If you think you “can't afford” school, run the policy numbers first: tuition at secondary vocational schools is mostly waived, the stipend is 2300 CNY, and student loans go up to 20,000 (2万) a year
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
At public secondary vocational schools (中职), rural students, urban students in agriculture-related majors and students from low-income families already have tuition waived. Since spring 2025, the stipend for secondary vocational and regular high school students is 2300 CNY a year. At college, the stipend is 3700 CNY a year, and a student loan lets you borrow up to 20,000 (2万) CNY a year. If money is short you can delay, or find another way; it is rarely so bad that you must quit school and go to work right now.
Mentioned in
- Count schooling in the death-rate ledger too: each extra year of education lowers adult death risk by about 1.9%
- Turn “study or work” into a calculation: compare the three years of pay you'd earn by working now against the yearly income gap you'd gain over the next several decades by staying in school
- Check the entry requirements first: the age and education requirements for all twelve paths are written down in black and white
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 23, tip 4. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer