CHINA STUDENT AID DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2017

As an important project to ensure living standards and warm people’s hearts, the national student financial aid system has been linked with poverty alleviation and social equality. In 2017, work on student financial aid made new breakthroughs and progress under the combined efforts of the finance and education ministries, local governments and schools.

The national student aid policy system has been improved, the financial fund has been extended to a larger scale, and scientific and regulated management has been promoted, providing a solid foundation to support impoverished students to not drop out because of family financial difficulties.

1. National student financial aid policies further improved 1.1 Seamless connection to aid students in higher education

In April 2017, the ministries of finance and education, the People’s Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission issued a document to further improve the policy of achieving seamless connection to aid students in higher education.

1.1.1 Ensuring a multifaceted financial aid policy for postgraduate students

Organizations responsible for postgraduate education, such as scientific research institutes, Party schools, administration schools and accounting schools, should fully implement the policy and ensure that eligible students receive proper subsidies.

1.1.2 Including students from preparatory schools in the scope of higher education funding

Students entering preparatory schools should be eligible for national grants and student loans at the corresponding education stage.

1.1.3 Promoting the full coverage of national student loans

By expanding the scope of national student loans, all kinds of colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, Party schools, administration schools and accounting schools can be covered, and so are full-time regular undergraduate students, graduate students and preparatory school students.

1.1.4 Implementing equivalent financial aid policies for private colleges and universities

It has been clarified that private colleges and universities can enjoy equivalent financial aid policies, such as student loans, scholarships and grants.

1.2 High standards of national grants for doctoral candidates

As per the requirement to raise the standards of national financial aid for doctoral candidates in the 2017 Government Work Report, since the spring semester of 2017, national scholarships for local doctoral students have been raised from not less than 10,000 yuan ($1,580) to 13,000 yuan per annum. National grants for doctoral students from central universities have also been raised from 12,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan per annum.

1.3 Enhanced support for filed and tracked students from impoverished families

In 2017, colleges and universities continued to improve relevant policies and increased the financial aid to filed and tracked students from impoverished families, ensuring targeted financial aid and full coverage of the policies for the benefits of all the students.

1.4 Ongoing improvements in the policy system

With the support from schools and people of all walks of life, China has established a government-led financial aid policy system that covers from pre-school education to postgraduate education.

The full coverage has been extended in three ways: (a) all educational stages; (b) both public and private schools; (c) all students from impoverished families. Particularly in higher education, students are freed from worries before, during and after their studies.

For preschool education, the general principle is that local governments should provide funding first and then use the central government’s subsidies.

Local governments will provide financial aid to children from impoverished families, orphans and children who have disabilities in kindergartens that are set up for the benefits of the general public and approved by the administrative departments for education at the county level or above.

For compulsory education, the same policy is adopted in exempting tuition and miscellaneous fees, offering free textbooks for both urban and rural students, and in providing a subsistence allowance for impoverished resident students. Nutritional meal plans are also provided for rural students in special poor areas.

For secondary vocational education, a supporting system has been established where students are generally eligible for tuition exemptions and national grants, supplemented with aid from schools and social sponsors as well as workplace internships.

For regular high school education, a supporting system has been established where needy students can receive national grants, filed and tracked students from impoverished families are eligible for tuition exemptions, and local governments provide aid projects, supplemented with aid from schools and social sponsors.

For undergraduate education, a multifaceted aid policy system has been set up.

The system includes national scholarships, grants and student loans, tuition and loan compensation for grass roots employment, subsidies for enlisted military service, free education for students enrolled in teaching programs, freshmen enrollment aid, tuition subsidies for retired soldiers, workstudy programs, school scholarships and grants, subsidies for students from impoverished families, meal subsidies, tuition reduction and exemptions, and a “green channel” that allows freshmen to register at colleges or universities even when they are unable to pay their tuition fees in full. For postgraduate education, student aid comprises national scholarships, grants, achievement scholarships and allowances for graduate assistantship positions (teaching, research, and administration), national student loans, tuition and loan compensation for grassroots employment, subsidies for enlisted military service, school scholarship and grants, and the green channel as detailed above.

