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A decline in the number of qualified and possible graduate school students has been recently noted.
The total number of candidates taking entrance exam has dropped according to a recent report. There was a significant drop in the number of examinees in the recently concluded national graduate school entrance examination for this year that took place over the weekend.
According to admission officials, the likely culprit for the recent decline is the discontinuance of the tuition-free postgraduate courses. The Ministry of Education has reported that approximately 1.72 million college graduates took the postgraduate qualification test this year. This is about 40,000 less examinees compared to last year and was also the first notable decline over the past five years.
Based on the official report of the Beijing Education Examinations Authority, there is an approximately 7.85 percent drop in the number of examinees this year as compared to last year. About 250,000 applicants for graduate school studies applied for entrance to universities in the nation's capital this year. Several policy changes are implemented beginning this year. This is the first time that the tuition-free postgraduate education system is abolished and instead replaced by university-based scholarship grants.
This year is also the first time that the age limit restrictions are lifted. It should be noted that the former policies of the Ministry of Education include age limits for applicants. Those who are 40 years old and above cannot avail of the tuition-free postgraduate courses. However, those who are willing to pay their own tuition fees may still avail of the graduate school programs.
The recent changes in the policies for graduate school programs entail that most student now need to pay their own tuitions if they do not qualify for state-sponsored scholarships in the universities. The lifting of the age restrictions on the other hand, has placed emphasis on the fact academic merits is now more important than age. Students who are academically good will have less difficulty winning scholarship grants.
Nonetheless, officials have pointed out that the recent exam was also the most difficult in recent years.
