BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Multiple universities in Beijing have issued telecommunication subsidies to students from impoverished families to ensure their online learning during a prolonged winter break as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Peking University (PKU) said it has subsidized computers and smartphones to its 132 students who had no mobile terminals at home. The university has also invested 670,000 yuan (about 95,660 U.S. dollars) to 2,234 poor students to cover their telecommunication costs.

Beijing Institute of Technology set up an online learning assistance fund, which has granted a telecommunication subsidy of 100 yuan to 3,797 poor students each so far.

Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU) said it has issued a special subsidy of 100 yuan to its over 5,200 poor undergraduate and graduate students each so that they would not be overburdened by distant online teaching.

Besides, PKU has granted temporary assistance to 12 students whose families had been pit into difficulty due to the epidemic. BJTU also invested over 80,000 yuan to 61 students from poverty-stricken families in Hubei Province, the epidemic center, and five students who stayed on campus during the winter break.