In what appears to be "only in China," a college student is reported to have lost his scholarship simply because he wore a pair of Nike sneakers to school.

The Chinese student, whose name remains undisclosed, belonged to an impoverished Chinese family and received a scholarship to fund his college education. Sadly, after going to school in a pair of Nikes, his scholarship was disqualified, reports China Daily.

The unnamed school said that the pair of Nike shoes that he wore was proof that his family was not actually poor, and is enough reason for him to be disqualified from the scholarship. In his defense, the student said that the pair of shoes, which cost 500 yuan ($70), were bought by his mother only after saving up for months, and was bought at a discounted price.

The student said his mother wanted to buy him a new pair of sneakers to "make him happy" because he loved playing basketball but had only one pair of shoes, which are already worn-out.

The issue became the subject of a heated debate among online netizens, noted Footwear News. Some online commenters were on the negative and agreed with the school's decision, while others were supportive of the young man and his mother's loving act.

Negative

"I think it's reasonable for the college to remove the student's financial support, because by desiring expensive shoes when his family's financial situation is not so good, he is acting ostentatiously in my eyes," said Liang Xin, an employee of a culture and media company in Shanxi province

Positive

"Everybody has desires, so the poor young man should not be criticized for wanting a pair of decent shoes. That's not fair," said Xie Miao, a resident of Cangzhou, Hebei province, who has a 15-year-old daughter. "Neither should his mother be blamed for making efforts to fulfill her child's wishes."

Now you can add "don't wear expensive shoes" to your list of what-nots when it comes to losing scholarships.