landscape
A significant portion of blood donations in China comes from college students. In 2016, 14 million people donated blood, with donation rates per thousand population among civil servants, college students, army personnel, and medical staff notably higher than the national average of 10.5—reaching 69.2, 78, 55.8, and 52.5 respectively, according to Xinhua News.
Do a little bit more math unveils how much college students account for blood donation: in 2016, total Chinese college student is 36990000, so total people who participated in donation is 2,885,220—so, about 20% of blood donation comes from college students. Comparing to civil servants (total 7167000 civial servants in 2016), they contributed to about 3% of total donation.
donate for a bonus point
At my home university, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, blood donation is encouraged through various incentives, including scholarship bonus:
Incentives and Care for Blood Donating Students and Faculty at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Students and faculty who participate in voluntary blood donation will receive a blood donation care package. This package includes a blood donation care card loaded with a nutrition subsidy of
220 RMB(previously, a 20 RMB meal subsidy was added to the care card). This card can be used at various campus restaurants and supermarkets.Additionally, the package contains a snack worth 40 RMB. Students who participate in voluntary blood donation will also receive an extra 0.5 points towards their scholarship.
[translated excerpts from the official call-to-donation announcement, original file (in Chinese) archived here]
scholarship system mechanics
Key points: (1) scholarships are awarded by ranking of a score, and blood donation bonus is often a tie-breaker (2) scholarships are very important, and competitive.
The major scholarship that students compete for—the ‘People’s Scholarship’ issued by the Natioanl Bureau of Education—quota is allocated to each class according to a designated ratio. For example, I compete among the pilot class with a total of 18 students for the following quota:
- First-place: 18*2% = 0.36 -> 1 person.
- Second-place 18*6% = 1.08 -> 1 person.
- Third-place: 18*12% = 2.16 -> 2 person.
Students are ranked by their ‘comprehensive evaluation score’ which is mainly a weighted sum of their grades, physical exercises, adding a ‘bonus points’ which includes the aforementioned blood donation incentive:
The university’s scholarship comprehensive evaluation system offers bonus points for various activities between September of the previous year and August of the current year.
Notably, students can earn up to 0.5 points for each voluntary blood donation, with the potential to accumulate 1 point for two donations within a year.
Other bonus points can be earned for key roles in student association, participation in school-level competitions, and significant achievements in provincial, city, or national competitions. Additionally, there are substantial points available for contributions to research and publications in core journals. The system requires proof for all bonus items and disqualifies students for academic failures or misconduct.
competitions
The bonus from blood donations can decisively influence scholarship outcomes. Consider the top five competitors in my class:
| rank | ethical conduct (20) | normalized GPA (70) | fitness (10) | bonus (3) | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19.5 | 54.9 | 9.5 | 3 | 86.9 |
| 2 | 19 | 55.06 | 9.25 | 3 | 86.318 |
| 3 | 19.5 | 54.22525319 | 8.9 | 3 | 85.642255319 |
| 4 | 19.5 | 53.41176471 | 9.25 | 3 | 85.11676471 |
| 5 | 18.5 | 54.3660897 | 8.9 | 2.58 | 84.94806957 |
A single donation can shift the 5th student’s ranking significantly (he hadn’t donated any blood), emphasizing the competitive edge provided by these bonus points.
the donation rush
Scholarship is not only about money. The mental value that it carries, and more importantly, winning the ‘People’s Scholarship’ is a necessary for applying for further honors. Because of this huge incentive, students rush to get their blood donated.
Given the scarcity of blood donation opportunities—only five to six campus visits yearly by the Shanghai blood center, each time offering around 150-200 quotas—students often queue from as early as 6 a.m. to secure a donation form. Latecomers, even those arriving slightly past 7 a.m., risk missing out due to the limited number of forms available.
I’ve been there. Only got a form the second time.
reference
[1] 中国青年报. (2017, November 21). 我国血液安全供应水平位居全球前列 [China’s blood safety and supply levels rank among the top globally]. 新华网. Retrieved from http://www.xinhuanet.com//politics/2017-11/21/c_1121987111.htm
[2] 中华人民共和国教育部. (2017, July 10). 2016年全国教育事业发展统计公报 [2016 National Education Development Statistics Bulletin]. 中华人民共和国教育部政府门户网站. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_sjzl/sjzl_fztjgb/201707/t20170710_309042.html
[3] 中国经济周刊. (2016, June 21). 中国公务员总数首次披露：716.7万人 [The total number of civil servants in China was disclosed for the first time: 7.167 million]. 新华网. Retrieved from http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-06/21/c_129077723.htm
[4] [Archived] Blood Donation Announcement of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.