In order to promote the mutual understanding, cooperation and exchanges in politics, economy, culture, education and trade between China and other countries, the Chinese government has set up a series of scholarship programs to sponsor international students, teachers and scholars to study and conduct research in Chinese universities. China Scholarship Council (hereinafter referred to as CSC), entrusted by the Ministry of Education of People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as MOE), is responsible for the enrollment and administration of Chinese Government Scholarship programs. 279 designated Chinese universities offer a wide variety of academic programs in Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Law, Economics, Management, Education, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, History, and Fine Arts for scholarship winners at all levels.
Chinese Government Scholarship includes the following 7 programs.
| Scholarship programs | When to  | Where to send  | Supporting  | Scholarship coverage | 
| 1.Bilateral     | January    to  | dispatching     | undergraduate    students | full    scholarship  | 
| 2.Chinese     | designated    Chinese | master’s    students | full scholarship | |
| 3.Great     | National    Commissions  | general    scholars | full scholarship | |
| 4.EU     | Office    for Education | undergraduate    students | full scholarship | |
| 5.AUN     | AUN Secretariat | master’s    students | full scholarship | |
| 6.PIF | PIF Secretariat | undergraduate    students | full scholarship | |
| 7.WMO     | WMO Secretariat | undergraduate    or | partial scholarship | 
Application Time
Usually from January to April each year
Application Procedure 
                      Step 1 - Apply to the dispatching authorities for CGS opportunity; 
                      Step 2 - Apply to your target university for the Pre-admission Letter once  recommended by the dispatching authorities as an eligible candidate (you will  receive an Award Letter for CGS Candidate); 
          Step 3 - Complete the online application procedure at CSC Online  Application System for International Students (Visit http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua and click “Application  Online” to log in),  submit online the completed Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship  and print a hard copy. You should consult the dispatching authorities for  overseas study of your home country for Instructions of CSC Online Application  System for International Students and Agency Number; 
                      Step 4 - Submit all of your application documents to the dispatching  authorities before the deadline.
CSC will send the admission documents to the dispatching authorities before July 31st. The dispatching authorities will send the admission documents (Admission Letter and Visa Application Form for Study in China (JW201)) to scholarship recipients.
Dispatching Authorities 
Dispatching authorities for Chinese Government Scholarship Programs are as  follows: 
Embassies (Consulate-General) of P. R. China in foreign countries 
Chinese higher education institutions (Chinese HEIs) which undertake  Chinese University Program, now totally 221 institutions
Embassies of foreign countries in China 
Regional education departments 
Other relevant educational institutions
Receiving Institutions
There are a total of 279 Chinese universities are approved by MOE to accept Chinese Government Scholarship students. You can download the list here.
Agency Number 
Each dispatching authority has their code number which is called agency  number. It is needed when you apply online. Here we have collected most of  agency numbers for your convenience. Others you’d better contact your  dispatching authority directly. 
Agency Numbers of Embassy of P.R. China
Agency Numbers of 221 Chinese Universities for Graduate Program
Application Documents (in duplicate)
1.Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship (written in Chinese  or English); 
2.Notarized highest diploma (photocopy); 
Prospective diploma recipients must submit official document issued by your  current school to prove your current student status or expected graduation  date. Documents in languages other than Chinese or English must be attached  with notarized Chinese or English translations. 
3.Academic transcripts (written in Chinese or English); 
Transcripts in languages other than Chinese or English must be attached  with notarized Chinese or English translations. 
4.A Study Plan or Research Proposal (written in Chinese or English); 
This should be a minimum of 200 words for undergraduate students, 500 words  for non-degree students, and 800 words for graduate students. 
5.Two Recommendation Letters (written in Chinese or English); 
Applicants for the graduate programs or the senior scholar programs must  submit two recommendation letters signed by a professor or an associate  professor. 
6.A CD of your own works (only required for arts students); 
Applicants for music studies are requested to submit a CD of their own  musical works. Applicants for the fine arts programs must submit a CD of their  own works which include two sketches, two color paintings and two other works. 
7.Valid documents of your legal guardians in China (only required for  applicants under the age of 18); 
8.Foreigner Physical Examination Form (photocopy), (written in English,  only required for applicants planning to stay in China for more than 6 months,  can be downloaded from http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua;  The physical examinations must cover all of the items listed in the Foreigner  Physical Examination Form. Incomplete forms or forms without the signature of  the attending physician, or the official stamp of the hospital, or a sealed  photograph of the applicant are considered as invalid. Please carefully plan  your physical examination schedule as the result is valid for only 6 months. 
9.The copy of Pre-admission Letter from designated Chinese university (if  available); 
10. The copy of HSK Certificate (if available). 
All documents should be bound together on top left corner in the order of  6.1 to 6.10. 
