Scholarships in China

Studying in China with a scholarship

China has one of the world's largest higher education systems and attracts international students into programmes ranging from engineering and medicine to economics, business, agriculture, artificial intelligence and the humanities.

Scholarships can come from several sources:

• Chinese Government Scholarship
• individual Chinese universities
• provincial or municipal governments
• Ministry of Commerce programmes
• university presidential scholarships
• research institutes
• bilateral agreements between China and other countries

The best-known funding route is the Chinese Government Scholarship, often referred to online as the CSC Scholarship because it is administered by the China Scholarship Council.

However, "CSC Scholarship" is not one single application with one worldwide deadline.

That distinction is extremely important.

Chinese Government Scholarship

Chinese Government Scholarships support international students undertaking:

• bachelor's degrees
• master's degrees
• doctoral degrees
• general scholar programmes
• senior scholar programmes

Designated Chinese universities participate across fields including science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, economics, law, management, education, history, literature, philosophy and fine arts.

Students should use the official Campus China system to identify participating universities and programmes.

What a full Chinese Government Scholarship can cover

For the 2026/27 scholarship cycle, the standard full scholarship package included:

• tuition fees
• university accommodation or an accommodation subsidy
• monthly living stipend
• comprehensive medical insurance

The standard monthly stipend was:

Undergraduate students: CNY 2,500 per month

Master's students and general scholars: CNY 3,000 per month

Doctoral students and senior scholars: CNY 3,500 per month

Comprehensive medical insurance was funded at CNY 800 per person per year for longer programmes.

These figures are useful when comparing Chinese scholarships, but students should always check the specific programme because benefits can differ.

International airfare is not always included

This is one of the details scholarship websites often get wrong.

A full Chinese Government Scholarship does not automatically mean international flights are included.

For example, the 2026/27 China-Indonesia Scholarship in Higher Education was described as a full scholarship but specifically stated that international travel expenses were not included.

Some other Chinese Government programmes, including certain bilateral or MOFCOM schemes, may provide international airfare.

Therefore, The Scholarship Circle should never automatically add "free flight tickets" to every Chinese Government Scholarship.

Check the actual call.

Basic age requirements

The standard 2026/27 Chinese Government Scholarship criteria generally required applicants to be:

Bachelor's: high-school graduates under 25

Master's: bachelor's degree holders under 35

PhD: master's degree holders under 40

General scholars: normally under 45

Senior scholars: normally under 50 and meeting the relevant academic requirements

Applicants must also be citizens of a country other than China and meet the required health conditions.

Individual programmes can impose additional requirements.

Meeting the age limit does not guarantee eligibility.

A major change for undergraduate applicants: CSCA

Students applying for Chinese Government Scholarship undergraduate programmes should pay particular attention to a newer requirement.

For the 2026/27 cycle, bachelor's applicants were required to take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment, abbreviated as CSCA, and submit a valid score report.

Universities determine which CSCA subjects are required for the applicant's intended major.

For students intending to enter in September 2026 under the referenced government scholarship calls, official testing dates included 21 December 2025 and 25 January 2026.

Students planning to begin in 2027 should not reuse those test dates.

Wait for the official 2027 CSCA schedule.

Why CSCA matters

Previously, many scholarship guides focused almost entirely on:

• school grades
• HSK
• IELTS or TOEFL
• personal statements

For undergraduate Chinese Government Scholarship applicants, the CSCA now needs to be included in planning.

A student may otherwise prepare every scholarship document and discover too late that the required examination has already taken place.

Undergraduate applicants should check both:

the current CSC scholarship announcement

and

the chosen university's CSCA subject requirements

before the application period becomes busy.

Chinese-language requirements

Language requirements depend on the level and programme.

Under the standard 2026/27 government scholarship criteria published by the Chinese Embassy in Sweden, Chinese-taught programmes generally required at least:

• HSK Level 3 for undergraduate applicants
• HSK Level 3 for general scholars
• HSK Level 3 for senior scholars
• HSK Level 4 for master's and doctoral applicants

However, these are not necessarily the final admission standards at every university.

