WEST LAFAYETTE, The United States - Twenty-six Chinese students studying in US Midwest received the 2011 Chinese government Scholarship for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad on Friday in Purdue University.

Three of whom won the special award for their excellance.

"Among over one and half a million Chinese students abroad, 95 percent are self-financed. The Chinese government Scholarship for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad reflects the government' s positive evaluation to the student' s research and hard work." ?Yang Guoqiang, ?China' s Consul General in Chicago, said at the ceremony.

Yang encouraged the winners to study hard and diligently to make more contribution to the development of the mankind.

Yang and his colleague awarded the winners, and each winner received $6, 000 or more.

The Chinese consul general said that this year over 100 students had applied for the scholarship in US Midwest and he encouraged more to apply in the future.

"There are about 50,000 Chinese studying in Midwest and Purdue University has the most Chinese students in the region, with nearly 4,000 Chinese students in its campus, and that' s why this year' s award ceremony is held here," ?Yang said.

Hu Xiaoqing, a student pursuing his psychological PHD in Northwest University, said: ?"living abroad, I received the careness from my motherland. It is very valuable for me. I intend to use the fund to my research, and make achievements to repay our country."

"I am quite surprised when I hear the news that I got the award, because it is evaluated by the experts who were organized by my country. It means that what we have published here is recognized by my country. It is a stimulus to my mind." ?Said Xiongwei, a student from Wisconsin University Madison division.

"Anyway, I want to use the money to improve my life," ?he smiled.

Victor Lichtenberg, deputy president of Purdue University, also took part in the event and made a speech. Purdue University choir, faculty and students from Confucius Institute at Valparaiso University also performed at the ceremony.

The scholarship was established by China Scholarship Council(CSC) in 2003, for the purpose of encouraging outstanding self-financed students studying abroad to achieve sound performance in study and return to contribute to China in various forms.

The award has helped more than 2,907 Chinese PhD students worldwide since it was introduced in 2003, CSC said.

The recipients refer to self-financed Chinese students abroad, below 40-year-old, and are attending doctorial programs lasting more than one year in foreign countries, according to CSC.