2. Student financial aid upgraded 2.1 New breakthroughs in student aid and education

Promoted by the Ministry of Education, aiding and teaching has been included in the 2017 guideline for improving moral education in colleges and universities. It is clearly stated that a development-oriented financial aid system should be established to combine the work of poverty alleviation with the development of intelligence and aspirations for the future.

With a combination of national financial aid, school grants, social donations and students’ personal endeavors, the system aims to construct an integrated and long-term mechanism in funding and educating students by offering them material aid, moral education, ability promotion and spiritual stimulation.

It should realize the integration of free and paid support, utilizing explicit and implicit financing, to form a beneficial cycle from poverty alleviation to talent cultivation, then to reaching one’s full potential and contributing to society.

Such a system will bring out the best in students, helping them to develop good qualities such as self-reliance, honesty, trustworthiness, gratitude and courage. Schools have taken action to make innovations and find new ways to improve their work, and remarkable progress has been achieved.

2.2 Administration regulated in all areas

To ensure the full implementation of national student aid policies, the ministries of education and finance launched a campaign in 2017 for regulating the administration of student aid nationwide, specifying six norms, requiring all the relevant organizations to standardize their administration, responsibilities, aid procedures, funds management, information management and team building. According to the norms, schools carried out self-inspections in the first half of 2017 and the ministries of education and finance made spot tests in 12 provinces by the end of 2017. In general, the campaign achieved satisfactory outcomes.

2.2.1 A supervision mechanism set up for standardized administration

A supervision mechanism involving discipline inspection, auditing, the media, and the whole of society has been established to standardize the administration of student aid, aiming to not just solve shortterm problems but also to realize positive, long-term effects. Regular inspections have been carried out to promote the supervision work of student aid.

2.2.2 Awareness of standardized management raised generally

The management staff’s awareness of taking responsibility and providing service has been raised generally. The staff have now implemented national student financial aid policies in accordance with the six norms, and so the students generally have an enhanced sense of warmth from receiving financial aid.

2.2.3 The level of standardization remarkably increased

In accordance with the six norms, all schools nationwide have been focusing on wiping away irregularities in the implementation of policies and building up more standardized funding procedures, funds management and information management. Consequently, the level of precision funding has generally increased.

3. Remarkable growth in funding 3.1 Funding totaling over 180 billion yuan

In 2017, more than 95.9 million students in preschool education, compulsory education, secondary vocational education, high school education and higher education received financial aid, marking an increase of over 4.64 million from the previous year (not including tuition exemptions, free textbooks and nutrition subsidies during compulsory education).

A total of 188.21 billion yuan was spent on subsidizing needy students in 2017, an increase of 19.34 billion yuan, or up 11.45 percent from the previous year. The amount of funding for student aid has maintained a rapid growth rate for the past 11 years.

Nearly 9.32 billion yuan was spent to subsidize about 8.9 million preschool children, an increase of 2.5 billion yuan, or up 36.7 percent, from the previous year. Some 17.91 billion yuan was allocated to boarding students in compulsory education, supporting around 16.05 million students, an increase of 1.4 billion yuan, or up 8.48 percent, from the previous year.

About 15.1 million students at secondary vocational schools received financial support totaling about 36.53 billion yuan, an increase of 3.32 billion yuan, or up 9.98 percent, from the previous year.

A total of 13.1 million regular high school students received financial subsidies, the sum of which reached 19.38 billion yuan, an increase of 2.63 billion yuan, or up 15.7 percent, from the previous year. Nearly 42.76 million college and university students were supported by subsidies totaling over 105.07 billion yuan, an increase of 9.49 billion yuan, or up 9.93 percent, from the previous year.

3.2 A total of 20.31 billion yuan spent on free textbooks

In 2017, 17.59 billion yuan was provided by financial departments at all levels for the national free textbook fund, benefiting 142 million students in compulsory education.

