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Educating
children for several years
will benefit them for decades, and
will benefit a country for centuries.

Programs

Financial Aid to Rural Students (FARS)

Many rural children miss the opportunity to go to school for various reasons. In most cases, poor parents cannot afford the schooling expenses. In some families, children have to stay home to help with the work in the house or in the fields. In the sparsely populated mountainous areas where schools are spread out and transportation is not available, children have difficulty walking to school everyday. Among the nomadic peoples, children's schooling is often interrupted as their families migrate.

Support a rural student in China for a year

US$100 per Junior High Student
US$200 per Senior High Student
US$400 per College Student
US$100 per Student with Disabilities

How to Donate to FARS

ESS representatives work with local institutions and school communities to identify the students in need of assistance. Detailed implementation arrangements vary from province to province. ESS representatives may send the scholarship funds directly to the student recipient or to his/her school. Schools keep the scholarship funds in special accounts from which withdrawals are made each term to pay for the student's books and miscellaneous school fees. ESS representatives verify that the scholarship recipients sign for these expenses, that the parents are informed, and that the funds are used for their intended purposes.

A contribution of US$100 supports two junior secondary students for a year. 90% percent of the contribution pays for the student's books, miscellaneous school fees and/or room and board; the remaining 10% is used for ESS administrative expenses in the US and China (postage, telephone and fax communication, transportation, etc.). Contributors may also sponsor senior high students (at US$200 for a student per year) or college students (at US$350 for a student per year). Sponsors receive via ESS feedback information including personal details of the scholarship recipients, signed receipts, thank you letters, study reports and transcripts.

Distribution of SERC Scholarship Recipients 1997-2007

School Year	H S./Voc. H.S.	Junior H. S.	Primary School	College	Students with Disabilities	Total
1997		33				33
1998		139	77			216
1999		351	84			435
2000	25	582	50			657
2001	69	763	50			882
2002	174	908	274			1,356
2003	403	1,734	514			2,651
2004	504	1,623	481	3		2,611
2005	607	1,503	588	10		2,708
2006	874	716	36	47	54	1,727
2007	998	396	83	61	124	1,662
2008	888	323	7	86	124	1,428
Total	4,542	9,071	2,244	207	302	16,366