If a programme is cancelled or suspended: what the quality standards require of the school

If a university cancels or suspends an education programme for international students, section 17.5 of the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) (2018) says what the university shall do. The university shall act on the principles of respecting students' wishes, fairness and reasonableness, and appropriate compensation. It shall also settle the follow-up matters properly, and handle the necessary stay and residence formalities.

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The standards were issued by the Ministry of Education as a trial document. The Chinese text is the official text. The English wording on this page is this site's translation of it.

Section 17.5

Under section 17.5, the university shall:

• act on the principles of respecting students' wishes, fairness and reasonableness, and appropriate compensation;
• protect and safeguard the lawful rights and interests of international students;
• settle the follow-up matters properly, including refund of fees, loss compensation and transfer placement;
• handle the necessary stay and residence formalities.

Section 17.5 sets no amount for refunds or compensation, and names no deadline for them. It does not mention appeals or complaints.

The rest of section 17

Section 17 opens by requiring universities to take effective measures to protect the various lawful rights and interests of international students. The other lines of section 17 that concern students' rights are:

• Section 17.1 requires universities to publish admission, teaching, management and service information to international students, in written form on paper or electronically, in a way that is easy to consult, under national rules on information disclosure.
• Section 17.2 requires universities to publish the channels and methods for reporting and complaining about illegal or irregular conduct inside the university, and to handle reports and complaints in a standard way.
• Section 17.3 requires universities to tell a student who receives handling or a sanction how to lodge an appeal, and to handle appeals in a standard way.

Sources

• Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Ministry of Education of the PRC

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by the Ministry of Education or any other body named. If the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case differ, the official text and those instructions prevail.