Universities can require higher HSK levels

Individual universities may set stronger language requirements than the basic scholarship criteria.

For example, Chang'an University's 2026/27 Type B scholarship application required HSK 4 for its Chinese-medium bachelor's programmes and HSK 5 for Chinese-medium master's and doctoral programmes, subject to the conditions stated by the university.

This is why students should never write:

"CSC only requires HSK 3, so every Chinese university must accept HSK 3."

That is not correct.

The scholarship and university requirements must both be satisfied.

English-taught programmes

Many Chinese universities also offer programmes taught in English.

For English-medium study, the university may request:

• IELTS
• TOEFL
• Duolingo English Test
• proof that previous education was completed in English

Requirements vary significantly.

The 2026 government scholarship instructions stated that applicants to programmes taught in languages other than Chinese should provide the language evidence required by the individual university.

Do not publish one universal IELTS requirement for studying in China.

There isn't one.

Type A and Type B applications

Students frequently encounter the terms Type A and Type B when applying through the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System.

They refer to different application routes.

Type A

Type A is commonly used for scholarship applications submitted through an authorised receiving agency, such as a Chinese embassy or another national nominating authority.

The applicant uses the agency number assigned to that receiving body.

For example, applicants through the 2026/27 China-Indonesia route used the Indonesian agency number specified by the Chinese Embassy.

Type B

Type B is commonly used for scholarship programmes administered through a specific Chinese university.

The applicant enters that university's agency number.

For example, Southwest Jiaotong University's 2026/27 High-level Postgraduate Chinese Government Scholarship was a Type B programme using the university's receiving institution number.

Students should never guess the application type or agency number.

Use exactly what the current scholarship announcement provides.

Chinese Government Scholarship deadlines are not worldwide

There is no single CSC deadline for every country.

For example, the China-Indonesia 2026/27 government scholarship route closed on 8 February 2026.

The Chinese Embassy in Poland used a different deadline of 16 February 2026 for its 2026/27 process.

Individual Type B university programmes also had different schedules. Southwest Jiaotong University's High-level Postgraduate programme closed on 22 February 2026, while other university routes remained open later.

Therefore, never publish:

"CSC Scholarship 2027 deadline: February 8"

as though it applies worldwide.

It may apply only to one route.

Start with your nationality

Students applying through an embassy route should first check the Chinese Embassy responsible for their nationality or country of application.

Find out:

• whether the scholarship is available
• number of available places where published
• eligible study levels
• application deadline
• agency number
• whether nomination is required
• whether an interview is required
• additional national requirements

Each embassy can organise its selection differently.

Pre-admission documents

For several 2026/27 Chinese Government Scholarship routes, applicants had to obtain a pre-admission document from a Chinese university before completing the scholarship process.

Accepted documents could include:

• pre-admission notice
• invitation from the university
• invitation from an academic school
• invitation from a professor where appropriate

The China-Indonesia 2026/27 call required applicants to provide at least one pre-admission document from a university they were applying to.

This means applicants should begin contacting and researching universities early.

Choosing a Chinese university

Do not select a university simply because someone on social media says it is "easy for CSC."

Research:

• whether it participates in your scholarship route
• programme language
• research strength
• city
• supervisor availability
• accommodation
• scholarship conditions
• programme duration
• international student support

China has universities in cities with dramatically different environments and costs.

Studying in Beijing or Shanghai can be very different from studying in Wuhan, Xi'an, Nanjing, Chongqing, Harbin or another city.

Choose for academic fit as well as funding.

University scholarships

Chinese Government Scholarships are not the only option.

Universities frequently operate their own awards, which may be called:

• President Scholarship
• International Student Scholarship
• Freshman Scholarship
• University Scholarship
• Outstanding International Student Scholarship

Funding may include:

• full tuition
• partial tuition
• accommodation
• monthly stipend
• insurance

The package varies by university.

Some university scholarships are much smaller than CSC funding.

Others can be quite generous.

Provincial and municipal scholarships

International students can also encounter scholarships funded by Chinese provincial or city governments.

