From Liuqiang.space.univs.cn, translated by CDT:
Xie Xiaozhuan, from a farming family in Hunan, graduated from Suzhou University in 2004 and enrolled into a graduate program at People’s University in Beijing. He itemized his expenditure during his four-year college to give people an idea of how much a peasant family pay for a college student.
The background of Xie’s family: The family of five is on the medium financial level in the village. The gross income of farming is 1200 Yuan ($150) per year. In order to support the family and two sons’ study, Xie’s father has gone to Guangdong to work for 20 years. The family is still living a hard life.
The following is the list of Xie’s expenditure in four years in college.
1. Tuition and Fees: 25,600 Yuan (including books)
2. Meals: 10,960 Yuan (It is about 8 Yuan per day)
3. Transportation: 2,190 Yuan (It includes train and bus fares)
4. Clothes: 1,700 Yuan
5. Living expenses: 837 Yuan
6. Equipment, entertainment and telephone bill: 5,798 Yuan
7. Preparation for graduate exams: 1,500 Yuan
8. Health Check-up: 1,200 Yuan
9. Job hunting: 4,000 Yuan
10. Medical: 600 Yuan
11. Dorm utilities: 800 Yuan
12. Internet: 2,920 Yuan
13. Expense for graduation: 900 Yuan (including travel)
Total: 60,000 Yuan ($7,500)
“In four years of college, I couldn’t afford to love, ” Xie said, “I had never seen a movie, except free ones. If you ask me whether I have some money related regret during my college life, I will say ‘yes.’ I almost lost a job offer because I didn’t have a mobile phone and the company could hardly contact me. But if you ask me whether I felt happy, I will also say ‘yes.’ Even though my college life was not that colorful like others, I got scholarship every year and took part time jobs. I still felt fulfilled and confident.”
