On February 24, 2003 (January 24, 2003 in the lunar calendar), the first national scholarship was awarded to 45,000 college students to benefit. On February 24, 2003, 4. 50,000 students from ordinary colleges and universities across the country who were both outstanding in their studies and in financial difficulties were awarded the first national scholarship. Vice Premier Li Lanqing attended the "First National Scholarship Issuance Ceremony" held in the Great Hall of the People, issued scholarships to the representatives of the scholarship recipients, and took a photo with them. The national scholarship system was studied and decided at the 10th meeting of the National Leading Group for Science and Technology Education. It was established for the first time in ordinary colleges and universities across the country since 2002. It aims to improve the policy system for colleges and universities in our country to subsidize students with financial difficulties and help students with financial difficulties to complete their studies smoothly. To this end, the central government allocates 200 million yuan each year, and the special project is used to subsidize 50,000 economically disadvantaged students in ordinary colleges and universities across the country. Among them, 10,000 first prize students receive a scholarship of 6,000 yuan per person; 50,000 second prize students receive a scholarship of 4,000 yuan per person; at the same time, schools are required to reduce all tuition fees for all students who receive state scholarships. The Party Central Committee and the State Council have always attached great importance to the problem of economically disadvantaged students in colleges and universities. A series of policies such as "awards, loans, assistance, supplements and reductions" have been issued, including state student loans. Among them, the state student loan approved 590,000 students by the end of last year, and the loan contract amount has been signed 5.10 billion yuan. In her speech, Zhi Juan, a student from Peking University who received a national scholarship, expressed the gratitude of college students in economic difficulties to the party, the country and the people, and expressed the need to study hard to become a socialist builder and successor with all-round development.