Zhou's head teacher, Li Jiasheng, second left, helps him check the gaokao scores on June 23. SHEN SHIGANG/FOR CHINA DAILY
Financial aid
In 2011, a government-led financial aid system was introduced in China for students from preschool to postgraduate level. The system was set up in response to a government pledge not to allow any student to drop out of school because of financial difficulties.
Students undergoing nine years of compulsory education－from primary school to junior high school－are exempt from tuition fees and are provided with free textbooks.
Moreover, a multifaceted aid program has been established for college students, which includes national scholarships, grants and interest-free loans, school scholarships and grants, subsidies for students from families with financial difficulties, subsidized meals, and tuition fee reductions and exemptions.
The government has also established a "green channel" to allow college entrants in financial difficulties to register by offering interest-free loans to cover tuition and accommodations.
According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 773.9 billion yuan ($119.25 billion) was allocated to 391 million impoverished students during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20).
In 2019, financial aid for students rose for the 13th consecutive year, reaching 212.6 billion yuan－8.05 percent more than in 2018, according to the ministry.
A special program was launched by the ministry to allow universities to enroll students from rural and formerly impoverished regions who have relatively lower grades.
Some 5.14 million students from once-impoverished areas have received higher education since 2012, with 700,000 of them admitted to key universities, providing millions of poor families with the first generation to receive a college education, according to the ministry.
