China's student aid tops 390b yuan in 2025 as coverage expands

Student aid recipients in China neared 160 million in 2025, up more than 5 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday.

Total funding topped 390 billion yuan ($57.6 billion) in 2025, up by more than 14 percent from 2024, ministry data showed.

Government appropriations remained the primary source of funding, contributing about 240 billion yuan, or roughly 60 percent of the total, Liu Yuguang, head of the ministry's Department of Finance, said at a news conference.

Notably, State-subsidized student loans surged 34 percent year-on-year to 127.7 billion yuan in 2025, accounting for about one-third of all aid funds — a clear signal of the country's commitment to making education accessible to all, ensuring that every child, regardless of family background, has the opportunity to succeed, he said.

Guo Yuhe contributed to the story.