Chinese government scholarship (CGS) is awarded by the Chinese scholarship council (CSC).
The information online about CGS and china student visas is either scattered or outdated and students keep scrolling without finding answers to their simple questions.
In this blog, we tried our best to put all the information in the simplest yet as detailed form as possible.
Don’t miss the question-answer session at the end.
This ultimate CSC scholarship guide will prepare you step by step through all processes.
Chinese government scholarship is for Bachelor, Master, PhD & non-degree holder students.
There are literally hundreds of bachelor’s programs (taught in English) & Thousands of Master’s & PhD programs ready for you in 289 Chinese universities.
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Table of content
1. Benefits of CGS scholarship
2. Eligibility Criteria for Chinese government scholarship
3. Documents required for CSC scholarship
4. How to apply for Chinese government scholarship
5. Bachelors, Masters & PhD through CGS
1. Benefits of Chinese Government scholarship
- The University tuition fee will be fully covered.
- The students will be offered a university dormitory or else will be given an accommodation allowance.
- A stipend of CNY 2,500 (348 USD) per month for undergraduates,
CNY 3,000 (418 USD ) per month, for Masters students or general scholars,
CNY 3,500 (487 USD) per month for Doctoral students or senior scholars.
4. Medical insurance of CNY 800 (111 USD) for students enrolled in full-year programs, CNY 400 (55 USD) for programs for students enrolled in less than 6 months programs.
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2. Eligibility Criteria for Chinese Government Scholarship
1. Every international student is eligible to apply for CGS (Except PRC (People’s Republic of China)].
2. The age factor is very important for CGS. The undergraduate applicant for CGS must be less than 25, the postgraduate applicant must be under 35,
The PhD applicant must be under 40,
The general scholar applicant must be less than 45,
and the Senior scholar applicant must be less than 50 years of age.
3. Applicants must have strong & equivalent academic records & degrees while applying to Chinese universities. For example, to apply for masters, students must have already a bachelor’s degree.
4. Applicants must fulfill the language criteria of their designated universities in China. (If the taught language is other than Chinese)
5. In order to enroll in Chinese-taught programs the applicants must pass HSK level 3. This applies to all applicants of Undergraduates, general scholars & senior scholars.
However, for Postgraduate the applicant must pass HSK level 4.
HSK meaning “Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì” [Means Chinese language test]
3. Documents required for CGS (Chinese government scholarship)
5. Chinese Language Proficiency
7. University Admission letter
9. Reference letters/Recommendation letters
10. Experience letter or Artwork
11. Police clearance certificate (PCC)
16. SOP (statement of purpose)
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1. Application form of CGS:
Students must create an account & fill out the online Application form for the CGS.
Go to the campus china website & click on the blue button at the top of a website named “Scholarship application for students”.
Create an account & type in all your personal information, Agency number, upload all your supporting documents, etc.
Remember if the application form is submitted, the personal information can’t be edited, although applicants can withdraw & edit the information but must resubmit it before the deadline.
2. Academic documents
This includes all your certificates & academic record like
A: Bachelor’s transcript & certificate (If a student is applying for Masters)
B: Master’s transcript & certificate (if the student is applying for 2nd Masters or fellowship or PHD)
C: Metric & FSC Transcripts (10-12th Grade) (A level) (DMCs) and certificates (Supporting academic documents)
D: Course summary (to explain your courses & how your previous courses & studies resemble your future studies in which you are applying)
E: Translation of Academic Transcripts: Documents that aren’t in English or Chinese should be translated into English & Chinese & attached with the original photocopies.
NOTE:
All of the above documents should be attested by respective boards.
Also, attest them from issuing authority of home countries. The respective university must attest university documents.
In the case of Pakistan, The above-mentioned documents must be attested by IBCC, HEC, and MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
IBCC authority is only responsible for the attestation of metric and inter documents.
Dear offices are present in Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and also in other cities of Pakistan.
HEC office attests bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. documents.
3. HOPE Certificate
It is needed if the student is currently enrolled, or still studying. In that case, the university will issue a certificate of the expected graduation date.
which is also called the hope certificate.
4. Valid passport
The passport of the applicant must contain one full blank page on both sides.
The passport must be valid at the time of visa application and on arrival to the china.
It’s good to also keep ready the CNIC (National Id card) / Domicile / Birth certificate etc.
5. Chinese Proficiency Certificate: (Incase taught language is Chinese)
Undergraduates, general scholars & Senior scholars all need to pass & submit HSK level 3.
While postgraduate students are required to pass HSK level 4.
6. English proficiency certificate: (Incase taught language is English)
Students need to fulfill the English criteria of their designated Chinese universities.
