How long each funded study programme lasts: four weeks, five months, eleven months
The 2025 Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), give a maximum of eleven months for the one-year programme, five months for the one-semester programme and four weeks for the four-week programme. The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council, says its language courses last one year. The two scholarships have separate rules, and this article keeps them apart.
See also Terms on this site.
Maximum length by programme under the 2025 CLEC guidelines
The table gives the start months and maximum lengths printed in the CLEC guidelines. Each row cites the item where the figures appear.
| Programme | Start months in the 2025 guidelines | Maximum length | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year study programme | September 2025 | Eleven months | Item 4 |
| One-semester study programme | September 2025 or March 2026 | Five months | Item 5 |
| Four-week study programme | July or December 2025 | Four weeks | Item 6 |
| Online One-Year Chinese Language Study | September or March each year | No length printed | Item 8(a) |
| Online One-Semester Chinese Language Study | September or March each year | No length printed | Item 8(b) |
Items 8(a) and 8(b) name start months and HSK score rules for the online programmes. They print no maximum length.
Items 4, 5, 6 and 8 also set HSK or HSKK score requirements. Those requirements apply to this scholarship only. This page does not describe them.
The dates above belong to the 2025 cycle and have passed. Read the guidelines for the current year before planning a start.
Chinese Government Scholarship language courses
Section II, subsection (II), "Duration", of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship says that the Chinese Government Scholarship covers major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. It says the language courses last one year. It says the duration of the scholarship for major study conforms to that as required.
Section II, subsection (II) gives no eleven-month, five-month or four-week figure. Those figures appear only in the CLEC guidelines.
Questions
How long does a Chinese Government Scholarship language course last?
Section II, subsection (II) of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship says the language courses last one year.
Does the eleven-month figure apply to the Chinese Government Scholarship?
Item 4 belongs to the CLEC guidelines for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship. Section II of the Chinese Government Scholarship guide contains no eleven-month figure.
Sources
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025. Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship. China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026 for the CLEC guidelines and 11 October 2026 for the Chinese Government Scholarship guide.
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 case differ from this page, the official text and those instructions prevail.