Some 14.93 billion yuan came from the central government and 2.66 billion yuan was from local governments. Local financial departments provided 2.72 billion yuan for the local free textbook fund, benefiting 83.04 million students in compulsory education.

3.3 Some 28.5 billion yuan spent on nutritional meal plans

In 2017, student nutritional meal plans were introduced in about 82,000 schools in 710 county-level pilot sites nationwide, including 19 army-supported farms, benefiting about 21 million rural students in compulsory education. Some 18.5 billion yuan of central government funding was provided for the meal plans (including national and local pilot sites). Pilot programs were developed in 886 counties in 29 provincial-level regions, covering about 59,000 schools, supporting about 16 million students. Around 10 billion yuan was provided by local financial departments.

4. The dominant role of government funds 4.1 Over 120 billion yuan from government funds, up 9.15 percent from the previous year.

In 2017, government funding provided 121.06 billion yuan (not including tuition exemptions, free textbooks, and nutrition subsidies in compulsory education) for student financial aid, an increase of more than 10.14 billion yuan, or up 9.15 percent, from the previous year. Some 61.64 billion yuan came from the central government, an increase of about 3.72 billion yuan, or up 6.42 percent, from the previous year.

A total of 59.42 billion yuan was from local governments, an increase of more than 6.42 billion yuan, or up 12.12 percent, from the previous year.

Government funding was the main source of national student subsidies (not including tuition exemptions, free textbooks, and nutrition subsidies in compulsory education), accounting for 64.32 percent of the total.

Funds from the central government contributed 32.75 percent while 31.57 percent was from local governments.

A total of 8.9 billion yuan from government funding was spent on subsidizing preschool education, accounting for 95.5 percent of the total funding for this educational stage. Subsidies for school boarders in compulsory education all came from government funding. A total of 25.75 billion yuan from government funding was spent on secondary vocational schools, accounting for 70.49 percent of the total subsidies.

Nearly 17.62 billion yuan from government funding made up 90.91 percent of subsidies for regular high school students. Some 50.88 billion yuan, or 48.43 percent of subsidies for regular colleges and universities, came from government funding.

4.2 National student loans for college and university students totaling 28.42 billion yuan, up 7.97 percent from the previous year

National student loans in 2017 for higher education reached 28.42 billion yuan, an increase of 2.1 billion yuan, or up 7.97 percent, from the previous year.

The loans are an important part of subsidies for students in higher education, making up 15.1 percent of the total funding and 27.05 percent of the sum of subsidies for colleges and universities.

4.3 School subsidies of over 25 billion yuan, up 17.53 percent from the previous year

In 2017, about 25.76 billion yuan in subsidies came from school revenues, an increase of 3.84 billion yuan, up 17.53 percent from the previous year, accounting for 13.69 percent of the total funding.

4.4 Social funds totaling nearly 13 billion yuan

In 2017, donations from enterprises, institutions, social groups, and individuals amounted to nearly 12.97 billion yuan, an increase of 3.26 billion yuan, up 33.52 percent from the previous year, accounting for 6.89 percent of the total funding.

5. All polices implemented effectively 5.1 Financial aid to preschool children

In 2017, more than 8.89 million children in kindergartens received financial support from governments at all levels, individual kindergartens and social funds. More than 8.36 million children were supported by government funding.

About 455,000 children were supported by kindergartens and 78,800 by social funds. The sum of all subsidies reached 9.32 billion yuan. About 8.9 billion yuan came from government funding, 387 million yuan came from kindergartens, and more than 31.68 million yuan came from social funds.

5.1.1 Aid from the government

In 2017, governments at all levels helped more than 8.36 million children or 19.13 percent of all children in kindergartens nationwide with financial subsidies.

In western regions of China, about 5.58 million children received financial aid, accounting for 41.8 percent of all enrolled children. In central regions, more than 1.29 million children, roughly 7.94 percent, received financial aid. In eastern regions, more than 1.49 million children received financial aid, 10.59 percent of all enrolled children. Governments at all levels provided financial aid of 8.9 billion yuan.

