China Scholarships - The 2021/2022 Guide for International Students

China Scholarships – The 2021/2022 Guide for International Students

by Christine Chiu March 14, 2021

Over the past decade, China has established one of the largest higher education systems in the world. Chinese graduates dominate the largest numbers worldwide annually, with many excelling in different industries and fields. China is also home to top-tier universities that have kept moving upwards in major global university ranking tables.

Recognizing the role of quality education in national industrialization and social progress, the Chinese government offers numerous scholarships for resident and international students. In fact, China is one of the most generous countries providing scholarships to foreign students and there are currently over 50,000 international students in China with scholarships.

The scholarships can be very valuable, overing the tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses worth up to $30,000 USD.

Contents

1 Types of Scholarships in China

1.1 CSC Scholarships – Chinese Government Scholarships

1.2 CSC Scholarships Explained in 6 minutes!

1.3 Chinese Embassy Scholarships

1.4 Chinese University Scholarships

1.5 MBA Program Scholarships

1.6 Confucius Institute Scholarships

1.7 City Scholarships

1.8 CCN Scholarships

1.9 BLCC Scholarships

1.10 Private Scholarships / Others

2 China Scholarship Service

3 Our Online Course: “How to get a Scholarship in China?”

4 How Much Are the Scholarships Worth?

5 3 Tips to Apply for the Scholarship

6 How to Apply for Scholarship in China?

7 Scholarship Agents & Guaranteed Scholarships

8 Register for Scholarship Updates

9 Questions about Scholarships

Register for Updates About Scholarships

Also make sure to check out our Instagram, and Youtube for more updates.

Types of Scholarships in China

Dulguun is from Mongolia and has successfully received scholarships to study in China. Now she is an admissions officer at China Admissions based in Beijing.

CSC Scholarships – Chinese Government Scholarships

CSC scholarships are one of the most common scholarships awarded to international students. Provided by the Chinese Scholarship Council, this type of government scholarship is a initiative of the Chinese Ministry of Education to promote education, cultural exchange, political cooperation and mutual understanding between other countries and China. CSC scholarships can be partially or full-funded.

CSC does not cover MBA programs, MBBS programs (MBBS have very limited scholarships), or those programs with a very high tuition fee. You will need to look at the other types of scholarships below.

Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students who qualify for a government scholarship receive a monthly stipend, free tuition and free accommodation during their study.

NOTE: There are many different websites with information about CSC scholarships, but the official website of the Chinese Scholarship Council is: www.csc.edu.cn.

There are 279 different universities that can accept CSC scholarship students. The list is here.
In order to apply, you will need the agency number which you can find here.

The Chinese Scholarship Council has a few different types of scholarships:
– Type A – Bilateral Program
– Type B – Chinese University Program
– Great Wall Program

CSC Scholarships Explained in 6 minutes!

Chinese Embassy Scholarships

Some students ask us about Chinese embassy scholarships. This is actually the Chinese Scholarship Council scholarship Type A which is handled by the embassies all around the world (see the video above). You can read more here.

Chinese University Scholarships

The majority of universities in China offer scholarships for students. These scholarships can cover your tuition fees, as well as the cost of your accommodation.

Xiamen University for instance, is offering five different scholarships for international students so they can study in China. The application process to apply for university scholarships is more simple than CSC scholarships. You can see the full list here.

Jiangsu University also offers all the students who apply through China Admissions a presidential scholarship. You can apply here.

SUSTech also has full undergraduate scholarships for the top ranking students (very competitive scores in Maths and Sciences required)

MBA Program Scholarships

For MBA Programs, the universities also offer different types of scholarships:- Fudan University MBA Scholarship
– CEIBS MBA Scholarship

We have a guide here, you can book a free call with us and learn more about our MBA Application service here.

Confucius Institute Scholarships

In order to support development of Confucius Institutes, facilitate Chinese language promotion and Chinese cultural transmission in the world, cultivate qualified Chinese language teachers and talented students of Chinese language, Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) launches the “Confucius Institute Scholarships” program for providing sponsorship to students, scholars and Chinese language teachers of other countries for pursuing a study in relevant universities in China.

