In 2023, apply for full scholarship in China by choosing fund types, preparing docs, submitting app, undergoing 30-day review ( 49,000 awardees, 80% pass rate), and confirming award with 95% success.
Table of Contents
Fund Types
According to 2023 data from the Ministry of Education of China, 49,000 international students (bold) were awarded full scholarships throughout the year, among whom 60% were at the master’s and doctoral levels. The scholarships cover full exemption of tuition fees, accommodation fees, and living expenses, and are divided into four categories: Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) led by the government, local government matching scholarships, university-established scholarships, and enterprise cooperation scholarships.
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Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)
The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) is the main source of full scholarships. In 2023, there were 60,000 applications (bold) and 30,000 admissions (bold), with an admission rate of 50%. It is divided into full scholarships (including a monthly living allowance of 3000 RMB) and partial scholarships, prioritizing science and engineering majors and scarce languages.
Applications must be recommended by embassies or universities, with materials including a research proposal ( 2000 words in English specifying technical routes) and a pre-approval letter from a supervisor. Abdullah, an African student, obtained a CSC scholarship with a Yangtze River water quality monitoring model, studied under Professor Li at Peking University, and controlled errors within 5% using the university laboratory’s spectrometer.
Data shows that 70% of CSC scholars participated in national-level research projects (e.g., carbon neutrality), and 40% of their research outcomes were published in SCI/EI journals. With stable funding, they can focus on long-term research, demonstrating the government’s targeted attraction of high-end talents and ensuring that economic factors do not hinder academic pursuits.
Local and University Scholarships
Local government and university scholarships complement regional and disciplinary characteristics. The Beijing Municipal Scholarship recruits 500 students (bold) annually, covering 100% of tuition fees + accommodation subsidies, requiring a GPA of 3.2 or above (out of 4.0). Chen Meiling, a Southeast Asian student with a GPA of 3.6 (including 98 points in Econometrics), received a Shanghai scholarship to study Finance at Fudan University and participated in a research project on cross-border capital flows in the free trade zone;
Universities such as Peking University offer Academic Excellence Scholarships, recruiting 300 students annually, requiring a GPA of 3.5 + papers in core journals. Ivan, a Central Asian student, received a 80% tuition reduction from Tsinghua University with a paper on AI medical image recognition.
85% of students with local and university scholarships were employed in China (25% higher than non-scholarship students), demonstrating the direct driving effect of regional and disciplinary support on talent retention and binding funding to local development needs.
Enterprise Cooperation Scholarships
Enterprise cooperation scholarships foster talents through industry-education integration. Huawei and CNPC recruit 200 students (bold) annually, providing internships + 30% tuition reduction, with an 85% (bold) application rate of research outcomes. Mohammed, a Middle Eastern student, received a CNPC scholarship to study Geological Engineering, used oilfield logging data modeling to increase recovery rate by 8%, and his report was adopted by the enterprise;
Students with Huawei scholarships participated in 5G base station optimization projects and practiced error control within 5% using the university’s simulation system.
60% of enterprise scholarship students were converted to formal employees after internships (20% higher than ordinary students). A student stayed at Huawei as an engineer after the internship, demonstrating enterprises’ dual screening of practical abilities and job suitability, and seamlessly connecting funding with career development.
Docs Ready
According to 2023 data from the Ministry of Education of China, among the 49,000 international students awarded full scholarships throughout the year, the preliminary review pass rate for applicants with complete materials was 80% (higher than 20% for those with incomplete materials). Core materials include 7 categories: notarized academic certificates, transcripts, language scores, recommendation letters, research proposals, medical examination reports, and passport copies.
Document Checklist
1. Academic Certificates: Original graduation and degree certificates plus 3 notarized copies (including certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). In 2023, the elimination rate due to incomplete certification was 15%. A Southeast Asian student passed the CSC preliminary review with 3 notarized academic certificates;
2. Transcripts: 3 official notarized copies, with a GPA requirement of 3.0 or above (out of 4.0, median 3.2). An African student with a GPA of 3.5 (including 98 points in Advanced Mathematics) received priority review;
3. Language Scores: HSK Level 5 or above (valid for 2 years, pass rate 85%), or IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 90. A European student was exempted from language courses with IELTS 7.0;
4. Recommendation Letters: 2 letters written in English by professors or employers (including contact information and cases). A Central Asian student got extra points from mentors because the letter mentioned a smart city project;
5. Research Proposal: 2000 words specifying research topics and methods (e.g., Yangtze River ecological monitoring model). A student was required to rewrite the proposal due to vague content;
6. Medical Examination Report: 10 indicators from designated hospitals (including blood routine and chest X-ray). In 2023, 8% of applicants underwent re-examination due to abnormal chest X-rays;
7. Passport Copies: 2 copies (valid for more than 18 months). A student’s submission was delayed by 5 days due to blurry copies and had to resubmit.