Examples may include programmes associated with locations such as:

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Jiangsu
• Zhejiang
• Guangdong
• other provinces or municipalities

These are separate from the national Chinese Government Scholarship.

One current example is the Shanghai Municipal Government Scholarship, where participating universities may offer both full and partial scholarship categories.

Students should read the university's current call because local government scholarship conditions can vary by institution.

MOFCOM Scholarship

Postgraduate applicants from eligible developing countries should also look at the MOFCOM Scholarship, supported by China's Ministry of Commerce.

For 2026, MOFCOM programmes targeted master's and doctoral applicants and included dozens of participating universities and programmes.

Funding could include:

• tuition and academic fees
• on-campus accommodation
• living stipend
• settling-in allowance
• medical insurance
• international airfare

This is different from the ordinary embassy CSC route.

Applicants should follow the MOFCOM instructions issued for their country.

Youth of Excellence Scheme of China

Experienced applicants seeking master's study may also encounter the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China under the Chinese Government Scholarship framework.

For 2026/27, the programme was specifically for master's study and focused on applicants with strong leadership and global-governance potential.

The 2026 application deadline was 31 March 2026, and candidates needed a pre-admission letter from one of the programme's participating subprogrammes.

Students planning for future years should wait for the next annual call.

Research applicants should look at university-specific Type B programmes

Type B programmes are particularly important for master's and PhD applicants.

For example, Southwest Jiaotong University's 2026/27 High-level Postgraduate programme supported master's and PhD study in Chinese or English and included tuition, living expenses, comprehensive medical insurance and on-campus accommodation.

Individual universities can impose:

• particular academic requirements
• specific majors
• supervisor requirements
• higher HSK scores
• English test requirements
• separate university applications

Applying through CSC does not remove these university requirements.

Research proposals matter

For the 2026/27 government scholarship route referenced by the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, postgraduate applicants needed a study or research proposal of at least 800 words.

Graduate and senior-scholar applicants also needed two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors.

Research applicants should avoid producing a generic proposal.

It should explain:

• research problem
• objectives
• academic background
• proposed approach
• connection with the chosen field
• why the Chinese university is appropriate

For PhD applicants, supervisor fit can be particularly important.

Medical examination

Applicants planning to study in China for more than six months may be required to complete the official Foreigner Physical Examination Form.

For the 2026/27 scholarship process, the medical examination was valid for only six months.

The form needed to be properly completed, including the required medical items, doctor's signature, hospital stamp and the required photograph authentication.

Students should not complete it too early.

If it expires before the relevant stage, another examination may be necessary.

Police clearance

The 2026/27 government scholarship requirements also included a non-criminal record certificate, normally issued within the six months before submission.

This can take time to obtain in some countries.

Applicants should prepare early but also make sure the certificate will still fall within the required validity period.

Final-year students can sometimes apply

Applicants who have not yet received their final diploma may be permitted to apply using official proof of their current student status or expected graduation.

The 2026/27 scholarship instructions allowed prospective graduates to provide official documentation from their current institution, with the final qualification supplied according to later requirements.

Never claim to already hold a degree if you have not graduated.

Use the documentation requested for prospective graduates.

Document translation

Documents that are not in Chinese or English may need notarised Chinese or English translations.

The 2026/27 scholarship instructions specifically applied this requirement to documents such as:

• diplomas
• academic transcripts

Students should confirm whether notarisation, legalisation or additional authentication is required for their individual university.

Do not pay for unnecessary document services before reading the official instructions.

You generally cannot combine major Chinese scholarships

Chinese Government Scholarship recipients should pay attention to restrictions on holding multiple awards.

The 2026/27 scholarship notice for Indonesia stated that CSC recipients could not simultaneously receive other scholarships established by Chinese government authorities or their admitting university, apart from certain one-time awards. Concealing duplicate funding could lead to cancellation and repayment obligations.

Students who receive several offers should tell the university and determine which scholarship they are permitted to accept.

Tuition without a scholarship

There is no single national tuition price for international students in China.

