CSC — China Scholarship Council
CSC is China's most recognized scholarship. The government pays the university to accept an international student: you get tuition, dormitory and a monthly stipend. In effect — you study and live for free, plus keep ¥2,500–3,500/month for pocket money.
- Coverage
- Full (tuition + dormitory + stipend + insurance)
- Stipend
- ¥2,500–3,500/month
- Deadlines: December – April (depends on the university)
- Apply through the PRC embassy (Type A) or university (Type B)
- Review time: 4–6 months
- You may apply to 5 universities simultaneously
Who it suits
- Master's and PhD students with GPA 4.0+/5 and publications
- Bachelor's applicants from priority SCO/EAEU countries with HSK 4–5
- Candidates with proven English (IELTS 6.0+ or TOEFL 80+)
- Students with a strong research proposal (for PhD)
Requirements
- Bachelor: GPA 3.5+/5, HSK 4+, diploma with apostille
- Master: GPA 4.0+/5, HSK 5+ or IELTS 6.5+, diploma
- PhD: Master's diploma, 1+ publication, 2,000–4,000-word research proposal
- Age limits: <25 for Bachelor, <35 for Master, <40 for PhD
- No other active grant from the Chinese government
How to apply for CSC — step by step
Five to seven steps from first consultation to enrollment. A curator is with you at every stage in Chengdu or Shanghai.
1. University shortlist
We pick 3–5 universities that offer CSC for your major. CSC is not available at every university or for every major — this is crucial.
2. Documents
Diploma/transcript with translation and apostille, motivation letter, 2 references, passport, health certificate (Foreigner Physical Examination Form), research proposal (PhD).
3. Submission
We fill in the CSC portal (csc.edu.cn) and the portal of each university. In parallel — application via the PRC embassy for Type A.
4. Interview / online test
Some universities (Tsinghua, Peking, Fudan) hold interviews in Chinese or English. We prepare together.
5. Decision and admission letter
In 4–6 months you receive the decision. With the admission letter and JW202 you apply for an X1 visa.
Finish
What to do when
Calendar for the academic year. If you start with a language year — add +12 months to the study start.
- Document gathering startsSeptember–October
- Embassy deadline (Type A)By 31 March
- University deadlines (Type B)December–April
- CSC decisionMay–July
- Visa and flightJuly–August
- Studies startSeptember
Pitfalls
What usually goes off-plan — and what we anticipate ahead of time.
- Type A vs Type B — different processes; you cannot apply for both at the same university
- CSC is not granted if you already hold a Chinese degree of the same level
- If you miss the embassy deadline, Type B is still available via the university
- Not all majors participate (Russian law — rarely, engineering — almost everywhere)
Frequent questions about CSC
Yes, for the next level (bachelor → master, master → PhD). Repeating the same level is not allowed.
All admission questions — on the FAQ page.
Scholarship decisions are made by universities and scholarship committees. ChinaEduEasy helps prepare and submit applications but does not guarantee scholarship approval.
Discuss CSC with a curator
Tell us about your profile — we will assess real chances of getting a grant and plan the application. Free and with no obligations.
What you get during the consultation
- — CSC chance estimate for your profile (1–10)
- — 3 target universities with direct quotes
- — Budget breakdown: cost even without a grant
- — Comparison of CSC vs Belt & Road vs university scholarships