That could be in the form of IELTS or TOFEL or English proficiency certificates.
Many Chinese universities DO NOT require IELTS or TOEFL. Students can provide an English proficiency certificate from their university & can get admission.
7. University Admission letter
CGS clearly gives a priority to the applicants who already have a Pre-admission letter, an Admission letter from their preferred university or in some cases “An invitation letter” from the supervisor.
It is needed for the postgraduate programs and Students who are applying for general scholars or Senior scholars.
8. Study or Research Proposal:
Before explaining what is Research/study proposal, let’s state its rules for CGS first,
For undergraduates, The study/research proposal shouldn’t be less than 200 words,
For scholars, it should be more than 500 words, while for postgraduates the proposal should contain at least 1000 words.
Now, what is a Research/study proposal?
It is basically a brief and coherent representation of the area of study you wish to explore during the study program.
It showcases the generic idea of your intended study in the form of
Research/study objectives,
Research questions,
and Research/study justifications,
Hypothesis,
and your understanding of the subjects as a whole.
It is crucial to write a perfect research proposal when submitting your application.
It provides you with an opportunity to showcase your aptitude for
Research,
Your ability to communicate complex ideas,
and Your critical thinking to come up with a subject that needs real research.
The better you demonstrate your skills and expertise in the research proposal, the bigger are your chances to qualify for the scholarship program.
Also, a comprehensively written research proposal could help to match you with an adequate supervisor.
9. Letter of References for a Chinese government scholarship
The applicants must provide 2 letters of recommendation from the previous university, (Depending upon courses).
The letter should be in Chinese or English.
It is advised to provide a letter of recommendation from the HOD (Head of the department or Relevant course head) who should be a PhD. (Professor or Associate professor)
The referees need to write their contact details (Email, phone number) at the end of the letter.
The letter must include an official letterhead, signature, and official stamp and must be of the current date.
Ask your Referees to write about your academic achievements & discuss their confidence in you that you are fully compatible with the project or course you wish to pursue through CGS.
10. Experience letter or Artwork
This letter isn’t compulsory, however, it could be used as a supporting document. (Strictly depends on the course)
The applicant could provide an Experience letter from previous jobs & Internships.
Try to customize the work experience with your future studies.
The applicant of Arts related subjects can present their work in the form of painting, videos, calligraphy, or whatever way they wish to express their best work.
11. Police clearance certificate
The applicants must submit PCC (Police clearance certificate). It can be issued even by your local security police station or many international students can also make it online.
It shows that the applicant doesn’t have a criminal record.
Indian students can make it through Passport seva, and Pakistani students can make it in “Police Khidmat Markaz” or ICTP app or ICTP website.
It is for those students who are planning to study in china for more than 6 months.
12. Legal Guardian letter
It is only required in case of applicants who are under 18. It can be submitted in the form of legal affidavit or official letter from parents or guardians in china.
13. Physical Examination form
A foreign physical examination form is compulsory for International students who wish to study in china for more than 6 months.
The official stamp of the hospital, medical checkup date (validity) & sign of physician should be on the form.
it should be renewed after every six months. This medical examination is already a requirement of an X1 Chinese visa.
it includes medical checkups like Malaria, dengue, Anti-HIV, RPR, Yellow fever, TPPA, Cholera, Influenza, HbsAg, AntiHCV, ALT/GPT, Chest tablets and X-ray examination etc
Here students can download the foreigner physical examination form.
14. Cv (Additional document)
CV can be easily made here with EUROPASS.
The Cv must contain all the latest & relevant information about your occupation & interests.
A perfect CV must be hand signed.
15. HAT/USAT test: (required only for Pakistani students by HEC)
Pakistan’s higher education authority has a requirement of HAT/USAT test for students who want to pursue Chinese government scholarship through HEC. (Type Category A)
HAT means “Higher education aptitude test” and USAT means “Higher education undergraduate studies admission test”.
This test is valid for two years. and it is mostly required for Masters & PhD students.
While bachelor’s students require a USAT test.
Pakistani students can login here, to check their test results.
if students have already a valid HAT or USAT score after January 01, 2022, They can submit their score on HEC portal during application submission.
16. Statement of purpose for CGS Chinese government scholarship
SOP is mostly required by agencies. It is a requirement of HEC. (Higher education commons of Pakistan)
In this letter, you are asked to write about your personal and professional reasons why are you applying for a course & the scholarship.
The maximum length of this letter is three pages, But it is advised to make it short & concise to one page.
How to write a perfect statement of Purpose
If you are interested in writing your SOP on one page concisely, then follow this exact method.