You can apply for the Confucius Institute Scholarships by applying to the university and the confucius institute website at the same time here.

City Scholarships

Many cities have scholarships to attract more international students. Have a look at some of these scholarships here:
– Beijing City Scholarship
– Jiangsu Jasmine Scholarship
– Shanghai City Scholarships
– Yiwu City Scholarship
– Liaoning Scholarships
– Ningbo City Scholarship
– Hangzhou Government Scholarship

See the complete list here.

CCN Scholarships

China Campus Network is a consortium of Chinese universities. They offer an international foundation program in Chinese. After taking the program you can get a scholarship to study Bachelor’s in Chinese. You can learn more about CCN here and the scholarships here.

BLCC Scholarships

Beijing Language and Culture College also has a similar scholarship at Tianjin University. Learn more here

Private Scholarships / Others

These types of scholarships are offered by distinguished alumni, big companies and charitable institutions. Independent scholarships can cover the full or partial tuition fee and are usually awarded to international students who have exemplary academic record.

Have a look at our list of scholarships in China here. It includes scholarships like British Council Scholarship

China Scholarship Service

There are many different types of scholarships, and it can be hard to know which ones you are eligible and how to apply. We have a lot of experience helping international students to get scholarships. Thats why we offer our China Scholarship Service, to share our experience, save your time, and help you to increase your chances of getting a scholarship.

Learn more here.

Thanks a lot. I’m totally indebted to you, I”m so relieved, I feel like I have finally accomplished something. Heartfelt appreciation for your efforts. Zahir, a student from India, who applied for Beihang University.

Respected sir, let me inform you with great respect and regards that I have been awarded full scholarship of Tsinghua University and thanks for giving me guidance regarding my matter. Jamali’s, Tsinghua University scholarships student.

Our Online Course: “How to get a Scholarship in China?”

You can also take our online course here. Where we share everything we’ve learnt about how to get the scholarship. This is included in all the Scholarship packages above.

How Much Are the Scholarships Worth?

There are minor and full scholarships. They can include a portion or all of the tuition fee, accommodation, and some will pay living expenses every month which can be worth up to $30,000 USD.

3 Tips to Apply for the Scholarship

1) Apply early – the application deadline is open for a limited time only, so you need to apply on time. There are often too many students applying and so it may be hard to get feedback. Apply to multiple universities and scholarships. It is very competitive so it is better to apply to numerous opportunities.

2) Contacts – Try to get in contact with someone from the university and / or embassy so they can check your application documents are correct.

3) Prepare Documents Carefully – Because there are so many students applying it is important that you prepare all your application documents correctly. If you do not prepare them correctly then your application may not be processed.

4) Learn Chinese!

5) Register on China Admissions

Also make sure to check out our Instagram, and Youtube for more updates.

How to Apply for Scholarship in China?

The largest scholarship is the Chinese government scholarship which is managed by the China Scholarship Council. The full scholarship typically includes all tuition fees, living expenses, accommodation, and some intercity travel. The amount of living expenses depend on whether you are a chinese language student, undergraduate, master’s or PhD student.

Also make sure to check follow our Instagram, and subscribe on Youtube for more updates.

Apply By Yourself

You can apply for this scholarship yourself. Below is a step-by-step process:

Register at the China Scholarship Council website.
Fill out all the application documents correctly (any mistakes can cause your application to be rejected).
Find an agency to sponsor your application.
Apply and receive the acceptance letter from the University (failing to do this can result in you being assigned to a University by the scholarship committee).

Preparing Application Documents

Preparing the required documents is an important step to get a Chinese scholarship. In addition to providing soft copies of documents, you may also be required to provide hard copies for mailing.

Some of the most basic requirements include:

Notarized highest diploma
Academic transcripts
A study plan or research proposal
Recommendation letters
If planning to stay in China for more than 6 months, you must submit a photocopy of Foreigner Physical Examination Form (valid for 6 months)
Applicants with the Pre-admission Letter/Admission Letter from designated universities should enclose the letter in the application package

Chinese universities may require other documents as needed.

