The China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarship is given by the Chinese Scholarship Council, also known as the Chinese Government Scholarships or CGS. International students can study for free in bachelor, master, and doctorate programs in Chinese universities affiliated with the CGS. The objective of the CSC is to provide financial assistance to Chinese and international students to develop an alliance between China and other countries and for technological, educational, and scientific expansion.
There are nine Chinese Scholarship Council Scholarships. These are the MOFCOM scholarship, Chinese Government Scholarship- Great Wall Program, Chinese Government Scholarship- EU Program, Chinese Government Scholarship- AUN Program, Chinese Government Scholarship- WMO Program, Chinese Government Scholarship- PIF Program, Chinese Government Scholarship- Chinese University Program, Chinese Government Scholarship- Bilateral Program and the Marine Scholarship of China. An applicant may apply for more than one university but separate application forms should be submitted per university.
The scholarship amount for the China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarships
Chinese Scholarship Council scholarship provides CNY 2,500 RMB monthly in addition to the free tuition and free accommodation. Master degree students under the CSC scholarship will receive a monthly stipend of CNY 3,000 RMB, free room, and free tuition. The students taking up the doctoral program will receive a monthly stipend of CNY 3,500 RMB, free room, and free tuition.
Fees for other school requirements such as laboratory and internship fees that are not specified by the institutions will be handled by the student.
China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarships eligibility criteria
The applicant must be a non-Chinese resident and is in good health. The CSC sets the age limit to 25 years old for the undergraduate degree, 35 for a master’s degree, and 40 for a doctoral degree. For those in a Chinese training program, an applicant must be a holder of a senior high school diploma and must be less than 35 years of age.
IELTS or TOEFL is not required provided that English was the medium of instruction in the school you last attended. You will only be required to get a certificate of English Language Proficiency from the school you last attended. Another way to get exempted from the English proficiency requirement is if your mother tongue is English. A sample of the English Proficiency Certificate is provided for your reference.
Some universities will only have Chinese as a medium of instruction but they will be offering a one-year Chinese language course which will still be under the China Scholarship Council scholarships. This can also be a chance for you to master the language. If you opt not to take this, do not worry about your thesis writing because it can be accomplished in English.
The application process for the China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarships
The first thing you must do is find a university that offers the program you wish to apply to. Find out if it is associated with the Chinese Government Scholarship Program (CGS). There are 279 universities associated with the CGS that admits international students. If you are short of budget, some universities do not charge application fees. The list of application fee-free universities is also listed in the link mentioned above.
Next, communicate with a professor from the university and ask for admission. It is not mandatory but it will raise your chances of getting the scholarship once the professor admitted you as a university student. Applicants without an acceptance letter from a university professor can still be admitted through excelling in their study plan or research studies. Here is a sample of an email to send to the university professor. Visit this youtube video to learn how to find a professor. When the professor grants you admission to the university, send him an acceptance letter.
Log in to the CGS and fill out the Chinese Scholarship Council scholarship application form. Here is a youtube video to guide you through filling out the application form.
In the application form, you can see three categories of scholarships to choose from. Select category A if you are applying through the Chinese embassy, B if you are applying directly to the university, and C if you are applying in other ways aside from those mentioned.
Download the physical examination record for foreigner form then visit a nearby hospital or medical institution for physical assessment. Attach a photocopy of your medical form in your application letter.
Complete the documents required by the scholarship program. There are a lot of required documents which includes recommendation letter, foreigner physical examination form, motivation letter, English proficiency certificate, acceptance letter, Chinese Scholarship Council scholarship form, CV format, passport copy, letter of interest, samples of emails, study plan, research paper topics, polio certificate, cover letter, character certificate, and HEC travel grant among others. The complete list of documents is listed here. The number of documents may overwhelm you but examples and tips on how to accomplish these documents are provided in the download section of the website.
You may submit an application to up to three universities at the same time. However, you must fill and submit separate CSC application forms to each university. It may raise your chances of getting the scholarship, but can be more taxing. If you are successfully admitted to more than one university, the CSC will make the decision on which university you are going to be enrolled in.
The documents will be sent to the University International Students Office via a courier service like the DHL through their student package.
When you get selected, apply for a Chinese visa. You may apply for this in the Chinese embassy located in your home country.
China Scholarships Council (CSC) scholarships deadline
Generally, the application period is from December to April of the following year. However, the universities may have their application deadlines. The Chinese Scholarship Council Scholarship results are released by the end of July, ideally. The academic year starts in September.
