Students face huge debts if a proposal to make associate degree programmes self-financing is adopted, according to academics.
They expressed concern over the proposal to end subsidies for higher diplomas and associate degrees, made by the University Grants Committee in its recommendations for higher education, at a Legco education panel meeting yesterday.
Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a social studies lecturer at City University, said more students would be unable to afford course fees if the government subsidies were cut. The annual subsidy for a higher diploma place is $130,000.
Nicholas Tam Pui-ho, chairman of City University's Staff Association, said: 'This is a classic example of a trade-off between quality and quantity . . . effectiveness and efficiency.'
A two-month public consultation will be finished by the end of this month and the recommendations could be implemented as soon as 2004.
