設立17年的國家獎學金迎變革 Thresholds for undergraduate and college students applying for the national scholarship have been updated, according to a statement jointly released by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China. Applicants for the Undergraduate and College Students National Scholarship should be sophomores or above ranked in the top 10 percent among their peers in both academic performance and comprehensive evaluation. Applications from students ranked in the top 30 percent among their peers with outstanding performance in innovation, academic competitions, intramural activities and social work will also be accepted. According to the new thresholds, applicants should be of Chinese nationality. Gold medalists in national entrepreneur contests can add weight to their ratings. The scholarship is awarded each school year to 50,000 undergraduate and college students across the country. Starting this year, 10,000 additional scholarships will be given to full-time college students. Each winner will receive 8,000 yuan (US$ 1,131), said a staffer with the financial department of the Ministry of Education. (Wang Haolan) | 