About 1.51 billion yuan came from the central government to support kindergartens nationwide, accounting for 16.96 percent of the total; more than 4.18 billion yuan, or 46.98 percent, came from provincial-level governments; 664 million yuan, or 7.46 percent, from city-level governments; and over 2.54 billion yuan, or 28.6 percent, from county-level governments.

By region, about 5.65 billion yuan, or 63.44 percent, was spent in western regions; more than 1.11 billion yuan, or 12.49 percent, in central regions; and about 2.14 billion yuan, or 24.07 percent, in eastern regions.

5.1.2 Aid from kindergartens

In 2017, a total of 455,000 children in kindergartens received financial support from kindergarten revenues. Of these children, nearly 230,000 were from western regions; 184,000 from central regions; and 41,700 from eastern regions.

Altogether, 387 million yuan was spent on the children. By region, 108 million yuan was spent in western regions, 248 million yuan in central regions, and 31 million yuan in eastern regions.

5.1.3 Aid from social funds

In 2017, some 78,800 children received aid from social funds. About 44,100 of these children were from western regions, 26,600 from central regions, and 8,100 from eastern regions.

Altogether, nearly 32 million yuan came from social funds, among which about 9.87 million yuan was spent in western regions, 18.66 million yuan in central regions, and 3.14 million yuan in eastern regions.

5.2 Financial aid for students in compulsory education

In 2017, about 142 million students in compulsory education were provided with free textbooks nationwide.

More than 83 million students benefited from the free textbook policy supported by local governments, and nearly 16.05 million boarding students from impoverished families received subsidies for their living expenses. Governments at all levels provided about 17.59 billion yuan for free textbooks and dictionaries.

Nearly 15 billion yuan was provided by central finance and 2.66 billion yuan by local finance. About 17.91 billion yuan was spent on subsidizing boarding students from impoverished families, among which more than 8.1 billion yuan was from central finances.

5.2.1 Free textbooks provided by the central government

In 2017, some 142 million students in compulsory education received free textbooks. By region, 42.26 million students in western regions benefited from national free textbook policy; 54.30 million in central regions; and 45.68 million in eastern regions.

Finance departments at all levels spent a total of 17.59 billion yuan on free textbooks.

About 14.93 billion yuan, or 84.88 percent, came from central finance; about 1.86 billion yuan, or 10.59 percent, from provincial-level governments; about 14 million yuan, or 0.08 percent, from city-level governments; and about 783 million yuan, or 4.45 percent, from county-level governments. By region, about 4.68 billion yuan, or 26.62 percent, was spent in western regions; about 6.2 billion yuan, or 35.23 percent, in central regions; and about 6.71 billion yuan, or 38.15 percent, in eastern regions.

5.2.2 Free textbooks provided by local governments

In 2017, about 83.04 million students received free textbooks provided by local governments.

Of these students, about 28.94 million students were in western regions; about 25.92 million in central regions; and 28.18 million in eastern regions.

More than 2.7 billion yuan was provided by local governments to support the free textbook policy. About 785 million yuan was spent in western regions, accounting for 28.86 percent of the total expense; 618 million yuan in central regions, accounting for 22.72 percent; and 1.32 billion yuan in eastern regions, accounting for 48.42 percent.

5.2.3 Living allowances for boarding students from impoverished families

In 2017, more than 16 million boarding students from impoverished families benefited from the living allowance policy. Of them, more than 10 million boarding students were in western regions, about 3.75 million in central regions, and about 2.26 million in eastern regions.

Altogether, nearly 18 billion yuan was provided by finance departments at all levels to support students.

About 8.12 billion yuan came from the central government financial support, accounting for 45.35 percent of the total. About 6.51 billion yuan, or 36.39 percent, was provided by provincial-level finance departments.

About 710 million yuan, or 3.96 percent, came from city-level finance departments.

Some 2.56 billion yuan, or 14.3 percent, came from county-level finance departments. By region, the amount of money spent on subsidizing living expenses for boarding students in western, central, and eastern regions was 11.64 billion yuan or 64.98 percent, 4.34 billion yuan or 24.23 percent, and 1.93 billion yuan or 10.79 percent, respectively.

