URUMQI, Feb. 21 -- Some 265,000 vocational students will receive tuition waivers or grants for accommodation and textbooks in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this year.

The central and regional government will spend 188 million yuan (30.9 million U.S. dollars) to offer 163,000 rural students free secondary vocational school education, according to the regional education department.

The regional government will spend 92 million yuan on subsidies for 102,000 secondary vocational school students.

The subsidized students come from 26 border or poverty-stricken counties including Wushi and Keping in southern Xinjiang. The subsidies will cover accommodation and textbooks costs.

Students with outstanding performance will be admitted to advanced vocational school and receive subsidies or tuition waivers, said the department.