Severely impoverished families in the Tibetan areas of remote western China cannot afford the tuition to send their daughters to school.  Traditionally, families who cannot afford to send their daughters to school often make the choice for them to enter into arranged marriages at the age when they would normally begin high school.  Consequently, schools in this area are populated mostly by male students.  Many Tibetans realize the importance of educating their female children, but lack the funds to do so.