Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC): A Guide to Scholarships for Studying in China

CSC (China Scholarship Council) is an organization under the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, responsible for the recruitment and administration of the Chinese Government Scholarship.

The purpose of the program is to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between China and other countries through the support of foreign students, teachers, and researchers at Chinese universities. The scholarship is open for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as non-degree programs such as general scholar (non-degree internship) and senior scholar (advanced research internship).

The program is offered by 289 Chinese universities designated by the Ministry of Education.

According to official CampusChina data, different CSC programs provide full or partial scholarships. The coverage depends on the program and university. Most programs are based on the following:

• Tuition fees. Fully covered by full scholarship programs.
• Habitation. A free place in a dormitory, or, if the university allows you to live off-campus, a monthly housing subsidy.
• A monthly scholarship. According to official data from CSC-operated universities: 2,500 yuan for bachelor’s degrees, 3,000 yuan for master’s degrees and general scholars, and 3,500 yuan for doctoral degrees and senior scholars.
• Health insurance. It is a mandatory part of most programs.

There are also programs with partial coverage. For example, the WMO Program is officially described as a Partial scholarship. Before applying, it is important to check the coverage of the specific program you are applying for.

The Study plan or Research proposal must disclose: academic background, specific purpose of studying in China, justification of the choice of the program and university, research interests (for graduate-level) and the connection of the result of education with further career.

According to the official requirements of individual CSC operator universities, the volume of the document is at least 200 characters for bachelor’s degree and at least 1000 characters for master’s degree and doctoral degree, while the Research proposal for doctoral degree is signed by the applicant’s Chinese supervisor. The more detailed the plan is and the clearer its connection to the program and the supervisor, the more convincing the application will be.

Deadlines vary by country, program operator, and university, and there is no single deadline for all applicants.

According to official CampusChina data, the Bilateral Program and the Great Wall Program typically accept applications from early January to early April, and the CSC approves and distributes the final lists of scholarship recipients to the program operators by June 30 or July 31, depending on the program. Each university sets its own Type B university deadline.

Before applying, you should check the current call for applications for the current recruitment year on campuschina.org or the website of the selected operator.

At SelfStartGlobal, we help you choose the CSC universities and programs based on your academic profile and budget, check the current requirements, prepare the documents, Study plan and motivation materials, build the Personal brand of the applicant and control the deadlines at each stage.

If you are considering studying in China with a scholarship – come for a free consultation, we will analyze your profile and select a realistic application strategy.