How to apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC): a step-by-step guide

The Chinese Government Scholarship is the best-known full scholarship for international students in China. It is managed by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) on behalf of the Ministry of Education, which is why most students simply call it “the CSC scholarship”. Thousands of awards are made every year for bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and non-degree study.

This guide explains how the scholarship works, the two ways to apply, the documents you need and the mistakes that most often cost applicants their place. Requirements are published again for every intake, so treat the figures below as a starting point and confirm them in the official notice for your year.

What a full CSC scholarship covers

A full Chinese Government Scholarship normally includes four things:

• Tuition waiver for the length of your programme.
• Accommodation: a place in university housing, or a monthly allowance if you live off campus.
• Monthly stipend paid by the university. In recent years the published rates have been around RMB 2,500 for bachelor’s students, RMB 3,000 for master’s students and RMB 3,500 for doctoral students.
• Comprehensive medical insurance for international students in China.

It does not cover your flight to China, visa fees, the medical examination you take at home, or most personal costs. Read our guide to the real cost of studying in China to plan for these.

Type A or Type B: the two ways to apply

There are two main application routes. You can usually apply through only one route per intake, so choose deliberately.

Both routes use the CSC online application system (Campus China). For Type B you also need the agency number of the university you are applying to, which the university publishes in its admissions notice.

Who is eligible

• You must be a non-Chinese citizen in good health.
• You need the prior qualification for the level you are applying for: a high-school diploma for a bachelor’s degree, a bachelor’s degree for a master’s, and a master’s degree for a PhD.
• Age limits are usually under 25 for bachelor’s study, under 35 for master’s study and under 40 for doctoral study. Check the limit stated for your intake.
• You must meet the language requirement of the programme: Chinese (usually HSK) for Chinese-taught programmes, or English for English-taught ones.

Documents you will need

Universities and embassies may add their own requirements, but almost every CSC application asks for:

1. The completed online application form, printed and signed.
2. A valid passport identity page.
3. Your highest diploma and academic transcripts, notarised if they are not in Chinese or English.
4. A study plan or research proposal (the CSC guidance has long asked for at least 800 words for undergraduates and at least 1,500 words for postgraduates).
5. Two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors for master’s and PhD applicants.
6. The Foreigner Physical Examination Form, completed by a doctor and signed and stamped.
7. A non-criminal record certificate, usually issued within the last six months.
8. A pre-admission (acceptance) letter from a professor or university, if you have one. It is not always required but strengthens your application.

Our document checklist for Chinese universities explains how to prepare each one so it is not rejected for a technicality.

Deadlines and timeline

For a September intake, CSC application windows typically open between December and February and close between January and April. Embassy (Type A) deadlines are often earlier than university (Type B) deadlines. Results are usually announced between June and August, followed by your admission letter and JW201 form for the student visa.

Mistakes that cost applicants a scholarship

• Applying through Type A and Type B in the same year when the rules allow only one route.
• A generic study plan that does not name the programme, the university or a realistic research question.
• Scans that are blurred, cropped or missing pages.
• Recommendation letters without the referee’s contact details, signature or institutional letterhead.
• Choosing only highly competitive universities when the shortlist could include strong but less oversubscribed options.

How GradGate can help

A GradGate assessment reviews your eligibility, builds a realistic shortlist across CSC, provincial and university scholarships, and audits your documents before you submit. You pay a fixed assessment fee before work begins, and nothing more if we find you are not admissible. Browse current scholarship opportunities or start your assessment.