BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Tuitions to China's universities, which range from 5,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan (1,200 U.S. dollars) a year, are about 25 times higher than they were in 1989, according to the China Youth and Children Research Center (CYCRC).

    Annual incomes of urban residents have not nearly kept pace with tuition fees, rising only four times what they were at the end of the 1980's. When increases in the cost of living are considered, the actual increase in urban incomes is only 2.3 times more than in 1989, according to the research center's report released on Wednesday.

    Rocketing tuitions have led to a sharp increase in the number of needy university students who can't continue their education simply because they can't afford it, an official with the center said.

    He quoted a survey by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) that family's savings are mainly used to cover the cost of education.

    Meanwhile, the rate of increase of tuitions is far higher than increased university funding provided by governments, says an official from the center quoting the PBOC's survey.

    The center's report said educational institutions have turned into profit making institutions.

    Fang Yi, another CYCRC official, said "We are unable to find excuses for not properly funding education nowadays considering the rapid rise of China's GDP and increased tax revenues."