HONG KONG, Dec. 2 -- Three Hong Kong universities will raise tuition fees up to HK$60,000 (US$7,715) for Chinese mainland students starting next year.

The University of Hong Kong will raise its four-year tuition fee for mainland students to HK$330,000 from HK$270,000, according to Xinhua news agency.

First year tuition will remain HK$30,000, but in the next three years, mainland students will pay HK$100,000 each year instead of HK$80,000, Xinhua said.

The university said they will also increase the amount of scholarships and prizes available to mainland students. The quota of top scholarships entitled to mainland students will rise to 60 from this year's 48.

Wai Wing-kun, a University of Hong Kong official, said the school has not recovered costs related to recruitment on the mainland. The tuition increase will help recover costs and allow for more admissions from outside Hong Kong, he said.

Wai also promised that the university will not raise tuition fees for mainland students again before 2010.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will raise its four-year tuition fee for mainland students to HK$320,000 from HK$270,000 starting next year.

Mainland students enrolled in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University will pay HK$280,000, or HK$40,000 more, for a four-year program. The university spokesperson said the revenue from the increased tuition will be returned to mainland students in scholarships.