One year of Chinese on a scholarship: the two official routes
Two official documents describe a scholarship route for one year of Chinese study in China. The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, cover a One-Year Study Program of a maximum of eleven months. Section II of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council, covers Chinese language (preparatory) study lasting one year.
See also HSK on this site.
The two routes are set out separately below. Their conditions, amounts and score lines are not the same, and each applies only to its own scholarship.
Route 1: International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
The 2025 guidelines describe the One-Year Study Program in their section 4. The program commences in September 2025, and the scholarship is provided for a maximum of eleven months. These dates belong to the 2025 cycle, which has passed. Read the guidelines for the current year.
Section 4 sets score lines by programme field:
| Programme field (as worded) | HSK line | HSKK line |
|---|---|---|
| International Chinese language education programmes | Minimum 270 on the HSK test (Level 3) | An HSKK test score is required |
| Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy programmes | Minimum 180 on the HSK test (Level 4) | Minimum 60 on the HSKK test (Intermediate Level) |
| Chinese language study programmes | Minimum 210 on the HSK test (Level 3) | Priority will be given to applicants who provide an HSKK test score |
What Appendix 1 covers for one-year students
Appendix 1 of the same guidelines says the scholarship supports tuition, accommodation, living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance. Its items give the following:
- Item 2: free on-campus accommodation, typically in double rooms. Students may live off campus after the Host Institution approves it. Students other than doctoral students then receive RMB 700 per person per month, paid monthly or quarterly.
- Item 3: the living allowance for one-year study program students is RMB 2,500 per person per month. Appendix 1 excludes four-week study program students from the living allowance.
- Item 4: the comprehensive medical insurance premium for students studying more than one year is RMB 800 per person per year.
Appendix 1 also sets these rules on registration and the allowance:
- Recipients must register with the university within the period stated in the Letter of Admission. Otherwise, the scholarship will be revoked.
- Students registered on or before the 15th of a month receive the full allowance for that month. Students registered after the 15th receive half.
- If a recipient leaves China for more than 15 days for personal reasons during the study period (excluding summer and winter vacations), the living allowance is suspended for the period of absence.
Appendix 1, item 4, says the Host Institutions buy the medical insurance under the regulations on overseas students stipulated by the Ministry of Education of China.
Route 2: Chinese Government Scholarship, Chinese language (preparatory) study
Section II(II) of the Application Guide says the Chinese Government Scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. In its words, the language courses last one year. The duration of major study follows the requirement for that programme.
Coverage
Section III lists the following items:
- Tuition fees.
- A free university dormitory or an accommodation subsidy.
- A stipend: CNY 2,500 per month for undergraduates, CNY 3,000 per month for master's students and general scholars, and CNY 3,500 per month for doctoral students and senior scholars.
- Comprehensive medical insurance: CNY 800 per person per year, or CNY 400 per person for programmes lasting less than six months.
Section III does not name a stipend line for Chinese language (preparatory) study. The reader should read the guide's own text for the stipend that applies to that study.
Eligibility lines
Section IV sets these conditions for the scholarship:
- Item 1: a citizen of a country other than the PRC, and in good health both mentally and physically.
- Item 5: a holder of a high school diploma (or higher), under 45, applying for a general scholar programme.
- Item 8: HSK (Level 3) for a Chinese-taught general scholar programme, excluding Chinese language majors.
- Item 11: for a programme taught in a language other than Chinese, the admission requirements of the university of preference in language proficiency and academic ability, among others.
Section IV sets no separate line for Chinese language (preparatory) study. Its score lines in items 8 to 10 apply to general scholar, senior scholar, and master's or doctoral programmes. These are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship only. They are not general admission rules for students who pay their own way.
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 (the CLEC guidelines) and 11 October 2026 (the Chinese Government Scholarship guide).
This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case prevail if they differ.