Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) 2026
About this scholarship
The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) is a major scholarship scheme for international students to study in China, typically funding degree programs with tuition support, accommodation, stipend, and medical insurance.
The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) is a national scholarship programme administered by the China Scholarship Council to support international students pursuing higher education in China. It is widely used by Chinese universities to recruit outstanding students into degree programmes, especially at postgraduate level, though some universities also offer CSC-funded places for bachelor's study.
Based on the reference postings, CSC support commonly includes full tuition coverage, free accommodation or a housing subsidy, a monthly living stipend, and comprehensive medical insurance. In some university-specific postings, the scholarship is described as fully funded for master's and PhD students, with typical stipend figures around 3,000 RMB per month for master's students and 3,500 RMB per month for PhD students; some undergraduate CSC routes also mention around 2,500 RMB per month.
The scholarship is generally open to non-Chinese citizens in good health who are applying to eligible Chinese universities. Common requirements in the postings include the appropriate prior degree for the target level, strong academic performance, research potential for graduate study, and language proof for Chinese-taught or English-taught programmes. Many universities also request a study or research proposal, recommendation letters, academic transcripts, passport copy, and sometimes a pre-admission letter from a supervisor or department.
CSC scholarships can be used across a very wide range of subjects and institutions in China. Application procedures usually involve submitting materials through the CSC online system and, in many cases, a separate university admissions portal. Because details such as deadlines, agency codes, eligible programmes, and required documents can vary by host university and CSC category, applicants should always check the current guidance of their chosen university and the CSC application system before applying.
Eligibility
Who can apply for this scholarship
Generally open to non-Chinese citizens in good physical and mental health applying for degree study at participating Chinese universities. Common university-level conditions in the postings include: bachelor's degree for master's applicants, master's degree for PhD applicants, and in some cases high school completion for bachelor's applicants. Many hosted CSC postgraduate routes also use age limits commonly set at under 35 for master's and under 40 for PhD applicants.
Requirements
Documents typically needed to apply
Language requirements
Usually HSK for Chinese-taught programs; for English-taught programs, universities may request IELTS/TOEFL or another accepted proof of English proficiency. Some postings mention HSK Level 4 or 5, IELTS 6.0-6.5, or TOEFL 90 as typical university requirements.
Where you can use this
Open positions accepting Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC).
