Which Chinese Government Scholarship programme can you apply to?
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
The Chinese Government Scholarship is one scholarship with several programmes. They pay the same things and share one eligibility list, but each has its own target group and its own body that receives applications. Finding your programme means finding that body.
The scholarship match checks your level, age and language score against these programmes and against the other national scholarships.
The programmes and where each application goes
| Programme | For | Apply to |
|---|---|---|
| Bilateral Program | Applicants from countries with a cooperation and exchange agreement or consensus with the Chinese government | The dispatching department of your home country |
| University Program | International students recommended by designated Chinese universities | The Chinese university |
| Great Wall Program | Students and scholars from developing countries; postgraduates, general and senior scholars | The National Commission for UNESCO in your country |
| EU Program | Students and scholars from EU member states | The Office for Education and Culture, Mission of the PRC to the EU |
| AUN Program | Postgraduates from ASEAN member states | The AUN Secretariat |
| PIF Program | Students and scholars from Pacific Island countries | The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat |
| WMO Program | Students and scholars in meteorological research; undergraduates and postgraduates | The World Meteorological Organization |
| Student Exchange Program | General and senior scholars under a university exchange agreement, for no more than 12 months | The Chinese university and its foreign partner |
What every programme pays
The guide lists tuition fees, a free university dormitory or an accommodation subsidy, comprehensive medical insurance, and a monthly stipend: CNY 2,500 for undergraduates, CNY 3,000 for master's students and general scholars, and CNY 3,500 for doctoral students and senior scholars.
The shared conditions
You must be a citizen of a country other than the People's Republic of China and in good health. The age limits are under 25 for a bachelor's programme, under 35 for a master's, under 40 for a doctorate, under 45 as a general scholar and under 50 as a senior scholar. Bachelor's applicants take the CSCA. Chinese-taught master's and doctoral programmes ask for HSK Level 4.
Questions people ask
Can I apply to the China Scholarship Council directly?
For these programmes, the guide routes applications through a receiving agency: your country's dispatching department, a university, or an international organisation. You fill in the online form, and the agency submits its recommended candidates. The China Scholarship Council then notifies the agency of the result.
Does the scholarship cover a year of Chinese language study?
The guide says the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study, and that language courses last one year.
Does the guide give application dates?
No. It gives no dates. Ask the body that receives applications for your programme.
Source: Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, Campus China (China Scholarship Council). Checked 10 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary and is not published by the China Scholarship Council.