Scholarship system
The Chinese government has set up government scholarships to finance students and scholars from the rest of the world to study and do research in Chinese universities, enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and peoples of other countries, and promote Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation in such fields as education, science and technology, culture, economy and trade. According to the agreements or programs reached between the Chinese government and governments of other countries and international organizations, the Ministry of Education is responsible to grant the government scholarships and entrusts the Chinese Scholarships Council (CSC) with the enrollment and management of daily affairs concerning international students in China who study on the Chinese government scholarships.

I. Classifications, recipients, time limits, and application qualifications
The Chinese government scholarships are divided into the undergraduate student scholarship, the postgraduate student scholarship, the doctoral student scholarship, the learners for the Chinese language scholarship, and the Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students scholarship, according to the classifications of students. In addition, such scholarships are also available as the Great Wall scholarship, the excellent student scholarship, the HSK winner scholarship, the short-term program for foreign teachers of Chinese and the Chinese culture research program.

The undergraduate student scholarship is granted to those who apply to study in Chinese universities for bachelor's degree, usually with a term of four school years (five years for medical students). The applicants should be equal to graduates of Chinese high schools with excellent academic records, have to pass the entrance exam for Chinese universities or are admitted through recommendations, and are below 25 years old.

The Master Degree student scholarship is granted to those who apply to study in Chinese universities for master's degree, with a term of two to three school years. The applicants should have bachelor's degree with excellent academic records. And overseas applicants should have letters of recommendation by two professors or two associate professors, while applicants in China should be those who have already been admitted by Chinese universities and are below 35 years old.

The Ph.D. student scholarship is granted to those who apply to study in Chinese universities for doctor's degree, with a term of three school years. The applicants should have master's degree with excellent academic records. And overseas applicants should have letters of recommendation by two professors or two associate professors, while applicants in China should be those who have already been admitted by Chinese universities and are below 40 years old.

The learners of the Chinese language scholarship is granted to graduates of non-Chinese majors, those without basic Chinese knowledge, and applicants who want to study Chinese in China, with a term of one or two school years. The applicants should be equal to or above graduates of Chinese high schools, and are below 35 years old.

Visiting Students scholarship is granted to those who apply to study their former majors in China, with a term of one or two school years. The applicants should be sophomores and above, or equal to college graduates, and are below 45 years old.

Senior Visiting Students scholarship is granted to those who apply to do further studies in China on a certain special subject under the guidance of Chinese tutors, with a term of one or two school years. The applicants should be equal to or above Chinese postgraduates, recommended by two professors or two associate professors, and below 50 years old.

Applicants for the above Chinese government scholarships should, in principle, have corresponding proficiency in Chinese (except learners for the Chinese language and those who are taught in foreign languages); those whose Chinese proficiency doesn't meet the requirements are asked to continue their Chinese learning, but for no more than two school years; the terms of scholarships for undergraduate, Master Degree and Ph.D students who need further Chinese learning can be extended accordingly, but the time taken by trainees on further Chinese learning is included in the required time limit of scholarships.

The Great Wall scholarship is open to the UNESCO, recruiting Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students, with the recipients, terms and application qualifications the same as those of the CSC for Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students.

The excellent student scholarship is granted to those who have finished their planned study programs in China, passed the entrance exam the same year to study for master, or doctor's degree, and have been of good character and academic records. The term and application qualifications are the same as those for the scholarships of postgraduate and Ph.D Students.

The HSK winner scholarship is granted to winners of the HSK held overseas who come to China to learn Chinese, with a term of no more than one school year and below 40 years old.

The short-term program for foreign teachers of Chinese finances short-term workshops for foreign teachers of Chinese, including four weeks of classroom studies and two weeks of free and voluntary teaching tour in China; the applicants should be equal to or above college graduates and have engaged in Chinese teaching for more than three years running, and below 50 years old.

The Chinese culture research program finances foreign scholars engaged in Chinese culture research to take short-term visits to China and do some research either under the guidance of Chinese tutors or in collaboration with Chinese scholars, with a term of no more than five months. The applicants should have doctor's degree or be equal to or above the post of an associate professor, published monographs or theses on the Chinese language, culture, and history, and below 55 years old.

II. Contents of the Chinese government scholarships
1.The Chinese government scholarships are divided into full scholarships and partial scholarships.

