Chinese Government Scholarship: the national scholarship administered by the CSC
Unofficial entry · Sources checked
The Chinese Government Scholarship (中国政府奖学金) is a scholarship set up by the Chinese government for international students receiving higher education, as stated in Article 32 of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42). The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council, describes it as a scholarship for talented students and scholars who pursue higher education or conduct research in Chinese universities.
See also Scholarships on this site.
Definition
The China Scholarship Council (CSC), entrusted by the Ministry of Education of China, is responsible for the admission, enrollment and administration of Chinese Government Scholarship recipients (Application Guide, introduction).
Article 32 of Order No. 42 also encourages local people's governments to set up scholarships for international students. It states that the administrative measures for the Chinese Government Scholarship are formulated by the relevant administrative departments of the State Council.
The Chinese text of Article 32 and Article 33 of Order No. 42 is printed in Chinese. The English wording of those articles in this entry is this site's own translation.
What the official text says
Programme types (guide, section I)
| Programme | Basis stated in the guide | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Bilateral Program | Cooperation and exchange agreements or consensus between the Chinese government and the governments and institutions of other nations. Open to undergraduates, postgraduates, general and senior scholars. | An applicant shall file with the dispatching department of their home country. |
| University Program | Designed to finance the study of talented international students in China. Supporting student categories are subject to the requirements of each university. | An applicant shall file with the Chinese universities undertaking the program. |
| Designated Scholarship Programs | Set up in accordance with cooperation agreements between China and international organizations and institutions. | An applicant shall file with the international organizations and institutions concerned. |
| Student Exchange Program | Launched in accordance with exchange and cooperation agreements between Chinese universities and foreign partners. Supports general and senior scholars for a training session of no more than 12 months. | An applicant shall file with Chinese universities and their foreign partners. |
Supporting categories, duration and majors (guide, section II)
- Supporting categories: undergraduates, postgraduates, general and senior scholars.
- Duration: the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. The language courses last one year. The duration of the scholarship for major study conforms to that required.
- Institutions and majors: designated Chinese universities offer academic programs in science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, economics, law, management, education, history, literature, philosophy and fine arts, among others. Section II refers readers to Campus China for further information on designated universities and their majors.
Coverage (guide, section III)
- Tuition fees.
- Free university dormitory or accommodation subsidy.
- Stipend, by recipient group:
| Recipient group (section III, item 3) | Monthly stipend |
|---|---|
| Undergraduates | CNY 2,500 |
| Master's students / general scholars | CNY 3,000 |
| Doctoral students / senior scholars | CNY 3,500 |
- Comprehensive medical insurance: CNY 800 per person per year, or CNY 400 per person for programs lasting less than six months.
Section IV of the guide sets eligibility conditions by programme and level. These are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship, not general admission rules.
Host universities (Order No. 42, Article 33)
Article 33 states that the education administrative department under the State Council selects higher education institutions on a merit basis to train Chinese Government Scholarship students. It also states that higher education institutions undertaking this training shall give priority to enrolling Chinese Government Scholarship students.
Related terms
- Admission and documents
- Tests and verification
- Universities and degrees
- Bilateral Program
- University Program
- Designated Scholarship Programs
- Student Exchange Program
- China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA)
- HSK
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China)
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the PRC
Checked 11 October 2026.
This entry is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, it is not published by the bodies named, and if it differs from the official text or from the instructions of the body handling your case, the official text and those instructions prevail.