On August 28, the first-round (undergraduate) review meeting for the 2026 Changsha higher education charity aid program for children from financially struggling families took place. Key representatives from the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, Municipal Education Bureau, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, and the Municipal Charity Federation participated in the evaluation process.
Implementing this charity aid initiative for higher education is a key step in Changsha's drive to build a "strong education city" and deliver tangible benefits to its residents. As of 2025, the program has run consistently for 22 years, distributing a cumulative total of 208 million yuan in scholarships and precisely assisting 62,398 underprivileged university students. It has earned the "China Charity Outstanding Contribution Award" in its second edition and the "Hunan Charity Award" for Most Influential Charity Project in its third edition, drawing widespread positive recognition from the community.
This year, to further strengthen the safety net for higher education among disadvantaged families, the newly revised "Management Measures for Higher Education Charity Scholarships for Children from Financially Difficult Families in Changsha" (Changzhengbanfa [2026] No. 15) was officially released on July 7, following approval at a regular meeting of the municipal government. In line with the updated scholarship management rules, the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau and the Municipal Charity Federation jointly issued the "2026 Work Plan for Higher Education Charity Aid for Children from Financially Difficult Families in Changsha," kicking off this year's aid operations.
According to the plan, a total of 15 million yuan in scholarship funds has been earmarked for this year, with the aid process carried out in three stages: the first stage supports new undergraduate enrollment, and the second stage supports new vocational college (junior college) enrollment, each providing 5,000 to 8,000 yuan per student from needy families. The third stage offers extended aid, granting 4,000 yuan per student to those who received program support between 2022 and 2025, are currently excelling in their university or graduate studies, and whose families remain in significant financial distress.
Following the prescribed procedures set out in the "Management Measures for Higher Education Charity Scholarships for Children from Financially Difficult Families in Changsha," the city has confirmed 764 underprivileged university students for this first round, with total scholarship disbursements reaching 4.792 million yuan. Among them, 324 students who are children of minimum living security families, persons in extreme difficulty, orphans, or de facto orphans each receive 8,000 yuan; 36 students from families on the edge of minimum living security, children of monitoring targets for preventing poverty relapse, children from families with rigid expenditure difficulties, and 404 other eligible recipients each receive 5,000 yuan.
It has been noted that the Municipal Charity Federation will complete the distribution of the 4.792 million yuan in first-round (undergraduate) aid before September 1. Currently, the application and review process for the second round (junior college) is progressing in an orderly manner, with funds expected to be disbursed in mid-October. The third round of extended aid will be initiated in November, with distribution finalized by December.
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