International Scholarships

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Chinese Government Bilateral Scholarships for International Students

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Chinese Government Bilateral Scholarships for International Students

  • The Chinese Government has set up a series of scholarship programs with the aim of sponsoring international students, scholars, and teachers to study and conduct research in Chinese universities.
  • These scholarship programs were set up with the intention of promoting mutual understanding, cooperation and exchange in various fields between China and other countries.
  • The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is responsible for the enrollment and administration of the Chinese Government Scholarship Program.

Scholarship Overview

  • The Bilateral Scholarship Program gives full or partial scholarships in accordance with the educations exchange agreements between the Chinese government and governments of other countries, universities, institutions and international organizations.
  • 279 designated Chinese Universities offer scholarships for a wide variety of academic programs at the undergraduate, graduate, general scholar and senior scholar levels.

Host School(s)

  • All designated Chinese universities that are entitled to admit Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) students.

Fields of Study

  • Academic programs offered include Engineering, Science, Agriculture, Medicine, Economics, Education, History, Legal Studies, Management, Literature, Philosophy and Fine Arts (at all levels).
  • Undergraduate students must register for Chinese-taught credit courses.

What does the scholarship cover?

  • The full scholarship covers:
    • Tuition fee waiver at the host university, including education, administrative costs and expenditures related to student activities.
    • Accommodation –Either free at the university dormitories, or given as a subsidy on CNY 700 per month for undergraduate and master’s students, and CNY 1000 for doctoral students.
    • Monthly stipends as follows – Undergraduates receive CNY 2,500, Masters Students CNY 3,000 and Doctoral students CNY 3,500
    • A one-off settlement subsidy
    • A one-off international return air ticket
    • Fees for outpatient medical services, and a Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Protection Scheme for international students
  • Partial scholarships cover one or some of the items indicated in the full scholarship.

How many scholarships are given?

  • Not stated

Which countries are targeted?

  • Global – any country apart from China.

Am I Eligible to Apply?

To qualify for the Bilateral Scholarship program, you must:

  • Be a citizen of a country other than the Peoples Republic of China, and be in good health
  • Be a high school graduate under 25 years for Undergraduate courses
  • Be a Bachelors degree holder aged under 35 for Masters Courses
  • Be a Masters Degree holder aged under 40 for Doctoral programs
  • Have a high school diploma (or higher) when applying for the General Scholar programs
  • Be a masters degree holder or an associate professor (or above) under the age of 50 when applying for the Senior Scholar program
  • Meet the language requirements for the respective higher education institutions

How Do I Apply – Next Steps

  • Step 1 – Apply to the dispatching authority for overseas study in your home country
  • Step 2 – Apply to your chosen university for the Pre-admission Letter after the dispatching authorities have recommended you as an eligible candidate. (You will receive an Award Letter as a CGS Candidate).
  • Step 3 – Complete the online application procedure in the CGS Information System (see the link below). Click “Application online” to log in, and submit the completed application form for the CGS. Make sure you print a hard copy as well. You should consult the dispatching authorities for overseas study of your home country for instructions on the CGS Information System and Agency Number.
  • Step 4 – Submit all your application documents to the dispatching authorities of your home country before the deadline.

Note that:

  • Only candidates recommended by the dispatching authorities will be considered.
  • Candidates with a Pre-admission Letter will be placed in the host university, while those without the Pre-admission Letter should be prepared to accept university placement by the CSC.

Documents to be attached to the application include:

  1. a) Application for the CGS (in Chinese or English)
  2. b) Notarized highest diploma (photocopy)
  3. c) Academic transcripts (in Chinese or English)
  4. d) A study plan or research proposal in Chinese or English (minimum of 200 words for undergraduate students, 500 for non-degree students and 800 words for graduate students)
  5. e) Two Recommendation Letters – Applicants for the graduate or senior scholars program must submit two recommendation letters signed by a professor or associate professor
  6. f) CD of your own works (for Arts students)
  7. g) Valid documents of legal guardians within China (for applicants under 18 years)
  8. h) Foreigner Physical Examination Form (photocopy, in English)
  9. i) Copy of the Pre-admission Letter from a designated Chinese university (if available)
  10. j) Copy of HSK Certificate (if available)
  • Documents that are in a language other than Chinese or English must have notarized Chinese and English translations attached.
  • You must submit TWO sets of bound documents, bound at the top left corner, and arranged in the above order.

Closing Date

  • The application period falls between early January and early April of every year.

How do I get more information?

The information listed here is provided for informational reasons only. Please verify all information with the scholarship host.
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