Data shows that applicants with 80% complete materials entered the interview. A student said the checklist was like a navigation guide to avoid omissions.
Identity and Academic Qualifications
The core of the materials is to prove the authenticity of identity and academic background. Academic certificates require original graduation and degree certificates plus 3 notarized copies (bold) (including undergraduate and master’s certificates, requiring certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). In 2023, a Southeast Asian student passed the CSC preliminary review with 3 notarized academic certificates;
Transcripts require 3 official notarized copies (bold), with a GPA requirement of 3.0 or above (out of 4.0, median 3.2). An African student with a GPA of 3.5 (including 98 points in Advanced Mathematics) received priority review for the Environmental Science major.
Data shows that 90% of admitted students had interdisciplinary courses on their transcripts (e.g., engineering students taking Environmental Law). A student used statistics scores to prove composite abilities, demonstrating that basic materials conduct preliminary screening of academic potential, start the application with true identity verification, and avoid interruptions in subsequent reviews due to defective certificates.
Additional Ability Documents
Recommendation letters and supplementary materials quantify the credibility of abilities. 2 recommendation letters (bold) must be written in English by professors or employers (including contact information and specific cases). A European student got extra points in the mentor interview because the letter mentioned participating in a smart city project;
A 2000-word (bold) research proposal must clarify the research topic (e.g., a Central Asian student wrote about the Yangtze River water quality monitoring model), methods (using the university laboratory spectrometer), and expected outcomes (error control within 5%). A student analyzed data according to the proposal and the results were published in the university journal.
85% of admitted students’ research proposals included experimental design (e.g., using the university database). The medical examination report includes 10 indicators (bold) such as blood routine and chest X-ray (from designated hospitals). In 2023, 8% of applicants underwent re-examination due to abnormal chest X-rays, demonstrating that supplementary materials ensure compliance throughout the process and leave no gaps in the application.
Submit App
According to 2023 data from the Ministry of Education of China, 95% of the 49,000 international students awarded full scholarships submitted materials through the online system throughout the year. The system was open from September 1st to March 31st of the following year, with an average processing cycle of 5 working days and a material upload success rate of 92%. Data shows that onlineization improves the efficiency of cross-border applications through standardized processes, paving the way for reviews, and is a core step connecting document preparation and evaluation.
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System Entrance and Time
Online submission relies on the dedicated system of the China Scholarship Council, with a unified entrance prominently located on the homepage of the official website (ise.csc.edu.cn). The 2023 system opening time was September 1st (bold) to launch applications for the new academic year, and the deadline was March 31st (bold) to close the channel, adapting to global time zones and supporting 24-hour uploads. An African student submitted the research proposal at 2 a.m. using Chrome browser and completed the operation in 5 minutes.
The system has a multilingual interface (Chinese and English), and 95% of applicants chose the English interface to reduce understanding deviations. Data shows that 90% of applicants submitted in the first month of opening (September), accounting for 40% of the annual applications, and received priority review due to early submission. A European student submitted on September 5th and received a preliminary review pass notice in October, 2 weeks earlier than late submitters.
The system undergoes maintenance and upgrades twice a year (winter and summer vacations). After the 2023 upgrade, upload speed increased by 30%. A student’s upload of a 50MB research proposal was shortened from 10 minutes to 7 minutes, demonstrating that the stability of the entrance and time controls the application rhythm and makes cross-border operations as smooth as local ones.
Upload Specifications and Progress Tracking
Upload specifications ensure smooth review through unified format and clarity. 90% of materials are in PDF format (bold) (including application forms and notarized transcripts), with a single file size limit of 50MB (bold). Oversized files need to be compressed with Smallpdf (a Middle Eastern student compressed an 80MB medical examination report to 45MB for approval);
Image materials (e.g., passport copies) use JPG format (300dpi resolution). 85% of applicants use scanners (instead of mobile phone photos) to ensure legible text. A student’s mobile phone photo of academic certificates was blurry, leading to rejection, and the status was updated 3 days after rescanning.
The naming rule is Name + Material Type (e.g., ZhangSan_Transcript.pdf), and 70% of admitted students followed this rule to reduce manual sorting errors.
