A special fund of 60,000 yuan to help 200 poorer students go home during the winter break has been set up for the first time by Tsinghua University. They've also put in place a Spring Fund to support poor students with 40 million yuan having been collected and 30 million yuan of that was contributed directly by University.
Tsinghua University revealed on December 18 that there were always some students who couldn't get home for the Spring Festival because they couldn't afford the transport. Those students short of funds will receive return transportation costs this winter vacation. And on campus 210 jobs will be provided to poorer students to support them over the winter break.
The University got the initiative off the ground through donations and its own contribution. The Spring Fund is an endowment scheme with profits being used in particular to assist those students from poorer families.
According to the University, the financial support received by these students will increase 66 percent due to establishment of the fund.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua, December 20, 2006)
