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Guangdong Country Garden Polytechnic in the city of Qingyuan in China's Guangdong Province is providing free education since a businessman founded it in 2014.
It was the first private vocational college to offer free education and accommodation for poor students.
The college now has 1,130 students. It offers seven majors related to hotel management, construction and preschool education.
Besides tuition, the college also provides accommodation and covers living expenses. The school says its students do not need to pay a penny but to study hard.
“We believe the best way to help a family out of poverty is to educate its child,” Su Chengbo, vice head of Guangdong Country Garden Polytechnic told CGTN.
“We teach them skills and help them find decent jobs, to prevent poverty from passing down to the next generation.”
Students take part in the practical training courses.
The vocational college provides practical training and theory courses. It collaborates with local companies to help students gain more experience through internships.
The first batch of 290 students graduated from the college in July 2017. They all have found jobs.
Chen Jiaodi is one of them, she now works as a housekeeping manager at a hotel in Qingyuan.
She told CGTN that her family was thrilled after she got her first salary.
Families with an annual income of less than 3,000 yuan (450 US dollars) are considered living below the poverty line in the province.
(CGTN)