Fees depend on:

• university
• programme
• academic level
• teaching language
• subject
• city

Medicine and specialised programmes may cost more than humanities or some business programmes.

English-medium programmes can also have different fees from Chinese-medium programmes.

Students without a full scholarship should use the university's current international admissions guide for the actual tuition figure.

Accommodation

Chinese universities commonly have designated international student accommodation.

Rooms may be:

• shared
• single
• apartment-style
• campus dormitories

Scholarship recipients may receive free university accommodation or an accommodation subsidy depending on the programme. Standard 2026/27 Chinese Government Scholarship coverage specifically included university dormitory accommodation or an accommodation subsidy.

Students should check whether:

• utilities are included
• accommodation is guaranteed
• rooms are shared
• students are permitted to live off campus
• an off-campus subsidy is provided

Do not assume a scholarship automatically gives you a private room.

Living costs depend heavily on the city

China is too large for one useful student living-cost figure.

Expenses in major cities such as:

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Shenzhen

can differ considerably from cities such as:

• Wuhan
• Xi'an
• Harbin
• Lanzhou
• Changsha
• Nanning

Scholarship recipients should compare the CSC stipend with the city where they will actually live.

Campus accommodation can significantly reduce expenses, particularly when it is included in the scholarship.

Learn some Mandarin even in an English programme

Students enrolled in English-taught degrees may technically complete their academic work without advanced Chinese.

Daily life is different.

Basic Mandarin can make it easier to handle:

• transport
• shopping
• restaurants
• medical visits
• accommodation
• banking
• mobile services
• communication outside the university

Learning the language can also improve the overall study experience.

X1 and X2 student visas

China uses different study visa categories depending on the duration of study.

X1 visa

The X1 visa is for long-term study lasting more than 180 days. Current visa guidance requires university students to provide an admission notice and the appropriate Visa Application Form for Foreign Students Coming to China, commonly the JW201 or JW202 form.

X2 visa

The X2 visa is for shorter study lasting no more than 180 days.

A student beginning a normal multi-year bachelor's, master's or PhD programme will generally fall under the long-term study process rather than X2.

Residence permit after entering China

Students entering with an X1 visa should pay close attention to the residence procedure after arrival.

Current Chinese government guidance states that X1 students who are required to obtain a study residence permit should apply to the local exit-entry administration within 30 days of entering China.

Universities normally provide guidance to new international students.

Do not simply arrive on an X1 visa and assume nothing else needs to be done.

Visa-free entry is not a substitute for student immigration status

Students from countries that have some form of visa-free entry to China should not assume that they can simply arrive visa-free and convert that stay into normal full-degree student status.

Current Shanghai government guidance notes that foreign nationals entering under visa-exemption arrangements are not automatically eligible to apply directly for a study visa or residence permit from that status.

Follow your university's instructions before travelling.

Working while studying is regulated

International students do not have unrestricted permission to take ordinary jobs or operate businesses simply because they hold student status.

Chinese regulations allow structured work-study activities, subject to university and immigration requirements.

National rules state that during the normal academic period, international student work-study activity should generally not exceed:

8 hours per week

or

40 hours per month

During winter and summer vacations, the normal limits increase to:

16 hours per week

or

80 hours per month.

Off-campus work requires approval

For off-campus work-study activities, eligible students need proper university approval and must follow immigration procedures.

The relevant employer, location and duration need to be recorded through the applicable residence-permit endorsement process.

A student who does not have the appropriate information endorsed on the residence permit should not undertake off-campus work or internships.

This is very different from countries where a student visa automatically allows unrestricted part-time employment.

Internships also need proper authorisation

Foreign students holding study residence permits who want to complete off-campus internships need approval from their university and relevant internship organisation and must obtain the necessary annotation on the residence permit.

Students should arrange internships through official university channels where possible.

Do not accept informal paid work simply because another student says it is allowed.

Do not depend on part-time work for survival

Even though legitimate work-study arrangements exist, students should not plan to fund an unaffordable degree entirely through employment after arrival.

Scholarship selection, admission and immigration processes expect students to have an appropriate financial arrangement.

