Archives of interest-free student loans in schools with yellowed pages. Photo courtesy of xidian university
"Graduation is just around the corner, and there will be less teachers in my ears in the future ‘ Nagging ’ , but also to maintain good credit habits, repayment on schedule to safeguard personal credit … …” John young, a teacher of the Student Financial Assistance Management Center of xidian university (hereinafter referred to as "Xidian"), gave careful instructions to the students who had completed the loan graduation confirmation.
In order to implement the requirements of the Notice of the Ministry of Education on Vigorously Carrying out the Theme Activities of Sponsoring Honesty Education for College Students in 2023, the school recently organized the theme activities of "Honesty Publicity and Education Month", and continued to carry out a series of financial knowledge and loan repayment knowledge propaganda among students, so as to escort the successful graduation of loan students.
An interview with the reporter of Zhongqingbao Zhongqingwang was informed that, while insisting on handling national student loans for students’ places of origin and campus, the school specially set up interest-free student loans on campus — — For more than 30 years, it has played a leading role in educating people, such as helping the poor, promoting learning and strengthening ambition, and greatly improved the effect of aiding and educating people with precise funding.
In 1986, Xidian set up an on-campus loan scholarship through self-financing, which became an effective supplement to scholarships, grants, student loans and other funded projects, enabling students with financial difficulties to study and live at school with peace of mind. When the school loan scholarship was first established, it was mainly for college students with financial difficulties, and each student could apply for no more than 250 yuan per academic year. After applying for the on-campus loan scholarship, there is no need to repay it during the study period.
After more than 30 years, the scale of the school loan scholarship project has been continuously expanded, the scope and objects of funding have been adjusted and improved many times, and it has gradually developed into the current interest-free school loan, and the funding standard has also been raised to 2,000 yuan per academic year.
"In response to on-campus loans, the school has successively introduced a series of management systems." You Wujing, deputy director of the Student Affairs Office of Xidian University, said: In the early stage of the project application, the counselor will strengthen the visit and arrangement, focusing on students in ethnic areas, special difficulties or those who are trapped due to unexpected situations, and have a one-on-one talk to understand the needs and ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the funding. During the evaluation of each class, a student financial assistance group will also be set up for democratic evaluation to ensure that no one is missed.
In order to better publicize the subsidy policy, the school has also set up a team of teachers’ subsidy work and a team of students’ subsidy publicity ambassadors, combining online and offline, entering the classroom and going deep into the dormitory to publicize the pre-loan policy. Over the past 30 years, Xidian has issued more than 50 million yuan of interest-free student loans and subsidized more than 60,000 students, and the project has the ability of self-circulation.
With the development of economy and society, the interest-free student loan projects in the school have been constantly adjusted and enriched, from "guarantee" to "development", and an all-round and diversified student financial aid system of "award, loan, help, supplement, diligence, reduction and compensation" has been established.
In 2016, the application conditions for interest-free student loans on campus were relaxed, and all undergraduates can apply for it, which can be used for personal interest and ability improvement training, summer social practice, participation in academic conferences and various scientific research and innovation activities. The school also stimulates the endogenous motivation of students’ ability improvement through the method of loan relief on campus.
"At the stage when the on-campus loan is only for students with financial difficulties, the school gives 10% reduction to the loan students, which is inclusive." You Wujing said that now, if students with financial difficulties are identified, they will continue to be given relief. At the same time, if students are outstanding in doing good deeds, helping others, academic competitions, innovation and entrepreneurship, academic research, engineering practice, etc., they will also be given a certain percentage of relief. For graduates who are employed in key units or grass-roots units, enlisted for compulsory military service or recruited as non-commissioned officers, this school policy is also applicable, and full relief will be given when repayment is made. Encouraged by the new measures, 209 students have successfully applied for school loan relief in the past seven years, with the amount of relief reaching more than 260,000 yuan.
In order to facilitate repayment channels, the school has developed a "repayment self-service system". Before graduation, students log in through identity authentication, and after checking that the repayment information is correct, they can scan the code for self-service repayment, and the whole process takes only 3 minutes. On the eve of graduation every year, the school will also carry out the theme education of "Integrity Publicity Month", and carry out "honesty and trustworthiness" discussions in various forms, such as issuing integrity proposals, establishing integrity files, and selecting stars of integrity and self-improvement, so as to guide students to stand on their own feet and share opportunities for life.
"Warm and powerful" is the evaluation of JiNing, a graduate of Xidian University in 2022, on the interest-free student loan policy in his alma mater. During his school days, he applied for on-campus loans and national student loans for study and life. After four years of struggle, he was sent to Peking University for postgraduate study. "The subsidy policy of the state and schools is the biggest backing for students with financial difficulties from families, which gives me the confidence to work harder in my studies." JiNing said.
It is reported that Xidian has successively issued the "Implementation Plan for Improving the Quality of Sponsored Education" and the "Implementation Plan for Implementing the Top Ten Education Systems" to transform the school’s red cultural resources into educational advantages. At the same time, we will implement the action plan of development-oriented financial aid to educate people, and promote development-oriented financial aid to educate people with four plans: practical education, interest enhancement, skill enhancement and care and care, effectively combining poverty alleviation with wisdom and ambition.
In the past three years, the further education rate and employment rate of students assisted by the school are higher than those of undergraduates. At the same time, a group of Xidian students have emerged who donated scholarships to left-behind children and rural primary school students, donated hematopoietic stem cells for free, and used their knowledge to develop relevant systems to help fight crime.
"In the next step, the school will continue to optimize and adjust the school-funded projects according to the actual needs of students, helping students with financial difficulties in their families to study without worry, live a secure life, realize their dreams and live up to their youth." The relevant person in charge of the Xidian Student Financial Assistance Management Center said.
Zhongqingbao Zhongqingwang reporter Sun Haihua Source: China Youth Daily
