What are Debentures?
- Type of loan paid to schools in exchange for prioritising a student’s enrolment
- The funds raised by the debentures becomes a part of the school’s capital structure which may be used to improve the school’s facilities or used in any way the school wants.
- Some debentures are refundable, while some are not. Some schools reimburse and some debentures depreciate.
- Many schools offer debentures but many are usually unavailable due to long waiting lists
- Of over 50 international schools in Hong Kong, the only debentures sold on the second-hand market are from these four schools:
- Chinese International School (CIS)
- Harrow International School Hong Kong
- The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (ISF)
- Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA)
- Contact us for more details
Chinese International School (CIS)
Location: Braemar Hill, HK Island
Curriculum: MYP, IBDP
Ages: 4-18
Year Founded: 1983
Chinese Characters: Traditional/ Simplified
Harrow International School Hong Kong
Location: Tuen Mun, New Territories
Curriculum: British, IGCSE, A-Level
Ages: 3-18
Year Founded: 2012
Chinese Characters: Traditional/ Simplified
The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (ISF)
Location: Pok Fu Lam HK Island
Curriculum: MYP, IBDP
Ages: 3-18
Year Founded: 2003
Chinese Characters: Traditional
Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA)
Location: Aberdeen, HK Island
Curriculum: PYP, MYP, IBDP
Ages: 5-18
Year Founded: 2004
Chinese Characters: Traditional
Types of Debentures
Debentures come under a range of different forms and some schools introduce high value debentures to give different degrees of priority. Debentures only prioritises a child’s place on the waiting list, but do not guarantee a place.
Corporate Debenture/
Nomination Right/
Capital Certificate
Holder of a Corporate Debenture is entitled to nominate one child to the school at any one time. Some Corporate Debentures are transferable and refundable while others have a life span of a few years from the date of issue and will depreciate to zero over that period.
Individual Nomination Right
The Nomination Rights, usually non-refundable, gives students a prioritised entry to schools. The Nomination Right usually guarantees the chance of an interview and the place is subject to the student’s performance in the assessment.
Foundation Certificate/ Debenture
When the nominated child leaves the school, a holder of a Foundation Certificate/ Debenture will be entitled to place another nominated child in the year of their choice, subject to the child satisfying the school’s admissions criteria.
Capital Note
A capital note is non-interest bearing, non-refundable and fully transferable.
Individual /Personal Debenture
It is only mandatory at some schools and all students have to be nominated under this debenture if they are not already nominated under another.
Capital Levy
For students without Capital Certificates or Debentures, there is an annual payment of the Capital Levy. The payment is non-interest bearing, non-refundable and non-transferable. The levy amount is reviewed each year.
How much are Debentures?
They range from $25,000 to $10M for each child. For debentures that do not offer enrolment priority, some schools offer discounts for siblings or difficult financial situations.
If the school has sold out their own debentures, you may buy them on the second-hand market. The price is set by market demands and there may be a transfer fee paid to the school for each transaction. In addition, the transactions need to be approved by the school.
Admission Priority
Each school offers slightly different admission priorities to applicants provided that places are available and following a successful entrance assessment.
- Debenture/ Foundation Certificate holders
- Siblings currently attending the school
- Citizens/ passport holders of certain countries, for example:
- Australian International School (AISHK) – Australian or New Zealand nationals
- Canadian International School (CDNIS) – Canadian nationals
- French International School (FIS) – French or Swiss nationals
- German Swiss International School (GSIS) – German, Swiss or Austrian nationals
- Children of School Staff/ Faculty
- Children of Alumni
Admissions Success
Our consultants have helped students gain offers from the following schools:
HK International Schools
Australian International School
Canadian International School
Chinese International School
English Schools Foundation (ESF)
French International School
German Swiss International School
Harrow International School Hong Kong
Hong Kong International School
Independent Schools Foundation (ISF)
Kellett School
Singapore International School
The International Montessori School (IMS)
Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA)
Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong
Complimentary Consultation
Contact us now to schedule a mock test and arrange a complimentary meeting with our dedicated Hong Kong international school specialists.
