Core Points - The Hong Kong Education Bureau announced the addition of 20 new mainland higher education institutions to the "Diploma Examination Admission Plan" for the 2026/2027 academic year, bringing the total to 165 institutions across 21 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in mainland China [1] - The new institutions include notable universities such as Inner Mongolia Normal University, Changchun University, and Xiamen University, among others [1] - The plan allows Hong Kong students to be admitted based on their Diploma Examination results, eliminating the need for them to participate in the mainland joint admission examination [1] - The Education Bureau encourages Hong Kong students to take advantage of this opportunity to understand the latest social, economic, and cultural developments in mainland China [1] Additional Information - The Diploma Examination Admission Plan includes a principal recommendation scheme, allowing each secondary school to nominate 8 students for admission to designated mainland universities [2] - Eligible Hong Kong students can apply for financial assistance under the mainland university admission subsidy program, which includes income-tested and non-income-tested options [2] - The initiative to exempt Hong Kong students from the mainland joint admission examination was first announced by the Ministry of Education in 2011, with implementation starting in 2012 [3]