How to apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship, step by step
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship sets out seven steps in its section V. You choose a programme, a university and a major, then get admission documents from the university and a recommendation from an application receiving agency. You fill in the online application form and the receiving agency sends your candidate list and documents to the China Scholarship Council (CSC). The CSC then checks eligibility and academic performance with designated universities and experts, and notifies the results to the receiving agency, which informs you. Section V gives no dates for any of these steps.
This page is a companion to the scholarship match tool, which shows which of the eight Chinese Government Scholarship programmes in the tool your entered details do not rule out, with a label on each result and a link to the official notice it comes from. The tool does not test the steps below.
The seven steps and who acts at each
| Step | What the guide says | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn about designated Chinese universities and the majors they offer, for example on campuschina.org, and identify the programme, university and major you prefer | Applicant |
| 2 | Reach the designated university for admission documents | Applicant, with the university |
| 3 | Reach an application receiving agency for a recommendation | Applicant, with the receiving agency |
| 4 | Fill in and submit the Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship online through the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System | Applicant |
| 5 | Submit the recommended candidates list and their application documents | Application receiving agency |
| 6 | Examine applicants' eligibility and academic performance before finalising the short-list | CSC, with designated universities and experts |
| 7 | Notify the admission results to the application receiving agency, which then informs the applicant | CSC, then the receiving agency |
Step 2: admission documents from the university
Step 2 is where you reach the designated university for admission documents. Section VI, item 7 says that all applicants must provide a pre-admission document issued by the universities applying. It gives two examples: a pre-admission notice from the international students' admission department, or an invitation letter from a school or professor. Neither step 2 nor Section VI, item 7 says which admission documents the university issues beyond this.
Step 4: the online form
Step 4 is the online Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship. Section VI, item 1 lists the form as the first application document and says it is filled in online. Step 4 does not say which other documents you submit, so check section VI for the full list.
Which route you file by
Section I says where you file depends on the scholarship category:
- Bilateral Program: file with the dispatching department of your home country.
- University Program: file with the Chinese universities that run the programme.
- Designated Scholarship Programs (for example the Great Wall, EU, AUN, PIF and WMO programmes): file with the international organisation or institution concerned.
- Student Exchange Program: file with the Chinese universities and their foreign partners.
The seven steps in section V do not name programme types. Section V does not say how the steps apply to each category.
Documents in section VI
Section VI lists the application documents. Items that are often checked early include:
- Item 2: a scan of the passport information page. If the passport has less than 12 months' validity, counted from the expected start date of study, the guide asks you to renew it before you apply.
- Item 5: a valid HSK score report for master's, doctoral, general scholar and senior scholar programmes taught in Chinese. Programmes taught in other languages need the language certificates set by each university.
- Item 6: bachelor's applicants must register for and take the CSCA before the application deadline and obtain a valid score report. The guide does not say what that deadline is.
- Item 8: a study or research plan of at least 200 words or characters for undergraduates, 500 for scholars and 1,000 for postgraduates.
- Item 12: for stays of more than six months, a copy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. Medical examination results are valid for six months.
- Item 13: a Certificate of Non-Criminal Record, usually issued within six months before the application date.
Questions people ask
Does the guide give application dates?
No. Section V gives no dates for any step, and the guide states no academic year. Item 6 refers to "the application deadline" for the CSCA, but the guide does not say when that deadline falls.
Who decides who is short-listed?
Step 6 says the CSC organises designated universities and experts to examine applicants' eligibility and academic performance before the short-list is finalised. The guide does not describe how that examination is scored.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by the bodies named. If the official text or the instructions of the body handling your application differ from this page, the official text and those instructions prevail.