Financially struggling students at Shenyang University were forced to give a speech in front of their peers on the impoverished situation of their families to compete for education grants, a move that participants complained has left them "without face."

The top five students with the most votes from their peers qualify to win scholarships, according to an unnamed teacher from the university, who has been in charge of the program for more than a year.

But students said that publicly elaborating on their poor conditions was humiliating and has only made for an unfair process with their peers left to "vote for who think they is more poor."

"Identifying poor students is not a beauty contest. Why should I humiliate myself in front of others?" a student surnamed Liu from the school said, adding she doesn't want to open her wounds to others to be left feeling ashamed.

Shenyang Evening News