BEIJING, Jan. 30 -- The authorities of a top university in central China have been disciplined for giving preferential treatment to 17 students allowed to enroll by transferring from other universities.

Verbal reprimands were given to the communist party chief of Hunan University and three other officials, including the principal, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Education on Friday.

Documents exposed by other media earlier in January showed that the 17 students were enrolled by transfer rather than the common practice of being required to pass exams. Some of them were related to the university's faculty members.

The arrangement was special treatment for people with connections, said a member of administrative staff who works at another university in Hunan.

Such corruption is believed to be common in Chinese higher education, where resources are limited and mainly concentrated in big cities.

The education ministry also urged local authorities in Hunan to run their own investigations into the scandal and hold those responsible to account, while vowing to expose violations elsewhere in the system.

Hunan officials said the 17 students will go back to study at their original universities.