SOP consists of three parts.
16.1. Introduction (one paragraph)
16.2 Body (3 paragraphs)
16.3. Conclusion (1 paragraph)
Let’s explain these three things one by one.
16.1. Introduction:
The introduction is the gateway to the rest of the letter. Try to capture their interest in the first few sentences. Be original & creative.
Make it personal & full of enthusiasm.
TIP: Try to initiate a story about yourself relevant to the scholarship you are applying for & then expand it to the first paragraph of the body.
16.2. Body:
In the first paragraph of the body, try to tell about your relevant academic & experienced background to the course.
And your professional goals attached to the china & university. Share your expectations of the scholarship.
In the 2nd paragraph be more precise & focus on the specific achievement related to the scholarship & course.
In the 3rd paragraph expand on what you are currently doing & the interesting things you look forward to.
16.3. Conclusion:
Tell them why you are the best candidate for this scholarship. Don’t sound needy or use pompous language instead focus on why you deserve it.
Tell them how this scholarship will help you or the future of your community.
Tips for Statement of Purpose (SOP):
- Don’t repeat what you have already written in your CV introduction or Cover letter. Try to capture their interest in the first paragraph.
- Try to stick to one theme, don’t jump around ideas. Be specific.
- It shouldn’t cross 2 pages. In fact, I will advise you to write one page. Share ideas shortly, you will later have time to expand on them in an interview.
- Your SOP should answer, Why do you apply for the selected program? Which of the courses offered in this program are particularly beneficial in pursuing your professional goals?
- Make sure your SOP is well-composed. First, reflect on all the above questions, take notes, read more, and discuss with friends. Then write an outline. Then write the text.
- Apply an appropriate style of writing. It could be a little informal but factual. Somewhere in between academic & informal, but avoid flattery, verbose & bombast language & phrases.
- Do not campaign for your beliefs.
- Proofread the text and delete all dispensable and redundant parts. In the end, your statement of purpose should comprise not more than two pages.
4. How to apply for CGS (Chinese Government Scholarship)
Students can apply for (CGS) Chinese government scholarship by following 6 steps.
Step#1:
Find out your desired Chinese university here, & your desired English-taught programs in china here. Students can choose up to three universities. & can state their preferences later on the application.
Step#2:
Prepare the list of documents we discussed above in detail.
Step#3:
Approach the university with the prepared documents & try to get a pre admission letter. (Even if you didn’t get the pre-admission letter at the beginning or waiting for it, you are still eligible to apply for CSC scholarship, though having a letter from university certainly increase the chances of getting the scholarship.
Step#4:
The 4th step is to create an account & fill the online Application form for the CGS.
Go to the Campus china website & click on the blue button at the top of website named “Scholarship application for students”.
Create an account & type in all your personal information, upload all your supporting documents etc.
Remember if the application form is submitted, the personal information can’t be edited, although applicants can withdraw & edit the information but must resubmit it before the deadline.
Step#5:
While filling out the online application form on Campus china website,
1: if the applicant wants to get the scholarship through university, then select “Category Type B” and put the agency number of the university. Also fill the CSC application for university too.
2: If students want to apply through the embassy or bilaterally agreed institutes (Like HEC etc), then choose “Category Type A” & put the agency number of the embassy/institute. Also, fill out the CSC application on the embassy or agency portal too. (Like Pakistani students should fill the form on CSC portal & HEC portal.)
3: If students want to apply through private firms or organizations etc then choose “Category Type C”.
It’s usually a partial scholarship & not for freshmen. International students rarely use this category.
Step #6:
After receiving your application, The Chinese scholarship council will examine your application & see if you can fit the eligibility & academic criteria, inform your application receiving agency & they will inform the applicants.
If Pakistani students want to apply through HEC, they will also perform the above 6 steps.
Though they may need some extra documents like HAT test (higher education aptitude test), or USAT test and SOP (statement of purpose) etc. they will choose program Type: A and Agency No.5861.
Remember they need to submit their application form on HEC portal too. download both these application forms &keep it with yourself, if needed by them, just provide & send the hard copy.
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5. Bachelor, Masters & PHD through Chinese Government scholarship
5.1. CGS for bachelor
Unlike popular belief, china offers hundreds of bachelor courses in English. In fact, there are more than 500 courses available in English for international students in china.
From traditional art studies to modern technological subjects like Artificial intelligence and food sciences, everything is available.
There are more than 20 universities that offer medicine to Bachelors students.
Please find your bachelor course by using this Course filter.
5.2. CGS for Masters
China is very famous for its Masters & PHD programs among international students. There are more than 5000 different courses in different prestigious Chinese institutes. From Engineering to Medicine and from Law to Marketing, Each & every subject is available.
