China’s universities will admit more poor students from rural areas, according to the government’s college admissions plan. The policy, introduced by the Ministry of Education, allocates 12,100 vacancies to students from 680 poverty-stricken counties in 21 provincial areas, the Xinhua news agency reported. Residents in those areas earn on average 2,676 yuan (£270) a year – about half the national figure. High school graduates from the counties will be given preferential treatment in an attempt to address regional discrepancies in Chinese education.
Source: Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=420712&c=1