Tuition fees see first hike in ten years

Many Chinese universities are looking to give out more scholarships to students this academic year after it was announced that tuition fees would rise for the first time in more than ten years.

According to the Jiangsu province education department, tuition fees within Jiangsu for some university majors, including medicine, engineering, and liberal arts will increase by around 17.2 percent, from about 4,600 yuan a year to 5,500 yuan ($747 to $891) a year.

In Ningxia Hui autonomous region, tuition fees for majors such as science, engineering and agriculture will be increased by more than fifty percent.

Some universities in Guizhou, Zhejiang, and Shandong provinces will also see tuition hikes.

In southern Guangdong province, students enrolled for a bachelor’s degree will not see rises in tuition, however students pursuing a graduate degree will.

Ning Mei, a graduate student recently admitted to a Guangdong university said she has to pay more than 80,000 yuan ($12,900) over three years.

Wang Lupei, director of the financial bureau of Jiangsu province’s education department said that tuition in Jiangsu has not been adjusted in over fourteen years.

Wang says the extra funds will go into paying teachers, establishing new laboratories and purchasing equipment.

At the same time, some universities will offer more scholarships to under graduate and graduate students.

The story is broadcast by Eric Jou.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）