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Program Description |
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This program is targeted to high school students who have strong performance but come from poor families in nationally designated poverty counties. They will be funded and motivated to meet the challenges in the high school and make entry to the tertiary education. In 2006, under this program, BCF provided RMB 1 million to 1000 students who are from Shaanxi's 10 poverty counties and Sichuan's 20 poverty counties.
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Project Background |
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With the State's inputs in compulsory education becoming more and more, it is just a matter of time that poor students' access to compulsory education will be ensured. For higher education, the State and civil society are giving much attention to poor college students, subsidies, allowance, scholarship and student loans are widely available. However, relatively less attention is given to high school students, few students can be given external assistance, even the students who have super performance may be dropped off school due to financial difficulties of families, this will ruin their bight future.
In such case, BCF decides to expand its scholarship program from compulsory education to high school education, while the size of compulsory education program will not be changed, the poor high students with excel performance will be provided with assistance to complete their education.
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Implementation |
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In March, 2006, BCF staffs investigated highs schools in rural poor area (nationally designated poverty counties) for one month with a view to understanding the supported extended to poor students by schools, financial assistance provided by other sources and status of poor students' families. The investigation finds most of the high schools are in debt, there is limited fund available to poor students to waive their tuition; there is few other source of funding for most of the schools, furthermore, there is high proportion of poor students in schools and some of them have to be dropped off school due to finance hardship.
In April, 2006, BCF worked with Sichuan Provincial Information Center(SPIC), Education Department of Shaanxi and Ankang Education Bureau of Shaan Xi to launch a Bright China Scholarship Program in 20 poverty counties of 7 municipalities of Sichuan and 10 poverty counties in Ankang of Shaanxi.
In May, 2006, the winners of the Scholarship was selected through school announcement, class competition, village verification, school-wide screening and random inspection by BCF.
During June- September of 2006, the BCF reviewed qualifications of the candidates.
In October, 2006, the scholarships were rewarded to the students, ceremony was held in each school with participation of all teachers and students to present the honor to the students. It should be noted that SPIC opened a banking card for each recipient, the scholarship is transferred to their accounts directly rather than through intermediaries, this secures the fund to be transferred to the students.
During November to December, 2006, post evaluation of the program was carried out, feedbacks from students, schools and partners were collected. ĄŁ
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