Tang said the DSS Schools Council was considering extending recruitment to Russia and Eastern Europe. He also said it would continue contacting school operators about establishing schools in the Northern Metropolis. Neither expansion has been confirmed.