Second chances, Hidden struggles: Motivations and experiences of Hong Kong students’ cross-border mobility to mainland Chinese universities

Cross-border student mobility is increasingly recognized as a complex educational phenomenon influenced by multi-layered forces. This study employs a Structurated Mobility Trajectory (SMT) framework to examine the motivations and experiences of Hong Kong students who pursue undergraduate degrees in mainland Chinese universities. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 21 undergraduates, we trace how macro-structural forces-notably Hong Kong’s competitive admissions and mainland China’s preferential policies-drive mobility as a pragmatic pursuit of degrees. While privileged access enables enrollment, it triggers a paradox at the meso-institutional level: students contend with unanticipated academic pressures and avoid institutional support to evade perceptions of unfair advantage. Their micro-level agential negotiations reveal self-reliance as a coping strategy, underscoring the significance of peer connections in facilitating adaptation. This study contributes to mobility literature by theorizing how students’ pre-mobility motivations generate post-mobility constraints. We advocate for universities to move beyond access-oriented policies and implement equity-centered supports such as bridging programs and mentorship structures that are tailored to align access with equity in integrated regions like China’s Greater Bay Area.