In the majority of nations, there are two tuition rates. Specifically, one for local students, and one for global students. No surprise that the international student rates are usually much greater. That’s since domestic trainees receive government aids funded by local taxpayers. Meanwhile, international students pay the complete, unsubsidised cost of their education. But in Taiwan, things are a little various, especially for the Chinese diaspora. There are the 2 tuition rates, yes, but interestingly, there’s a caveat: If you have a Chinese background, even if you’re from abroad, you get approved for the domestic students’ tuition rates.
There’s a program to it This function of Taiwanese education was one that Briana Leong benefited from. Leong is a Malaysian author and content developer, understood for her “Solo Date” video series where she explores Malaysia’s special offerings. Before that, however, she had studied in Taiwan. She comes from the 23% of ethnic Chinese who were mainly born and raised in Malaysia. Due to that, she was able to enjoy very economical tuition charges in Taiwan.
“You can quote me on this due to the fact that there are papers launched in Taiwan that specify this, however the reason they construct affinity with Chinese diaspora is so that when these Chinese diaspora return, they have an emotional attachment to Taiwan,” Leong says to Study International.
By that, she indicates if a situation calls for it, Taiwan can use those psychological accessories to garner support worldwide.
To put it simply, charging Chinese diaspora more affordable rates is a political method in some way.
The history of the “qiaosheng”There’s a specific term for these Chinese diasporic trainees, and it’s called Qiaosheng 
華僑 (Huaqiao) typically describes those who are ethnically Chinese however live beyond China. Source: Chipi via Pexels
These are the trainees benefiting from preferential admission policies and more affordable tuition. And while it seems like a terrific perk for Chinese diaspora everywhere, it wasn’t always useful. The history behind this system has its own disadvantages. According to Taiwan Insight, an online publication by the Taiwan Research Hub of University of Nottingham, many believe the system outgrew the Republic of China (ROC)’s “efforts to fortify its claims to legitimacy after pulling away to Taiwan and enforcing its guideline over the island in 1949.”
But official accounts regularly trace the system back to 1912, linking it to the ROC’s earlier efforts to preserve ties with overseas Chinese communities.
“Following the starting of the ROC in 1912, citizenship law was based largely on origins. Ethnic Chinese communities living abroad were not dealt with as foreigners however as members of the country residing elsewhere. The label ‘abroad Chinese student’ was never ever neutral. It reflected a political view of who counted as part of the country,” the Taiwan Insight writes. So, after 1949 and pulling away to Taiwan, the ROC federal government merely continued seeing overseas Chinese populations through the very same lens– as a part of a wider national neighborhood.”Students who arrived in Taiwan through this system were not seen as studying abroad in the typical sense; they were framed as ‘returning’ to the country,” the Taiwan Insight writes.
But, back in the day, it indicated that Overseas Chinese students were required to play their part by literally joining military training and state-organised programmes. They genuinely were treated as more than common students.
Their application procedure was likewise different (and, in some way, more difficult) from that of other foreign internationals. For Leong’s instance, she essentially needed to go to Taiwan and register in a boarding school, which was similar to the regional education system, except just for international trainees.
She had to take on other trainees to get a better chance of entering into her top schools.
Much has actually altered ever since. Particularly, the political language and agenda that led to this “qiaosheng” student system have actually been tamped down for the most part, however the system itself still maintains.
However to Taiwan Insight (and Leong), the politics around Chinese diaspora stay, even if more obscured now.”Earlier mottos such as ‘when an overseas Chinese student, always an overseas Chinese student’ (一日僑生 ， 終身僑生) can still be felt in the rules governing the higher education system in Taiwan,” Taiwan Insight composes. “Students who are confessed through this route, for example, typically can not change their status to that of foreign trainees while enroled.”
For students like Leong, that status certainly serves as a benefit more than anything. However it does bring up intriguing history and check out how education is linked into politics and nation-building.