Some US$3 million will be injected to poor college students in
the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Shaanxi, Qinghai, Sichuan
and Hunan provinces.
Ten universities will be selected after evaluation by regional
education administrations. They will then define the number of
students eligible for help.
"The money, allocated by the Ford Foundation, is expected to help
support cash-strapped students," said the foundation's
representative Andrew Watson, yesterday in Beijing.
Sources from the Ministry of Education said more than 19 million
students are attending colleges. Some 20 percent of these students
have financial difficulties.
"Financially-burdened students are not only poor financially, but
also weak in learning English and computer skills, as they come
from landlocked and remote areas. Moreover, they are prone to be
shy and fearful of others from the cities, which can hinder their
sense of well-being and confidence," said an official of the
ministry, who declined to be named.
The country has implemented several methods over the past few
years, such as loans, subsidies, tuition-exemption, or providing
students with out-of-class odd jobs to help them earn money.
Liu Yan, a cash-strapped girl from Southwest China's Guizhou
Province, graduated from Huazhong Agriculture University, thanks to
the country's loaning-for-study system. She said: "I think it is
important to work out a good way to aid more poor students, both
financially and psychologically."
Cen Daoquan, a teacher from Shaanxi Technology College, said his
college will surely apply for the Ford Foundation's
assistance.
(China Daily May 11, 2005)