The Tibet autonomous region gave more than 3.7 billion yuan ($535 million) in sponsorships supporting students last year, with more than 1.98 million students in the region benefiting, according to a statement released by the regional Department of Education recently.

Sponsorships are one of the region's most effective measures for dealing with poverty. The support has relieved pressure on poor families with limited means to pay for education.

The beneficiaries were from a full range of educational stages, from preschool to senior high school, vocational training school and higher education.

The statement said the region has built a funding system covering all educational stages at public and private schools. All students from families in financial difficulty are also covered by the system.