Education Minister Zhou Ji has time again underscored the country's resolve to help all qualified students find a niche in college.

The official told a press conference yesterday that the central government is making painstaking effort to establish a multi-layer student financial aid system for vocational education and higher education. With most of the funds coming from public finance, about 50 billion (US$6.6 billion) a year from now on, it will assist students from needy families to realize their college ambitions.

To a country with a long tradition of valuing knowledge and education, equal opportunities for all to go to college has been an important part of education equity which, in turn, serves as a barometer of social equity.

Launched in 1999, the student financial aid system has been improving and expanding rapidly. Today, it offers an array of schemes ranging from scholarships, tuition waivers to student loans.

The national students' loan system alone had benefited about 2.4 million students as of June last year.

The improved national student aid system will benefit 20 million students from poverty-stricken families every year and contribute to raising the quality of the entire nation.

In this regard, the society is making contributions too as more and more NGOs and individuals have involved themselves in aid-the-poor campaigns.

While both the government and the society wish for a healthy development of the student aid system, attention should also be paid to cultivating a caring mentality in those who have benefited from the scheme.

After all, the students are expected to become rich in knowledge and ready to repay the society with their contributions after they graduate with financial support from government or the society.

Recently, frequent media exposure of students defaulting in repaying loans has raised concerns about the sustainability of the national scheme as well as the credibility of college students.

While there might be various reasons for the defaulting of loans, it has become a matter of concern.

Efforts need to be made to plug the loopholes in the loan system to lower the financial risks for financial institutions.

(China Daily September 13, 2007)