5.3 Financial aid to secondary vocational school students

In 2017, a total of 36.53 billion yuan was spent on subsidizing 15.1 million students studying at secondary vocational schools, an increase of 3.32 billion yuan, or up 9.98 percent, from the previous year.

Nearly 10 million of these students benefited from national tuition exemptions totaling 19.97 billion yuan; 2.55 million benefited from national grants totaling 5.1 billion yuan; local governments spent 681 million yuan helping about 870,500 students; schools provided 240 million yuan for 314,400 students; 174 million yuan from social funds was provided to support 37,100 students; and about 1.34 million students at secondary vocational schools received financial aid through workplace internships, amounting to 10.37 billion yuan.

5.3.1 Tuition exemptions

In 2017, nearly 10 million students at secondary vocational schools benefited from the national tuition exemption policy. Among them, about 2.94 million students were in western regions, accounting for 29.44 percent of the total; about 3.34 million students in central regions, accounting for 33.47 percent; and more than 3.7 million in eastern regions, accounting for 37.09 percent. The central and local governments spent a total of 19.97 billion yuan on subsidizing tuition exemptions, accounting for 54.67 percent of the total subsidies for secondary vocational education. About 10.7 billion yuan came from central government financial support, accounting for 53.58 percent of the total for tuition exemptions. About 9.27 billion yuan, or 46.42 percent, was from local governments.

By region, some 5.88 billion yuan, or 29.44 percent of the total funding for tuition exemptions, was spent in western regions; about 6.68 billion yuan, or 33.46 percent, in central regions; and 7.41 billion yuan, or 37.1 percent, in eastern regions.

5.3.2 National grants

In 2017, a total of 2.55 million students at secondary vocational schools received national grants. Of these students, about 1.24 million, or 48.71 percent, were in western regions; About 904,700, or 35.51 percent, in central regions; and about 402,000, or 15.78 percent, in eastern regions.

Governments at all levels spent about 5.10 billion yuan providing national grants, which made up 13.95 percent of all the subsidies. About 3.18 billion yuan, or 62.32 percent, came from the central government and 1.92 billion yuan, or 37.68 percent, came from local governments.

By region, about 2.48 billion yuan, or 48.71 percent of the total, went to students in western regions; 1.81 billion yuan, or 35.51 percent, went to students in central regions; 804 million yuan, or 15.78 percent, went to students in eastern regions.

5.3.3 Aid from local governments

In 2017, in addition to implementing the national tuition exemption policy and national grants, local governments subsidized 870,500 students at secondary vocational schools. About 700,800 students, or 80.51 percent of these students, were in western regions; about 82,100, or 9.43 percent, in central regions; and 87,600, or 10.06 percent, in eastern regions.

In addition to implementing the national tuition exemption policy and national grants, local governments spent an extra 681 million yuan on subsidies, among which 434 million yuan, or 63.73 percent, was spent in western regions; 107 million yuan, or 15.71 percent, in central regions; 140 million yuan, or 20.56 percent, in eastern regions.

5.3.4 Aid from schools

In 2017, secondary vocational schools themselves subsidized 314,400 students. Of these students, about 148,100 students, or 47.11 percent, were from western regions; 124,800, or 39.69 percent, from central regions; and 41,500, or 13.2 percent, from eastern regions. Altogether, secondary vocational schools spent 240 million yuan on subsidies. About 60 percent of the subsidies, or 144 million yuan, was spent in western regions; 31.25 percent, or 75 million yuan, in central regions; and 8.75 percent, or 21 million yuan, in eastern regions.

5.3.5 Aid from social funds

In 2017, a total of 37,100 students at secondary vocational schools were aided by social funds. Of these students, 16,700, or 45.01 percent, were in western regions; 6,800, or 18.33 percent, in central regions; and 13,600, or 36.66 percent, in eastern regions. The total social funds reached 174 million yuan, of which 57 million yuan, or 32.76 percent, was from western regions; 19 million yuan, or 10.92 percent, from central regions; and 98 million yuan, or 56.32 percent, from eastern regions.