You should submit TWO sets of bound documents. 
No application documents will be returned. 
Duration
Chinese Government Scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language/ preparatory study. The table below illustrates the duration of each category.
| Supporting Categories | Major Study  | Chinese Language | Duration of 
                          Scholarship  | 
| Undergraduate students | 4-5 | up to 2 | 4-7 | 
| Master’s students | 2-3 | up to 2 | 2-5 | 
| Doctoral students | 3-4 | up to 2 | 3-6 | 
| General scholars | up to 1 | up to 1 | up to 2 | 
| Senior scholars | up to 1 | up to 1 | up to 2 | 
Instruction Language 
                        1. Instruction language for undergraduate students 
                      Undergraduate scholarship winners must register for Chinese-taught  credit courses. They are required to take one-year Chinese language/preparatory  courses in one of the nine universities listed below and to pass the required  test before moving on to their major studies. 
                      Entrusted by MOE, the following 9 universities offer Chinese  language/preparatory courses to undergraduate scholarship winners. They are Tianjin University, Nanjing Normal University, Shandong University, Central China Normal University, Tongji University, Beijing Language and Culture  University, Northeast Normal University, Beijing International Studies  University, and Capital Normal University. 
                      Undergraduate scholarship winners can apply for preparatory course  exemption if they 
                      →complete their secondary education in Chinese. 
                      Or 
                      →have valid HSK certificate that meets the requirements of the  host university. 
                      Official documents from secondary schools or a photocopy of valid  HSK certificate must be submitted for preparatory course exemption application.  Please NOTE that HSK results are valid for 2 years only. 
2. Instruction language for graduate students and non-degree  students. 
                      Graduate and non-degree scholarship students can register for  either Chinese-taught program or English-taught program if applicable. 
  Program Search can help you  find your interested program and university. 
                      →Scholarship recipients of Chinese-taught programs without  adequate Chinese proficiency must take Chinese language courses for one to two  years to reach the language requirements of their host universities before  moving on to their major studies. Failure to reach the required language  proficiency will lead to the automatic termination of scholarship. Chinese  language courses will be one year for majors in Science, Engineering,  Agriculture, West Medicine, Economics, Management, Law and Fine Arts, and be no  more than two years for majors in Liberal Arts, History, Philosophy and Chinese  Medicine. 
                      →Scholarship recipients of English-taught programs or those with  adequate Chinese language proficiency do not need to take Chinese language  courses. 
COVERAGE AND STANDARD 
                      Scholarship Standard 
| Supporting Categories | Field of Study | Tuition | Accommodation | Stipend | Medical Insurance | Total | 
| Undergraduate students | I* | 20000 | 8400 | 30000 | 800 | 59200 | 
| II* | 23000 | 8400 | 30000 | 800 | 62200 | |
| III* | 27000 | 8400 | 30000 | 800 | 66200 | |
| Master’s students | I | 25000 | 8400 | 36000 | 800 | 70200 | 
| II | 29000 | 8400 | 36000 | 800 | 74200 | |
| III | 34000 | 8400 | 36000 | 800 | 79200 | |
| Doctoral students/ Senior scholars | I | 33000 | 12000 | 42000 | 800 | 87800 | 
| II | 38000 | 12000 | 42000 | 800 | 92800 | |
| III | 45000 | 12000 | 42000 | 800 | 99800 | 
Note 
                      Field of Study I includes Economics, Management, Law, Education,  Liberal Arts, History, and Philosophy; II includes Science, Engineering, and  Agriculture; III includes Fine Arts and Medicine.
                      Full Scholarship covers 
                      1.Tuition waiver; 
                      2.Accommodation: free university dormitory or accommodation  subsidy; 
                      If the host university requires students to live on campus, the  university will accommodate scholarship students in university dormitory  (usually twin room); if the host university permits students to live off  campus, the university will provide monthly/quarterly accommodation subsidy: 
                      undergraduate students/master’s students/general scholars: CNY 700  per month; 
                      doctoral students/senior scholars: CNY 1000 per month. 
                      3.Stipend: 
                      undergraduate students: CNY 2,500 per month; 
                      master’s students / general scholars: CNY 3,000 per month; 
                      doctoral students / senior scholars: CNY 3,500 per month. 
                      Within the scholarship duration, registered scholarship students  will receive stipend from their host university month by month. 
                      Students registering before the 15th of the month (the 15th  included) will receive full stipend of that month. Those who register after the  15th of the month will receive half stipend of that month. 
                      If registered student stays out of China for more than 15 days  (school holidays excluded), his stipend will be stopped during his leaving. 
                      4.Medical insurance 
                      Please refer to Comprehensive Insurance &  Protection Scheme for Foreigners Staying in China for insurance policy. 
                      Partial Scholarship covers 
              One or some items of the full scholarship.