If your scholarship does not cover all your costs, calculate the shortfall before accepting the offer.

Post-graduation employment is separate

Graduating from a Chinese university does not automatically convert a student residence permit into unlimited work permission.

Graduates who qualify for employment need to meet the relevant work and residence requirements.

Some cities have specific policies for foreign university graduates. Shanghai, for example, currently provides work-permit routes for certain qualifying international graduates.

These policies can depend on:

• qualification level
• employer
• industry
• city
• current immigration rules

Students should check the rules that exist at the time they graduate.

Scholarship application documents

Depending on the programme, students may need:

• passport
• scholarship application form
• highest diploma
• transcripts
• language certificate
• CSCA score for applicable bachelor's applications
• pre-admission document
• study plan
• research proposal
• recommendation letters
• Foreigner Physical Examination Form
• police clearance
• portfolio for some creative programmes
• guardian documentation for applicants under 18

The exact checklist depends on the scholarship route.

Do not upload random extra documents unless the system or university asks for them.

Apply early

Chinese scholarship applications often require coordination between:

• the applicant
• Chinese university
• Chinese Embassy or receiving agency
• China Scholarship Council

This can take time.

Students may need to obtain:

• university pre-admission
• professor communication
• medical examination
• police certificate
• notarised documents
• CSCA results

Waiting until two days before the deadline can make the application unnecessarily difficult.

Be careful with agencies offering guaranteed CSC scholarships

Chinese Government Scholarships are highly popular online, and that attracts misleading claims.

Be cautious if someone promises:

• guaranteed CSC scholarship
• guaranteed university admission
• guaranteed professor acceptance
• guaranteed visa
• a special scholarship slot in exchange for payment

The China Scholarship Council and participating universities conduct formal reviews.

Applicants should use third-party scholarship platforms for discovery, not as replacements for official verification.

Campus China should be your primary CSC reference

Applicants can use the official Campus China platform to research:

• Chinese Government Scholarship programmes
• participating universities
• scholarship application system
• university information

The Chinese Government's 2026/27 scholarship notices repeatedly direct applicants to Campus China for official programme and university information.

Always check it alongside the Chinese Embassy or university responsible for your application route.

What applicants should check before applying

Before applying for a scholarship in China, confirm:

• scholarship type
• application route
• agency number
• eligible nationality
• study level
• age limit
• university
• programme language
• HSK requirement
• English requirement
• CSCA requirement for undergraduate applicants
• pre-admission requirements
• tuition coverage
• accommodation
• monthly stipend
• medical insurance
• international airfare
• medical examination
• police clearance
• application deadline
• university deadline
• visa procedure

Do not copy the agency number or deadline from another country.

Be particularly careful with "CSC 2027" posts

As of 10 September 2026, applicants interested in the 2027/28 academic cycle should be cautious with websites claiming to know one confirmed worldwide CSC 2027 deadline.

The 2026/27 cycle showed clearly that deadlines depended on the embassy, programme and university.

The Scholarship Circle should therefore update individual Chinese scholarships as their official 2027 calls are released, rather than changing an old 2026 article's year and presenting the old deadline as new.

Final advice

China offers a very large range of funding opportunities for international students, but applicants need to understand how the system works.

The Chinese Government Scholarship can be extremely generous, with standard full awards covering tuition, accommodation, medical insurance and monthly stipends of CNY 2,500 for bachelor's students, CNY 3,000 for master's students and CNY 3,500 for doctoral students under the 2026/27 structure.

However, there is no single worldwide CSC deadline, airfare is not included in every programme, and university requirements can be stricter than the basic scholarship criteria.

Undergraduate applicants should now pay particular attention to the CSCA requirement, while master's and PhD applicants should research both embassy-based Type A opportunities and university-based Type B programmes.

Students should also prepare early for pre-admission documents, medical examinations, police clearance and visa procedures.

Use the scholarship listings below to discover opportunities in China, but verify every application through Campus China, the responsible Chinese Embassy, or the university offering the programme.

Last reviewed: September 10, 2026