Tsinghua vows to help talented, disabled student reach potential

A disabled student who scored high enough on the college entrance exams to get into China's top universities was facing a quandary.

Wei Xiang, 19, a high school graduate in Dingxi, Gansu province, had scored 648 points out of 750 on the gaokao this month.

But Wei, born with spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal cord is malformed, uses a wheelchair and needs help due to complications from his condition. Wei's mother, a nurse, has raised him by herself since his father died in 2005.

Wei, hoping to study at Tsinghua University in Beijing in order to pursue a science career, sent a letter to the university hoping to be assigned a dorm room just for him and his mother if he is admitted to the prestigious institution.

If Wei is admitted, "considering my physical condition, my mother will have to quit her job to look after me at the university, which means we will lose our only source of income," Wei wrote. "I sincerely hope that Tsinghua could offer my mother and me a place to live when accepting me."

Wei's letter was posted on social media and attracted attention from many people, including Liu Zhen, director of the university's admissions office, who left a message under the post saying that university staff members would contact him to offer help.

"Tsinghua would not let any brilliant student lose the opportunity of receiving an education for financial reasons and would try its best to provide assistance and support," he said in the message.

On Tuesday, the office posted a letter to Wei on its WeChat account in response to Wei's request: "Please believe that there is enough support from Tsinghua, both on and outside campus. The university will not let any single excellent student miss out."

The admissions office said in the statement that Qiu Yong, the university's president, had called for more information about Wei, and Chen Xu, Party chief of the university, also asked the student affairs department to help solve problems facing the young man.

"In addition, some alumni have shown a willingness to support and assist you in further medical treatment, and more follow-up steps will be taken by related departments of the university," the statement said.

Xiang Chun, director of the university's Property Management Center, said on Tuesday that a dorm room would be available for Wei and his mother and that they would be exempt from dorm fees if Wei studies at the university.