5.3.6 Workplace internships

In 2017, more than 1.34 million students at secondary vocational schools participated in workplace internships. Of these students, 406,100, or 30.21 percent, were in western regions; 472,400, or 35.14 percent, in central regions; and 465,900, or 34.65 percent, in eastern regions. The funding reached about 10.36 billion yuan, of which 3.17 billion yuan, or 30.59 percent, went to western regions; 1.69 billion yuan, or 16.29 percent, to central regions; and 5.51 billion yuan, or 53.12 percent, to eastern regions.

5.4 Financial aid to regular high school students

In 2017, a total of 13.1 million regular high school students received financial aid. Of these students, 8.05 million were in western regions, 3.65 million ino central regions, and 1.4 million in eastern regions. Total subsidies reached 19.38 billion yuan, an increase of 2.63 billion yuan, or up 15.7 percent, from 2016. About 11.11 billion yuan was spent in western regions, 6.21 billion yuan in central regions, and 2.06 billion yuan in eastern regions.

5.4.1 National grants

In 2017, a total of 4.99 million regular high school students received national grants. Of these students, more than 2.5 million, or 32.97 percent, were in western regions; about 1.81 million, or 19.7 percent, in central regions; and about 681,800, or 9.61 percent, in eastern regions.

The total amount of funding for national grants was 9.97 billion yuan. About 6.42 billion yuan, or 64.34 percent, came from the central government; 1.84 billion yuan, or 18.44 percent, came from provinciallevel governments; 623 million yuan, or 6.25 percent, came from city-level governments; and 1.09 billion yuan, or 10.97 percent, came from county-level governments.

By region, about 4.95 billion yuan, or 49.66 percent, went to western regions; about 3.63 billion yuan, or 36.42 percent, went to central regions; and about 1.39 billion yuan, or 13.92 percent, went to eastern regions.

5.4.2 Tuition exemptions

In 2017, about 1.87 million regular high schools filed and tracked students from impoverished families who benefited from the tuition exemptions policy. Of these students, 1.23 million, or 16.27 percent, were from western regions; about 505,500, or 5.51 percent, from central regions; and 126,300 or 1.78 percent, from eastern regions.

The regional distribution of regular high schools filed and tracked students from impoverished families benefiting from the tuition exemptions policy in 2017.

Total subsidies for supporting these high school students reached 2.42 billion yuan, including 1.59 billion yuan from the central budget, which accounted for 65.87 percent of the total.

By region, 1.55 billion yuan, or 64.15 percent, of subsidies was spent in western regions; 635 million yuan, or 26.27 percent, in central regions; and 232 million yuan, or 9.58 percent, in eastern regions.

5.4.3 Aid from local governments

In 2017, in addition to implementing the national grants and tuition exemptions policy, local governments also subsidized more than 5 million regular high school students. Of these students, about 3.92 million were in western regions, 941,500 in central regions, and 237,800 in eastern regions.

In addition to implementing the national grants and tuition exemptions policy, local governments provided an extra 5.23 billion yuan for student subsidies, of which 4.07 billion yuan went to western regions, 913 million yuan to central regions, and 250 million yuan to eastern regions.

5.4.4 Aid from schools

In 2017, regular high schools nationwide provided financial aid from their revenues for 912,300 students. Of these students, 299,600 were in western regions, 291,900 students in central regions, and 320,800 in eastern regions.

The total funding spent was 1.32 billion yuan, of which 355 million yuan was spent in western regions, 828 million yuan in central regions, and 133 million yuan in eastern regions.

5.4.5 Aid from social funds

In 2017, a total of 233,300 regular high school students received help from social funds. Of these students, 97,400 were in western regions, 98,700 in central regions, and 37,200 in eastern regions.

The total funding was 446 million yuan, of which 187 million yuan was in western regions, 200 million yuan in central regions, and 58 million yuan in eastern regions.

