Students across China are getting ready to start school this month. But for families from poverty-stricken areas, education fees may be a lurking barrier. In response, the central government has set up the Green Channel to help them.

At Peking University, a poor student from Jiangxi Province has completed his application for 24,000 yuan. With the Green Channel program allowing him to attend school, the loan of roughly three thousand US dollars will enable him to focus on his studies for the next four years.

Student's father said:"Without the loan, we would have had to go home."

A college student said:"My family is very poor and I have not even got an penny. It is Green Channel that helped me."

Universities emphasized that financial aid is just one aspect of the program. Funding also goes towards general training in areas such as computer and social skills as well as financial management.

Director of Work Study of China Agriculture University Li Peijing said:"Spiritual aid is also important. These students with financial difficulty will be able to talk with senior students about their experiences as well as join in public events with them. Thus they learn more to be much self-dependent. "

This year, many universities have expanded their financial aid. Work-study programs, allowing students to earn wages while attending school, have also been introduced.

This is the case at Beijing Science and Technology University, which has allocated 5 million yuan, or about 600 thousand US dollars, to aid students with finacial difficuty. But despite the larger budget, the school also puts emphasis on applicants to fund their own education through work-study.

Editor: Wing