Find your master’s course by using this course filter.
5.3. CGS for PhD
There are more than 9000 different opportunities for international students who want to do their PhD in china.
The most popular PhD programs are in Management, Engineering, Law, Medicine & finance.
International students can find their PHD opportunities in china by using this course filter.
5.4. CGS for Non-degree programs:
There are thousands of non-degree programs for international students who wish to pursue their education in china.
International students for non-degree programs should use this course filter to find their desired course.
6. Deadline for Chinese government scholarship:
Chinese scholarship council gave permission to universities to choose their deadlines. However, these scholarships mostly start in Jan, Feb, and March.
and the deadline is mostly in march or sometimes in April (for some universities) annually.
Note: These scholarships come only once a year so don’t miss the deadlines.
Process Dates: The result of CGS announced at the end of June or July and Classes start in September.
Remember, The deadline for the Bilateral program (Embassy- Type A category) could be different. As for HEC, the deadline is 15 December 2022.
7. Chinese government scholarship (CGS) contact details:
Fax: 0086-10-66093972
Address: Level 13, Building A3, No.9 Chegongzhuang Avenue, Beijing, P.R China
Division of International Students Admission and Cooperation Programs, China Scholarship Council,
8. FAQS: Frequently asked questions about Chinese Government Scholarship
Q: Can I apply with the 7th-semester transcript to a Chinese university?
Yes, you can. By getting a “Hope certificate” from the university.
Students can attach the “Hope certificate” along with all the academic documents & fill the admission application.
Sometimes, Chinese universities’ admission process takes time due to the huge number of applicants from around the world.
So students can get the 8th-semester transcript by then.
What is Hope certificate?
In simple words, It is a certificate based on the previous semester’s performance, that indicates that the candidate will pass the final exams with excellent results.
Hope certificate is also known as an “Expected graduation letter”.
Q: Where can we make a “Police clearance certificate” (PCC) in Pakistan?
Police clearance certificate which is also known as police character certificate can be easily made by visiting “Police Khidmat Markaz” located all over the country.
In Islamabad it is located in Sector F-6/1,H-11 Police Lines.
Pakistani Students can also make it in their local police stations or by downloading an app “ICTP” (Punjab IT board).
Which documents are required for PCC? (Police clearance certificate )
Technically 4 documents are required for PCC from pakistan.
- Original Passport & copy
- National Id card & copy
- Authority letter (If applicant is abroad)
- Applicant photograph
The PCC will be made in three working days after filing the application.
For more detail please check the official site of the Islamabad police.
Q: Is it easy to get CSC scholarship?
It depends. Maybe its a little difficult for countries like pakistan, where a lot of people apply for Chinese government scholarships. But it can be very less competitive for students who belong to countries in Europe or USA or Newzealand, Etc.
Q: Can we apply to the Chinese government scholarship & Chinese university scholarship at the same time?
Technically yes. CGS & university scholarships are completely different & separate scholarships. Try to apply to as many scholarships as you want to. But remember at the end student will be granted only one scholarship.
Q: Can I apply for category A & Category B at the same time for Chinese government scholarship?
NO. during filling your CSC application form the applicant is clearly asked to select one category & put the agency number.
students can either apply through embassy/Higher education institutes or universities.
Students who are applying through Embassy or higher institutes will choose Category Type A.
and those Students who are applying through universities will choose Category Type B.
Q: Which level of Chinese Proficiency is required for Chinese-taught subjects in china?
HSK level 3 is required for Undergraduates, general scholars & Senior scholars, while postgraduate students need to pass HSK level 4.
Q: What are the three categories of CGS? What is TYPE A, TYPE B, and TYPE C in Chinese government scholarship?
Program Category TYPE A:
In simple words, students can Select “Category type A” when they are applying through some official authorities other than Chinese universities. (Official authority could be Chinese embassy in their country or their higher education authority etc).
Students must put the agency number of their selected official authority in CGS application.
(Pakistani students should put the HEC agency number while selecting category Type A).
Program Category TYPE B:
Students Should Select “Category type B” when they are applying through Chinese universities. Their selected program in that university must be under CGS.
In this case students should put the agency number of the university.
Program Category TYPE C:
Students Should Select “Category type C” only when they are not freshmen & applying through some appraisal programs (Some private funding or organization).
9. Summary of The whole blog
- Find out your desired program in Chinese university under CGS.
- Prepare the list of documents we discussed above in detail.
- Apply either through your embassy or official institute or your Chinese university.
- Fill out the form & submit it on time.
- Wait for the result.
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