2.Contents of the Chinese government scholarships:
Free from registration fees, tuitions, experiment fees, fieldwork fees, basic teaching materials fees and lodging fees;
Free medical service same as Chinese students;
Living expenses in the scholarship and one-off settlement allowances;
Hard-seat train tickets (hard sleepers for all-night trains) from the entry city to the city where the accepting school is, from the city of the school where the recipient is going to take on further Chinese studies to the city of the school where the recipient is going to study for his or her major, and from the city of the school where he or she graduates from to the exit city;
The international travel fees of the scholarship recipients are, in principle, borne by the employers, and will be arranged otherwise according to agreements, if any.

3.Following is detailed standards of living expenses in the scholarships and one-off settlement allowances:
Living expenses for undergraduate students are 800 yuan per person every month;
Living expenses for Master Degree students are 1,100 yuan per person every month;
Living expenses for Ph.D students are l,400 yuan per person every month;
Living expenses for learners of the Chinese language are 800 yuan per person (1,l00 yuan per person every month for those who are second year college graduates or above);
Living expenses for Visiting Students are 1,l00 yuan per person every month;
Living expenses for Senior Visiting Students are 1,400 yuan per person every month.
Recipients of the above scholarships whose study terms last one school year are given 600 yuan of one-off resettlement allowances per person when the school opens; those whose study term is less than one year are given 300 yuan of one-off resettlement allowances per person when the school opens.
The partial scholarships cover one or several items of the above full scholarships.
The Great Wall scholarships are the same as the full scholarships for Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students
The excellent student scholarships are the same as the full scholarships for postgraduate or Ph.D
students.
The HSK winner scholarships are the same as the full scholarships for learners of the Chinese language.
The Chinese culture research program is free from registration, research, lodging, and emergency medical services, and offers 3,000 yuan of research subsidies per person every month, 750 yuan of one-off allowances for books and reference materials, and 1,000 yuan of one-off allowances for academic tours.
The short-term program for teachers of Chinese is free from registration, tuition, lodging, and emergency medical services, and offers 2,000 yuan of one-off allowances for living expenses; those taking part in group teaching tours are free from lodging and transportation, and are given 650 yuan of food allowances per person.
The Chinese government will adjust the scholarship standards at irregular intervals. For more information, please check the CSC-made admission guidebook of the Chinese government scholarships for international students in China.

III. Application channels, time and methods
Scholarships for undergraduate, master degree or Ph.D. students, learners for the Chinese language, and Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students, can be applied for to the government departments in charge of overseas study affairs in the applicant's own country, related organizations, and Chinese embassies. The application time is between February and April. The application channels and methods for other special scholarships Me as follows:
The Great Wall scholarships can be applied for to the UNESCO headquarters through the national committee of UNESCO in the applicant's own country. The application time is between February and April;
The excellent students scholarships can be applied for to the CSC through the applicant's own school. The application time is between April and June;
The HSK winner scholarships can be applied for to the CSC through the HSK organizers or Chinese embassies and consulates general. The application time is between February and April;
The Chinese culture research program can be applied for at any time to the CSC through Chinese embassies, consulates general, or cooperating Chinese universities and scholars;
The short-term program for teachers of Chinese can be applied for to the CSC through Chinese embassies and consulates. The application time is usually from February to April.

The applicant should submit the following materials when applying for the Chinese government scholarships:
1. The application form of the Chinese government scholarships, made by the CSC;
2. Notarized credentials of the highest diplomas and academic records; schooling or employment credentials by the school or employer if the applicant is still a student or being employed;
3.Those who apply to study in China for more than six months (including six months)have to submit health checkup records for foreigners made by Chinese health quarantine departments;
4.Plans for studying and doing research in China (no less than 200 Chinese characters);
5.Overseas applicants to study for master' and doctor's degree, or Senior Visiting Students have to submit letters of recommendation by two professors or two associate professors; applicants in China to study for master' and doctor's degree have to submit the admission notice of the recruiting school;
6.Applicants to study music and the fine arts have to submit recordings or pictures of his or her works;
7.In addition, overseas applicants to study natural sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine in China have to submit results reports of the test for mathematics, physics and chemistry organized by Chinese embassies, or school reports of high school graduation examinations in the applicant's own country; applicants to study economics and management for undergraduate students have to submit test credentials for mathematics proficiency; applicants in China have to submit test credentials for admission examinations and the admission notice of related schools;
8.Applicants for the Chinese culture research program have to submit catalogues of their major monographs or theses that have been published.

The China Scholarship Council
Address:160 Fuxingmennei Street, Beijing, Division of Foreign Student's Affairs CSC
Postcode:100031
Tel:86-10-66413253
Fax:86-10-66413255
E-mail:laihua@csc.edu.cn
 
Source: Study in China