BEIJING -- Financial aid allocated in 2019 to students in China's various education institutions, from kindergartens to universities, amounted to 212.6 billion yuan (about $30 billion), up 4.07 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

This marked growth for a 13th consecutive year, according to the ministry.

Of that, financial aid to students in China's higher education institutions amounted to around 131.7 billion yuan last year.

Data from the ministry showed that a total of 105.9 million students in China were offered financial aid in 2019, up 8.05 percent year-on-year.