<p>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.</p>.<p>The higher fees come amid a financial crunch among local governments after three years of disruptive Covid-19 policies, a property crisis and a sluggish economy. Chinese universities, almost all public, rely heavily on state funding.</p>.<p>Shanghai-based East China University of Science and Technology raised tuition fees by 54% to 7,700 yuan ($1,082) annually for some freshmen majoring in science, engineering and physical education, and by 30% in the liberal arts, according to statements issued on Sunday.</p>.<p>Tuition for science and engineering rose by 40% at Shanghai Dianji University, while students majoring in management, economics and literature will have to pay 30% more compared with a year earlier, according to a notice on Monday.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>China's densely populated southwestern Sichuan and northeastern Jilin provinces also raised tuition for different majors, with the maximum increase as much as 41% in Sichuan, according to local government statements.</p>.<p>The education ministry's expected budget expenditure for tertiary education in 2023 fell 3.7% to 102.6 billion yuan from the previous year, according to a budget report from the ministry.</p>.<p>A research team led by senior education experts last month also called for an extensive increase in university tuition for international students, according to a study led by Beijing Institute of Technology professor Liu Jin.</p>.<p>The study suggested increasing tuition fees for international students to as much as 110,000 yuan per year from about 20,000 yuan.</p>
<p>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.</p>.<p>The higher fees come amid a financial crunch among local governments after three years of disruptive Covid-19 policies, a property crisis and a sluggish economy. Chinese universities, almost all public, rely heavily on state funding.</p>.<p>Shanghai-based East China University of Science and Technology raised tuition fees by 54% to 7,700 yuan ($1,082) annually for some freshmen majoring in science, engineering and physical education, and by 30% in the liberal arts, according to statements issued on Sunday.</p>.<p>Tuition for science and engineering rose by 40% at Shanghai Dianji University, while students majoring in management, economics and literature will have to pay 30% more compared with a year earlier, according to a notice on Monday.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>China's densely populated southwestern Sichuan and northeastern Jilin provinces also raised tuition for different majors, with the maximum increase as much as 41% in Sichuan, according to local government statements.</p>.<p>The education ministry's expected budget expenditure for tertiary education in 2023 fell 3.7% to 102.6 billion yuan from the previous year, according to a budget report from the ministry.</p>.<p>A research team led by senior education experts last month also called for an extensive increase in university tuition for international students, according to a study led by Beijing Institute of Technology professor Liu Jin.</p>.<p>The study suggested increasing tuition fees for international students to as much as 110,000 yuan per year from about 20,000 yuan.</p>