CHEN YI, the 17-year-old son of Chen Xuqing, the Shanxi Province farmer who committed suicide two months ago after being unable to pay for his son's university education, has been admitted to a university.

He will major in civil engineering at Taiyuan University of Technology, the province's best tertiary institution and a key national-level university.

Chen Yi's hopes of going to university were buoyed after people made generous donations following reports on his family's plight in July, the South China Morning Post said yesterday.

"Please thank those who have helped me. I will study hard at school and help my family to live a better life after graduation," Chen Yi said, sitting in his simple home in Yushe County.

Chen Xuqing, 43, killed himself June 19, a week after learning his son had scored high marks in the National College Entrance Examinations.

He left behind his 39-year-old wife, his parents, in their 70s, and Chen Yi and his three siblings, aged between 11 and 16.

The Post has received more than HK$143,000 (US$18,387) from readers since reporting the tragedy. Most of the money will be used to pay for Chen Yi's university education and his living expenses.

In addition, the family has accepted about 35,000 yuan donated through the Shanxi Evening Post, which also reported Chen Yi's story.

Most of that money was used to pay off a debt the family had struggled with for 11 years.

For farmers living in poverty and trying to make a living from a small plot of land, the best chance of having a better life is sending their children to university.

Editor: Wing