Regular Briefing on State Council Policy

The State Council Information Office will hold a regular State Council policy briefing on April 21, 2023, introducing the 2023 policy on interest-free and principal deferred repayment of national student loans, and answering questions from reporters. Follow us!

Q1

Q: Why continue to implement the policy of interest-free national student loans and deferred repayment of principal this year?

A:

This year, the number of college graduates across the country has exceeded 11 million, and employment pressure has increased. In order to further reduce the burden of college graduates from families with financial difficulties and ensure the overall stability of employment, the State Council has decided to continue the implementation of the national policy of interest-free student loans and deferred repayment of principal. This year, it is estimated that 2.325 billion yuan of loan interest will be exempted, and the scale of principal that can be applied for deferred repayment is about 5.5 billion yuan, benefiting about 4 million college graduates, helping loan students to ease their financial burden and employment pressure, and effectively helping loan students maintain their personal credit records. facilitate their smooth employment.

Q2

Q: National student loan interest-free and deferred repayment of principal, who can enjoy it, and do I need to apply?

A:

The current national student loan policy can be summed up in three main points, one is to waive the interest, the other is to apply for deferred repayment of the principal, and the third is to adjust the credit information of the undertaking bank accordingly.

1. Regarding the funding target: The target of interest exemption and deferred repayment of principal this time is loan students who graduated in 2023 and the previous year and should repay the principal or interest within 2023 . Before the notice was issued, a small number of graduates who had settled their national student loans were not included in the scope of this policy because their contracts had ended.

2. about the scope of coverage: The interest exempted is the national student loan interest that the loan student should pay in 2023, including the penalty interest incurred in the previous year's overdue loan in 2023 . The principal that can apply for deferred repayment is the principal of the national student loan that the loan student should repay within 2023.

3. about the implementation method: First, the interest is exempted this time, and the loan students do not need to apply, and the undertaking bank will handle it directly . For loan students who graduated in the previous year, the 2023 interest that has been repaid before the notice is issued, if the undertaking bank has not deducted the payment, the corresponding funds will not be deducted; if the payment has been deducted, the undertaking bank will refund the loan student . Second, for students who are in the loan repayment grace period, since they do not need to repay the loan principal in 2023, there is no need to apply for an extension of the loan principal repayment policy. The third is that for loan students who are in the loan principal repayment period, if they need to postpone the repayment of the principal, they can submit an application and perform relevant procedures according to the requirements of the undertaking bank; if they do not submit the application, they will default to repay the loan principal according to the original contract . We also remind loan students in need to pay attention to relevant notices and announcements in time to avoid missing them.

Q3

Q: What are the current student financial aid policies for higher education?

A:

In accordance with the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education have continuously improved and perfected the student aid policy system, realizing the three full coverage of the aid policy " all school stages, all schools, and all students from families with financial difficulties ". Specifically in the stage of higher education, an all-round funding system of "awards, loans, grants, subsidies, exemptions, and attendance" has been formed that is led by the government and actively participated by schools and the society.

The first is "awards", including national scholarships, national inspirational scholarships, academic scholarships, school scholarships, etc. Through the establishment of scholarships, students are encouraged to study hard and guide students to obtain funding through their own efforts.

The second is "loans", which support students from families with financial difficulties to apply for national student loans , which are used for tuition fees, accommodation fees, etc.

The third is "assistance". National scholarships are set up at the national level , and various levels and types of scholarships are set up in various colleges and universities in various places to work together to help students from families with financial difficulties solve their living difficulties.

The fourth is "subsidies", including short-term living expenses subsidies, food subsidies, etc., which are distributed by colleges and universities to eligible students from families with financial difficulties according to the actual situation.

The fifth is "exemption", which is to reduce or exempt tuition fees for students who meet certain conditions . For example, students in public-funded normal schools and students included in the "Excellent Teacher Program" can enjoy tuition fee reduction and exemption policies.

The sixth is "diligence". Students who have enough energy to study can engage in work-study programs provided by universities and get reasonable remuneration; graduate students can also apply for teaching assistants, research assistants, and management assistants to improve their learning and living conditions.

Q4

Q: What are the main contents of the current national student loan policy?

A:

One is to choose the type of loan . According to the different places where students apply, national student loans are divided into two types: national student loans at the campus and credit student loans at the place of origin . Full-time general undergraduates and postgraduates can choose to apply for national student loans at the location of the school or the place of household registration before enrollment according to their actual situation.

Second, the loan amount is increasing . Initially, the loan amount of the national student loan was limited to a maximum of 6,000 yuan per student per year. It will be raised twice in 2014 and 2021. At present, the maximum annual loan for undergraduate students is 12,000 yuan per student, and the maximum annual loan for graduate students is 16,000 yuan per student , both of which have been greatly improved. Loans are given priority to paying tuition fees and accommodation fees during the school period, and the excess can be used to make up for daily living expenses.