5.5 Financial aid to college and university students

In 2017, financial aid for higher education from governments, higher education institutions, and social funds totaled 105.07 billion yuan, benefiting about 42.76 million students. More than 50.88 billion yuan came from government funding, accounting for 48.43 percent of the total. Central government funding totaled 30.12 billion yuan, accounting for 28.67 percent, and local government funding was 20.76 billion yuan, accounting for 19.76 percent. Banks contributed 28.42 billion yuan to national student loan programs, accounting for 27.05 percent of the total aid package.

Universities and colleges spent 23.82 billion yuan of their revenues providing financial support for students, accounting for 22.67 percent of the total aid package.

Some 1.95 billion yuan, or 1.85 percent, came from social donations, including social groups, social entities, companies, and individuals.

5.5.1 Scholarships

In 2017, some 8.68 million students at colleges and universities benefited from national scholarships totaling 23.29 billion yuan, accounting for 22.16 percent of the total aid package.

Of these students, 50,000 at junior colleges, colleges and universities received 400 million yuan in national scholarships; 35,000 postgraduate students received 700 million yuan; and 10,000 doctoral students received 300 million yuan.

A total of 807,800 students at junior colleges, colleges, and universities received national endeavor scholarships totaling 4.04 billion yuan.

Some 1.43 million postgraduate students received a total of 10.43 billion yuan from academic excellence scholarships.

A total of 6.34 million students at colleges and universities received other forms of scholarships totaling 7.42 billion yuan.

5.5.2 Grants

In 2017, some 9.83 million students were supported by grants. The total funding was 31.2 billion yuan, accounting for 29.7 percent of the total financial aid for college and university students.

A total of 5.66 million students at junior colleges, colleges, and universities received 16.25 billion yuan from national grants; 2.2 million postgraduate students received 11.72 billion yuan; and 1.97 million college and university students received 3.24 billion yuan in other forms of financial aid.

5.5.3 National student loans

A total of 4.09 million students received student loans totaling 28.42 billion yuan, accounting for 27.05 percent of financial aid to college and university students. Of these students, 3.90 million received 27.02 billion yuan in student credit loans assessed by the region of their family’s permanent residence.

Finance departments provided 2.93 billion yuan to make up for the interest on the loans, of which 833 million yuan came from central finance and 2.10 billion yuan came from local finance.

5.5.4 Tuition and loan compensation for students and graduates enlisted in military service (including those enlisted as junior military officers)

A total of 156,400 enlisted students received 2.07 billion yuan in such compensation.

5.5.5 Tuition loan compensation for college graduates working at grass root levels

The compensation for such students was 600 million yuan, and 69,400 students benefited from the policy.

5.5.6 Free education and subsidies for students enrolled in teaching programs

Some 70,300 students studying at six major normal universities and several local normal colleges and universities benefited from free education and subsidies. The total funding for supporting them was 615 million yuan.

5.5.7 Financial aid for retired soldiers

A total of 10,700 retired soldiers received financial aid at colleges and universities. The funding for this purpose totaled 60.37 million yuan.

5.5.8 College enrollment aid for freshmen

About 100 million yuan was spent on supporting 153,500 students.

5.5.9 Allowance for graduate (teaching, research, administration) assistant positions

The compensation for these students totaled 5.18 billion yuan and around 1.68 million students benefited from this policy.

5.5.10 Work-study programs

A total of 3.62 million students received 2.60 billion yuan through part-time jobs offered by schools.

5.5.11 Other forms of subsidies

About 925 million yuan was given in allowances to help 1.48 million students from families suffering hardships.

More than 1.30 billion yuan was allocated as food allowances for 6.24 million students. Some 207,900 students benefited from tuition reduction and exemptions. The total of funding was 807 million yuan.

A total of 52,300 students benefited from on-campus interest-free loans. The total loans reached 342 million yuan.

Some 2.84 million students benefited from other channels of assistance, totaling 4.64 billion yuan.

In the fall semester of 2017, about 1.28 million students, or 15.11 percent of all freshmen students from impoverished families benefited from the “green channel” policy.