The government of Shaanxi province recently earmarked 20 million yuan ($3.16 million) collected from welfare lottery to support college students from poverty-stricken families.

According to the provincial finance department, poor students will get the money by the end of August and 16 million yuan of the total fund will support 3,300 newly enrolled poor students and 4 million yuan will be provided to 800 disabled students in schools.

Because the province had already announced policies that provide financial support to the students from rural poor families, the fund arranged this month focuses on the poor students from urban families and the orphans from the welfare centers, the finance department said.

Since 2011 when Shaanxi launched the policies for poor college students, 14,468 students from poor families in the province's urban and rural areas have enjoyed the support of welfare lottery fund to the tune of 61.7 million yuan.