China’s education minister has recently released a regulation tightening the hold on profit-making, private higher education institutions. The regulation essentially declared that private institutions must prioritize public interest over economic gain. Fees must be re-invested into campus improvement and intensive audits will scrutinize university financial records. In the last 20 years, the Chinese government has pushed privately-run colleges to assist students who have failed the public university entrance exams, and as they do not receive the financial support the government offers to public schools and are forced to incur fees that are two or three times higher. Nonetheless, the disparity between rural income and student fee increases has recently attracted much political disdain. The government is also taking strides to combat the fee barriers that rural primary and middle school students have faced. Tuition and other fees for rural students will be eliminated, touching an estimated 150 million students. Spending on rural primary and middle schools will increase 20%. Ministry of Education