China provided $147b in financial aid to students

China has provided more than 1 trillion yuan ($146.7 billion) in financial aid to 620 million students from 2012 to 2018, Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

Ma Jianbin, deputy director of the National Center for Student Financial Aid, said more than 98 million students in need from kindergarten to university received student aid in 2018, up 2.2 percent from 2017.

Student financial aid in China increased for the 12th consecutive year in 2018, reaching 204.3 billion yuan in 2018, up 8.5 percent year-on-year, he said.

The money was provided by various sources, including central and local governments, schools and social groups, he said.

Ma said China's financial aid program is aimed at ensuring no child is prevented from attending school because of poverty by 2020.

"It's an ongoing process," he added. "More input can be expected."