Universities use cash to grab grads

With the college entrance examination still a month away, some universities have already begun to fight for the best high school graduates by offering generous scholarships.

One third-level university has offered grants of 320,000 yuan to attract elite students and many second- and third-tier universities have also boosted their scholarships in reaction to a sharp decline in the number of high school students applying for university places.

The number of university applicants in Beijing dropped from 100,000 last year to 80,000.