BEIJING — Chinese universities are drastically increasing tuition fees this year, with some making their first rises in two decades, hurt by a reduced national budget for tertiary education and tight local government finances.
Shanghai-based East China University of Science and Technology raised tuition fees by 54 per cent to 7,700 yuan annually for some freshmen majoring in science, engineering and physical education, and by 30 per cent in the liberal arts, according to statements issued on Sunday . In April, the financial hub of Shanghai decided after a public hearing to raise tuition — unchanged for over 20 years — for the academic year starting this autumn.
The education ministry's expected budget expenditure for tertiary education in 2023 fell 3.7 per cent to 102.6 billion yuan from the previous year, according to a budget report from the ministry.