Can international students receive scholarships in China?
Yes. Funding may come through the Chinese Government Scholarship / CSC, a university scholarship, a named programme or a regional scheme. There is no single application for every case.
EDMONT / CHINA FUNDINGScholarships in China
Scholarships in China
for international students
Funding is not added after the admissions strategy. It changes the strategy itself.
Government scholarships, university funding, named programmes and regional schemes for the 2027 cycle: how coverage, timing and eligibility interact with programme choice.
Facts verified on 20 September 2026. Where 2027 rules are not yet published, the latest available cycle is marked.
Direct answer
China does not have one scholarship that works the same way for every university, level and nationality.
Is funding a separate step after admission?
No. In many routes the university, programme, scholarship eligibility, deadline and nomination are connected. A university list without a funding calendar is often incomplete.
Are 2027 rules published?
Some graduate pages already refer to 2027 entry, but many undergraduate and university pages still show the latest published cycle. Those points are marked as latest available cycle / pending 2027 update.
Funding map
A compact map is more useful than a long list: it shows who controls the funding and where the deadline appears.
| Mechanism | Administered by | Level | What it may cover | Key timing issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Government Scholarship / CSC | China Scholarship Council, embassy or university | Undergraduate, master’s, PhD and other categories where the route supports them | Usually tuition, accommodation or subsidy, stipend and medical insurance for full awards; partial awards vary | Type A normally goes through an embassy or other dispatching authority; Type B through the university. |
| University scholarships | Individual university | Depends on the university and programme | From tuition waiver to stipend or accommodation subsidy where stated | Often integrated into the university application or require a separate scholarship route selection. |
| Named programmes | Specific programme | Usually a specific graduate route | May be a full fellowship, but only for that programme | Schwarzman and Yenching are not general scholarships for every Tsinghua or PKU degree. |
| Regional schemes | Municipality or province | Depends on the scheme | For example tuition categories or yearly support | May be limited to current students or specific levels. |
Chinese Government Scholarship / CSC
CSC is not one global application button. The route depends on the receiving agency: embassy, dispatching authority or university.
Type A
Usually administered outside the university, for example by the embassy or another dispatching authority in the applicant’s country. Deadlines and documents vary by country; the university is often selected as a preference.
Type B
Usually connected with the Chinese University Program. The university may require pre-admission, nomination or selecting a scholarship route in its own system. Tsinghua selects candidates only from pre-admitted students.
Coverage
A full CGS usually includes tuition, accommodation or accommodation subsidy, stipend and comprehensive medical insurance. Partial CGS covers only selected components. Travel should not be assumed covered unless stated.
Bachelor’s, master’s and PhD funding
Undergraduate
Undergraduate funding often depends on an embassy / Type A route, institutional scholarship or regional scheme. If a university uses CSCA or other academic requirements, that affects competitiveness.
Master’s
At master’s level, CSC Type B, university scholarships and named programmes are more common. Example: Yenching Academy at Peking University is a specific master’s route with its own fellowship.
PhD
PhD funding depends on the department, research fit, supervisor/programme fit and whether the programme participates in the scholarship route. Master’s rules should not be copied automatically.
Five universities: what to verify
This is not a scholarship ranking. The table shows why rules cannot be generalised even within one country.
| University | Government route | University / named funding | Cycle status | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsinghua University | CGS Type A through embassies; Type B for graduate applicants through Tsinghua, only from pre-admitted candidates | Tuition scholarships including Beijing Government Scholarship / Tsinghua Tuition Scholarship; undergraduate freshmen scholarships mention CGS and institutional scholarships | Graduate 2027 published; undergraduate 2027 pending | High-tuition and joint-degree programmes may not fit Type B; check the programme before relying on CGS. |
| Peking University | 2026 prospective graduate notice covers the CGS Advanced Graduate Program | PKU considers one scholarship application for multiple applicable scholarships for prospective graduate applicants | Latest visible cycle: 2026 graduate scholarship notice | Yenching Academy is a separate PKU master’s fellowship, not a universal PKU award. |
| Fudan University | CSC route linked from the official ISO scholarship area | Official ISO maintains a scholarship section; details must be checked by cycle and programme | Current scholarship page available; individual notices vary | Do not infer coverage without the specific Fudan notice. |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | CGS Type A via embassies; Type B through SJTU for incoming international graduate students | SJTU Scholarship and Shanghai Government Scholarship routes are described on the official global site | University page states embassy deadlines vary, usually November to April | SJTU says it does not provide free dormitory for some CGS routes but offers accommodation subsidy. |
| Zhejiang University | Type A for the bilateral route; Type B Chinese University Program for graduate applicants | Zhejiang Government Scholarship and school/programme awards listed by level | ZJU scholarship pages include bachelor, master and PhD sections | ZJU states on its Type A page that only Type A CSC supports undergraduate programmes. |
Schwarzman and Yenching are not general scholarships
Schwarzman Scholars
Officially described as a one-year, fully funded Master of Global Affairs at Tsinghua University. It is a separate programme with its own selection, not a funding route for any Tsinghua degree.
