Scholarships increased for international students

International students receiving scholarships from the Chinese government will see an increase in their financial support.

According to a notice released by the ministries of finance and education on Wednesday, undergraduates will get up to 66,200 yuan ($10,700), master's students 79,200 yuan and doctoral students 99,800 yuan each year.

The new standard, which applies to students who enrolled in September, took into consideration factors including rising prices and the costs for Chinese higher education institutes, the ministries said.

The new standard divides Chinese scholarships into three types, according to majors and levels of study.

Undergraduate students majoring in philosophy, economics, law, liberal arts and management, for example, will get a package of 59,200 yuan for an academic year - 20,000 yuan for tuition, 8,400 yuan for accommodation, 800 yuan for medical insurance and 30,000 yuan for living expenses.

Before the change, the tuition for international undergraduate liberal arts students ranged up to 26,000 yuan a year, while tuition for master's students ranged up to 30,000 yuan and for doctoral students up to 34,000 yuan.

Science and engineering majors are charged 10 to 30 percent more, and those studying medicine, arts and physical education have to pay 50 to 100 percent more.

Students receiving scholarships were especially excited for the increase in monthly living expenses, which rose from 1,400 yuan a month to an average of 2,500 yuan each month for undergraduate students.

Isabella Greene, a visiting student from the United States who is studying the Chinese language at Beijing Foreign Studies University on a scholarship, was extremely happy to hear the news.

Greene, who previously received a monthly living expense of 1,700, will get about 3,000 yuan each month under the new standard.

She said the present monthly living expense only covers basic needs, such as food, books and some clothing.

"It will be a great help," she said of the increase.

zhaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn