Is education in China free?
China
In February 2006, the government pledged to provide completely free nine-year education, including textbooks and fees. Annual education investment went from less than US$50 billion in 2003 to more than US$250 billion in 2011. However, there remains an inequality in education spending. In 2010, the annual education expenditure per secondary school student in Beijing totalled ¥20,023, while in Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces in China, only totalled ¥3,204. Free compulsory education in China consists of primary school and junior secondary school between the ages of 6 and 15. In 2011, around 81.4% of Chinese have received secondary education. By 2007, there were 396,567 primary schools, 94,116 secondary schools, and 2,236 higher education institutions in China.
China Scholarship Council
The China Scholarship Council (, CSC) is the Chinese Ministry of Education's non-profit organization that provides supports international academic exchange in China. CSC provides funding for Chinese citizens and residents to study abroad, and for foreign students and scholars to study in China. The agency predominantly provides scholarships to individuals, including in batches allocated to specific foreign universities .