HKSAR Government Belt and Road Scholarship for Undergraduates at HKU, September 2027 Entry

About this scholarship

A Hong Kong government scholarship for students from Belt and Road countries, including Palestine and the other Arab countries, who start a bachelor's degree at the University of Hong Kong. It pays the full tuition fee for the normal length of the degree. You ask for it in your HKU application, and the deadline is 31 January 2027.

Funding type

Covers: full tuition fees for the normal length of the programme. The HKU page calls it an entrance scholarship valued at the full tuition amount for non-local students, and its heading says up to full tuition fees. Tuition for non-local students in 2027/2028: HKD 280,000 a year in the STEM faculties and schools such as Engineering, Science and Medicine (except the MBBS), HKD 250,000 in the other faculties, and HKD 590,000 for the MBBS and BDS. The Hong Kong Education Bureau says the scholarship is renewed each year if your academic performance is satisfactory. The pages do not mention living costs, housing, travel or insurance. HKU puts hall fees at HKD 17,290 to 37,940 a year and living expenses at up to HKD 50,000 a year.

Tuition fees

Covered

Living costs

Not specified

Travel

Not specified

Insurance

Not specified

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

Listed nationalities only — Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Residence condition

No residence condition

A national of a Belt and Road country. The government's Study in Hong Kong page says the scholarship covers all Belt and Road countries and points to the country list on the Belt and Road Portal, which includes Palestine and all 22 members of the Arab League A first-year non-local student starting a full-time, publicly funded bachelor's degree at HKU in September 2027 Students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Mongolia and Kazakhstan fall under the Designated Countries scheme, and students from the other Belt and Road countries under the Other Countries scheme Proven contributions to your school, community or society, and good leadership and communication skills A strong interest in and commitment to the development of Hong Kong You must also meet the entry requirements of your HKU programme, including English

Minimum grade

Not stated

Work experience asked for

Not stated

Return condition

Return condition not stated

How to apply

Straight to the provider

Language requirements and exemptions

Language test required IELTS TOEFL iBT Other test Waiver possible

IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in Writing and Speaking in the same attempt, or TOEFL iBT taken from 21 January 2026 at 5.0 overall with at least 5.0 in Writing and Speaking, or 95 overall with at least 25 in Writing and Speaking for older tests. The test must be taken within 2 years before 1 September of your start year. IELTS Online, the IELTS Indicator and TOEFL Home Edition are not accepted. Other ways to meet the requirement include SAT 610 in Reading and Writing, IB English Language A grade 5 or English Language B grade 6, GCE or IGCSE English results, or a full year of bachelor's study taught in English.

University admission details

Admission included in application?

Submit one application through HKU's international admissions route, indicate your interest in the Belt and Road Scholarship on the application form, and upload the documents in the Belt and Road Scholarships section of your account, under HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund Targeted Scholarship. The scholarship deadline is 31 January 2027. The time of day is not stated. Applications opened on 23 September 2026. Applications received by noon Hong Kong time on 25 November 2026 enter the first-round evaluation, with grades and documents due by 1 December 2026. Later applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until admission closes at noon on 25 August 2027. First-round results come from December 2026. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to interviews between November and January, and shortlisted scholarship candidates may be asked for more documents. The application fee is HKD 780 and is not refundable. You can choose up to three programmes and submit only one HKU application in the admissions cycle. The government's yearly quota for the whole Belt and Road Scholarship is 150 places, across Hong Kong's publicly funded undergraduate and research postgraduate programmes. HKU does not say how many it awards.

Required documents

HKU application with your predicted or final results typed into the system Copies of certificates and transcripts for checking Personal statement of up to 1,000 words One-page write-up on why you should be considered for the scholarship and your plans after graduation Latest CV, with supporting documents such as certificates Four short paragraphs: academic achievements, contribution to your school or society, leadership and communication abilities, and your interest in integrating into and contributing to Hong Kong society Personal identification, such as your passport English test result or another accepted proof of English Reference letters, optional but preferred

Application steps

Check that your country is on the Belt and Road Portal country list, and choose up to three HKU bachelor's programmes. Apply through HKU's international admissions route, ideally before noon Hong Kong time on 25 November 2026. Indicate your interest in the Belt and Road Scholarship on the application form. Upload the write-up, CV and four paragraphs in the Belt and Road Scholarships section of your account by 31 January 2027.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

HKU Admissions Office contact page: Contact form (opens in a new tab)

Education Bureau, for questions about the Belt and Road Scholarship: [email protected]Copy

Universities and contacts