Scholarship Agents & Guaranteed Scholarships

Because there is a lack of information it can be difficult for international students to know about the process of applying for scholarships, there are a number of agents around the world who are selling “Guaranteed Scholarships”. This can be for a fee of $1000 USD-$4000 USD + You can find these on Facebook, Wechat, and Whatsapp. This is especially common in countries that do not speak English

We do not offer Guaranteed Scholarships, and on China Admissions you can not buy a scholarship. We believe it is better to be transparent and so we are trying our best to share all the information about scholarships so you are able to understand the process and apply by yourself.

We do have some universities that we regularly send students for Scholarships, such as Beijing Foreign Studies University but we do our best to share this information on our platform and you do not need to pay any extra fee.

We do have a China Scholarship Service if you would like more support throughout the process and to save time. We do need to charge for it because it can take a lot of our time. But due to the complexity of applying for scholarships, we do not manage the scholarship for you.

We offer our China Scholarship Service where you can buy some of our hours where we work with you as a consultant. We can work with you through various stages and help to educate you about the process, and be available for support so you can apply by yourself.

You can learn more here.

Register for Scholarship Updates

China Admissions is an official partner of many top-ranking universities in China. Register on China Admissions to get real-time and monthly updates and tips about scholarships.

Also make sure to check out our Instagram, and Youtube for more updates.

Questions about Scholarships

What scholarships are available in China?

One of the most common scholarships in China is the CSC government scholarship. This scholarship is available for degree programs (Bachelor, Master, PhD) for the September intake of each year. Application must be ready and submitted by the end of January each year.

This scholarship can be partially or fully-funded. If fully-funded, this scholarship funds your tuition fee, accommodation, insurance and monthly stipend of up to 3,000 RMB (about $450 USD).

If you study at a university with low tuition fee, you will save at least $27,000 USD for an average study time of three years. Awarding institutions want to make sure that only the best of the best receive the CSC scholarship. For this reason, application for this scholarship is highly competitive.

You can read more about scholarships and watch the video introduction here.

Am I eligible for a scholarship?

If you are planning to apply for a degree program (Bachelor, Master, PhD) for September intake, we might be able to help you apply.

Scholarships are highly competitive. To increase your chances of getting a scholarship, you need to have atleast a cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a 4 point scale (80 point GPA on a 100 point scale) or above to get a scholarship.

It is acceptable for your GPA to be slightly lower if your university ranks very high in a reliable world ranking publication. Reliable world rankings include QS rankings and the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings.

If you meet this first basic requirement, you can proceed to the next step, the application. In order to increase your chances, it is important to apply as early as possible!

If you don’t have a GPA of 3.3 or higher make sure to read this article.

How do I apply for a scholarship in China?

To start your application, follow the instructions here. In order to increase your chances of admission, please choose three programs from our database to apply for.

Once you finish your application, send us an email with your application reference number at apply@china-admissions.com and let us know that you would like to apply on the basis of a scholarship.

We will then review your application. If we think you have a decent chance on receiving a scholarship we will proceed and guide you through the next step the payment.

Important:

In order for us to evaluate your chances as accurately as possible, please make sure to provide all required documents and prepare your online application in a professional manner.

How much does your scholarship application service cost?

Once we have evaluated your application and think that you have a decent chance to get a scholarship, we can proceed to the payment of the application fees.

We charge a fixed amount of $790 USD (not refundable) to cover the application fees to apply for up to three programs as well as the time we invest to apply. More information about our service is here.

What is the process of applying for a scholarship in China?

Once the application fees are paid, we will then start the process. Each step depends on where you are from and what program and university you apply for. We might need you to provide some information and documents to your local Chinese embassy in your country and this may require you to visit the embassy in person.

Please note that we can’t handle the communication with the embassy for you, as the embassy requires to communicate with applicants directly. We will let you know what exactly is needed once we figure out your individual application process.

Once we applied, it usually takes until June/July for the universities to release the final result, in some cases the result will even be released as late as August. The universities need to confirm which scholarship can be granted in coordination with the Chinese government. It is not possible to speed up this process.

I have another question about scholarships

Please leave your question in the comments below and we will reply back

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Christine Chiu

Content crafter at China Admissions with nine years of professional writing experience. Fil-Chinese who honors my heritage every day. On a fascinating journey exploring China and tracing my ancestry. See China through my lens.

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