LANZHOU, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- As a state-level education poverty-alleviation program, the west development needy students helping project, has provided financial aid to more than 1,000 students from northwest China's Gansu Province.

    Jointly initiated by the Department of Publicity of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Spiritual Civilization Work Office and Ministry of Education in 2000, the project aims to help needy students with good academic records and moral qualities.

    An official with the Gansu provincial civilization work office said 610 needy college students from the province were aided financially by the project, among whom 200 have graduated.

    Additionally, the official noted, the project started to finance the middle school students in Gansu since 2003.

    By the end of 2005, 400 senior high school students from more than 50 counties received help from the project.

    Niu Tingting, who now studies in Northwest Normal University, is one of the students benefiting from this project.

    Coming from the county of Qin'an, the girl once had to quit school due to poverty.

    She said it was the project that helped her continue the studies at university.

    Currently, the project is running in 12 provinces and autonomous regions in west China, and is helping more than 10,000 students from needy families. Enditem