China's higher education tuition payment system has experienced four stages: free period (1949-1978), transition period from free to charging (1979-1988), charging system formation period (1989-1996) and charging system establishment period (1997-present). After the establishment of the higher education charging system in 1997, there is a clear upward trend in higher education tuition. By comparing the higher education tuition affordability of OECD member countries, China's provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and urban and rural families, it is found that the higher education tuition affordability of Chinese residents has clearly increased, but there is still a certain gap compared with that of OECD member countries; there are differences in the affordability of higher education tuition among residents in different regions, and provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the same region, and affordability of some provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the central and western regions is relatively weak; higher education tuition affordability of rural families is weaker. It is suggested that, on the basis of the established financial aid system which combines “award, subsidies, work-study, loan and reduction,” we further improve the funding system for students in common colleges and universities not included in the national programs in the central and western regions.