Yenching Academy
Yenching Academy provides a fellowship to all scholars, including tuition fees, accommodation, monthly stipend, one round-trip travel fare and field study costs. It is a specific PKU master’s route.
Strategic point
Such programmes can be valuable for strong applicants, but they do not replace the main university and scholarship-deadline strategy. They should be treated as separate competitions.
Why there is no single answer to “when do I apply?”
- University/programme deadline: first check whether the programme itself is open.
- Scholarship deadline: Type A, Type B, university funding and named programmes can close on different dates.
- Nomination or pre-admission deadline: some routes require university nomination or a pre-admission letter.
- CSCA/test deadline: for undergraduate applicants academic testing may affect competitiveness and timing.
- Language-test deadline: HSK, IELTS or TOEFL must be ready when the route requires them.
What makes a funding strategy realistic
The phrase “fully funded” does not tell you whether the route fits a particular applicant.
01FORMAL ELIGIBILITY
02TARGET PROGRAMMES
03ACADEMIC COMPETITIVENESS
04NATIONALITY RULES
05LANGUAGE / CSCA
06FUNDING ROUTE
07DEADLINE FIT
08POSITIONING
EDMONT does not calculate “scholarship chances”. We check whether a real funding route exists for the chosen programme, whether the applicant is formally eligible, how competitive the profile is and whether the calendar works.
Questions about scholarships in China
The main mechanisms are the Chinese Government Scholarship / CSC, university scholarships, named programmes such as Schwarzman Scholars or Yenching Academy, and selected municipal or provincial schemes. Availability depends on level, university, programme, nationality and cycle.
Sometimes, if the applicant receives a full scholarship or fellowship that covers tuition and living components. But “free” is imprecise: travel, deposits, document costs, visa costs or programme-specific costs may remain outside the award.
A full CGS commonly covers tuition, university accommodation or accommodation subsidy, stipend and comprehensive medical insurance. Partial scholarships cover selected components only. The exact award follows the relevant CSC and university route.
No. Type A deadlines are set by the relevant embassy or dispatching authority; Type B deadlines are set by the university and programme. SJTU, for example, says embassy schedules vary by country, usually November to April.
Yes, but undergraduate funding must be checked route by route. Zhejiang University, for example, states on its Type A page that only Type A CSC supports undergraduate programmes; Tsinghua’s freshmen scholarships page points applicants to embassy CGS and institutional scholarships.
CSCA is an undergraduate academic assessment issue, not a universal scholarship rule. If a university uses CSCA for admission or profile assessment, the result can affect competitiveness for a funded route, but the scholarship rules still have to be checked separately.
Schwarzman Scholars is a one-year, fully funded Master of Global Affairs programme at Tsinghua University. It is not a general scholarship that can be applied to any Tsinghua degree.
Yenching Academy is a Peking University master’s route with a fellowship for its scholars, including tuition, accommodation, monthly stipend, one round-trip travel fare and field study costs. It is not a general PKU scholarship.
Official sources
Primary sources used to verify this page. When new 2027 rules are published, individual blocks should be updated.
- Tsinghua University — Graduate Financial Aid System
- Tsinghua University — Graduate Financial Aid FAQ
- Tsinghua University — Freshmen Scholarships
- Peking University — Scholarships
- Peking University — 2026 scholarships for prospective graduate students
- Yenching Academy of Peking University — Admissions and Fellowship
- Schwarzman Scholars — official programme
- Fudan University — International Students Office Scholarship
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University — Scholarships
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University — Chinese Government Scholarship
- Zhejiang University — Scholarships
- Zhejiang University — Chinese Government Scholarship Type A
- Zhejiang University — Chinese Government Scholarship Type B
EDMONT / CHINA FUNDING
Programme first, then funding.
To understand which funding is genuinely available, the programme, formal eligibility, competitiveness, language, CSCA, admissions timeline and separate scholarship deadlines have to be aligned.
PROGRAMME → ELIGIBILITY → FUNDING ROUTE → CALENDAR