September 1 is the momentous day when students register at their
universities. This day symbolizes the start of a new semester and
this day inevitably evokes mixed feelings: hopes, dreams, fears,
jubilation and anxiety.
This academic year the government has stipulated that without
the formal approval of Chinese educational authorities, tuition
fees and accommodations cannot be raised arbitrarily. So what is
the current situation?
New Semester, More
Fees?
September 1 is the momentous day when students register at their
universities. This day symbolizes the start of a new semester and
this day inevitably evokes mixed feelings: hopes, dreams, fears,
jubilation and anxiety.
This academic year the government has stipulated that without
the formal approval of Chinese educational authorities, tuition
fees and accommodations cannot be raised arbitrarily. So what is
the current situation?
No rise in public universities
September 5 witnessed the freshman Zhao Jing's first day as a
student in the Economics Department of the Renmin University of
China. She had previously applied for the state educational loans
to cover her 5,000 yuan tuition (US$625) and 800 yuan accommodation
fee (US$100).
Her father said: "Both of my children are in college now. Zhao
Jing has an older sister who was enrolled in the Northern
University for Nationalities in the Ningxia Autonomous Region two
years ago. My family has to spend more than 10,000 yuan (about
US$1250) on her education and necessities every year. For all four
years, we will need more than 50,000 yuan (US$6250)."
"Thanks to the government's policy, the educational fees have
not been raised. Even so, we almost cannot bear to pay them as they
are now," he added.
More...
Two Decades Witness Changes of
Education Fees
Xiao Meiyuan hails from a small and remote village in Wangcheng
County of Hunan Province. She clearly remembers that in the early
1980s, except for their traveling expenses, students in her village
didn't pay any extra fees for their university education. Now, 17
years later, with 2,800 yuan (US$350) in tuition fees and 600 yuan
(US$75) in accommodation charges, her son has gone to college.
The year of 1997 witnessed the national implementation of a
self-funded higher education policy. At that time college students
began to contribute part of their education fees.
And now? According to Vice Education Minister Zhang Baoqing,
after the state's studies into an average school's annual costs,
the per capita education fees range from 14,000 yuan (US$1,750) to
10,000 yuan (US$1,250). Students are required to pay for nearly a
quarter of the total amount, 3,500 yuan (US$437.5).
But in fact, college charges in the Guangxi Autonomous Region
ranged from 5,000 yuan (US$625) to 6,000 yuan (US$750) while the
average charge standard for Shanghai's universities and colleges is
5,000 yuan (US$625) per academic year.
Statistics from Professor Wang Shanmai, director of the Research
Center of Education Economics under Beijing Normal University,
showed that the average growth rate during 1993 and 1997 was 27.65
percent. In 1999, the tuition fees reached 2,769 yuan (US$346),
jumping about 40.3 percent higher than in 1998.
The charges kept soaring. In 2000, the average education costs
were up to 5,000 yuan (US$625) and accommodation charges increased
from 200-300 yuan (US$25—37.5) to around 1,000 yuan (US$125).
More...
No Changes in Tuition under CPI
Pressure
The consumer price index (CPI) – a key gauge of inflation – hit
a 10-year high of 5.6 percent in July and rose by an average of 3.5
percent in the first seven months of the year. Rising food costs
contributed an increase of 2.9 percentage points, according to the
National Development and Reform Commission.
Public concern over recent soaring CPI has provoked fear that
tuition fees will also rise. To date, education authorities in
Guangxi Autonomous Region have managed not to raise their education
fees.
Information from local authorities indicates that the average
fees ran about 12,000 yuan (US$150) per academic year. But in fact,
college charges ranged from 5,000 yuan (US$625) to 6,000 yuan
(US$750).
Meanwhile, the average ratio of students from impoverished
families in Guangxi"s colleges has reached 10 percent.
"Under CPI pressure, the school needs to try its best to ease
the financial burden of their students," stressed Huang Zhaokang,
headmaster of the Guangxi Polytechnic Institute of Construction.
"Bank pressures and a population of 5.5 percent impoverished
students are heavy burdens for us. The school"s primary income
derives from tuition fees, accommodations and meals."
He said that in order to stabilize the price of meals served in
its canteens in the wake of recent hikes in food prices, the school
has lowered rent for cafeteria contractors in order to reduce their
costs.
To get more financial support, he admitted that the school has
initiated larger activities and charged training courses.
More...
Shanghai Enhances Education Fees
Management
Having successfully applied for the state educational loans, a
freshman surnamed Sun from the Micro-Electronics Department of the
East China Normal University was able to pay his 5,000 yuan
(US$625) tuition and 800 yuan (US$100) accommodation fees.
"The fees are reasonable and acceptable. Maybe they are the
lowest in Shanghai," said Sun.
The average charge standard for Shanghai's universities and
colleges is 5,000 yuan (US$625) per academic year and according to
local regulations, without the formal approval of educational
authorities, tuition and accommodation fees cannot be raised
arbitrarily.
Jin Liyan from the East China University of Political Science
and Law said that the average tuition fee for law is 7,000 yuan
(US$875), higher than other majors.
"Several years ago, the average costs were as much as about
10,000 yuan (US$1250). But now we pay less and our accommodation
charges do not rise. It is great for us students," Jin added.
Qiu Sainan from Shanghai Normal University said: "As a student,
no matter how high the education fees are, we have to pay for
it."
She questioned the need to pay 5,000 yuan tuition for one
academic year. "It is too vague and unclear. We do not know how
these charges are made."
More...
Former Vice Minister Explains
Education Fees
According to former Vice Education Minister Zhang Baoqing, it is
still difficult to accurately calculate tuition fees.
He explained that there are two ways to estimate the education
costs. One is "academic year payment" which means that all
expenditures of school in one academic year should be factored in;
the other is called "tuition fees including investment" that cover
all the investments and costs during the past years as well as in
the future.
"In fact, both of the methods are difficult to put into
practice," he said, adding that China generally adopts the second
method.
Zhang said that there is no standard for scientific allocation
of the long-term investments on fundamental facilities to college
students, such as land, academic buildings, dormitory compounds and
research centers.
More...
Colleges Stabilize Meal
Prices
The consumer price index hit a 10-year high of 5.6 percent in
July, causing students to worry that their meal prices on campus
would also go up.
Statistics showed that the average price of a dish served up in
university cafeterias in Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou recently had
increased by 0.1 yuan (1.3 cents) to one yuan (13 cents).
Some students from Peking University are even choosing to dine
at neighboring Tsinghua University because the latter is currently
maintaining cheaper meal prices.
Resources from Xinhua News Agency reported that the central
government has earmarked an 8.44 million yuan allowance fund
(US$1.055 million) for more than 600,000 college students from
impoverished families in Guangxi Autonomous Region to cover two
months' living expenses.
The Ministry of Education ordered all universities to stabilize
their canteen meal prices in the wake of recent food price
hikes.
The cost of keeping the canteen meal prices down will be borne
by the universities and local governments, which have been told to
increase subsidies to campus cafeterias.
More...
(China.org.cn by Wang Ke September 11, 2007)