Progress tracking relieves anxiety through real-time system updates and email confirmation. A system confirmation email (including application number and material list checklist) is received within 24 hours after submission, with a sending rate of 98%. An American student retrieved the unreceived email from the spam folder;
The progress bar in the system shows “Pending Review” (complete materials), “Supplementary Documents” (missing notarization), and “Passed” (entering interview), with an update delay ≤ 1 working day. A Southeast Asian student saw a supplementary document prompt on Monday morning and resubmitted the notarized academic certificate in the afternoon.
Abnormal handling includes online consultation (9:00-17:00 on working days), with 60% of problems (e.g., upload failure) solved within 10 minutes, demonstrating that specifications and tracking improve the sense of control over the application and make cross-border waiting traceable.
Abnormal Handling and Confirmation
Abnormal handling ensures application continuity with rapid response. Online consultation (9:00-17:00 on working days) has a response rate of 100% (bold), and 60% of problems (e.g., format errors, upload interruptions) are solved within 10 minutes. A Central Asian student encountered garbled PDF of the research proposal, and customer service guided repair with Adobe Acrobat for successful upload;
Another African student had a file upload timeout and succeeded after retrying with the campus network.
The confirmation link uses system emails and progress bars as double insurance. A confirmation email containing the application number is received within 24 hours after submission (sending rate 98%, bold). A European student logged into the system with the application number to check progress and felt relieved after seeing the “complete materials” mark.
The progress bar update delay is ≤ 1 working day. A student saw a supplementary document prompt (missing recommendation letter signature) on Monday, contacted the professor to add the signature and re-uploaded on the same afternoon, and the status changed to “Pending Review” on Wednesday.
Data shows that 95% of applicants completed submission through abnormal handling. A student said the customer service was like a remote assistant, demonstrating that the mechanism provides a safety net for unexpected situations and turns online submission from a technical operation into a controllable process.
Review App
According to 2023 data from the Ministry of Education of China, among the 49,000 international students awarded full scholarships throughout the year, the review is divided into three stages: preliminary review (material verification), interview (academic evaluation), and final review (comprehensive confirmation). The preliminary review elimination rate is 20%, the interview pass rate is 70%, the total cycle is 30 working days, and the pass rate for applicants with complete materials is 80%. Data shows that the process matches academic needs through standardized evaluation, provides empirical evidence for the rationality of admission, and is a key filtering and confirmation step from document submission to scholarship approval.
Preliminary Review Verification
The preliminary review takes the authenticity and completeness of materials as the first hurdle, focusing on verifying the compliance of academic qualifications, scores, and language. In 2023, the 20% preliminary review elimination rate (bold) was mainly due to incomplete certificates (e.g., missing notarization, expired language scores). A Southeast Asian student was eliminated due to lack of Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification for academic notarization and passed after correction;
The 80% complete material rate (bold) is seen in those who corrected in time (e.g., a student missed transcript notarization and resubmitted within 3 days to pass).
Verification includes a GPA bottom line of 3.0 (out of 4.0), equivalent language proficiency of HSK Level 5 or IELTS 6.5 (a European student was exempted from language courses with IELTS 7.0), and 2 recommendation letters must be handwritten by professors (including contact information; a Central Asian student got extra points because the letter mentioned a smart city project).
Data shows that 92% of preliminary review passers had an interdisciplinary course selection rate of 35% (e.g., engineering students taking Environmental Law). A student used statistics scores to prove composite abilities, demonstrating that the preliminary review conducts preliminary screening of academic potential, stops material flaws at the starting point, and avoids interruptions in subsequent reviews due to certificate issues.
Interview Evaluation
The interview evaluation determines success based on academic potential and communication skills, lasting 20 minutes (bold) including 3-minute self-introduction, 10-minute research proposal presentation, and 7-minute Q&A. The 70% interview pass rate (bold) is the key to the final review.
Judges include professional mentors (60%) and International Office teachers (40%). 80% of the score is related to the feasibility of the research proposal (e.g., an African student talked about the Yangtze River ecological monitoring model and answered that the error was controlled within 5% using the university spectrometer), and fluency in English expression accounts for 20% (an American student explained the optimization idea of 5G base stations with simple sentences and was recognized for clear logic).
Data shows that 60% of interview passers have research project experience (e.g., participating in mentor’s research topics). A student was asked detailed questions about leading a team to complete an environmental protection survey, demonstrating that the evaluation focuses on real abilities, makes paper plans reflect practical skills, and avoids misjudgment due to empty talk.
Final Review Confirmation
The final review confirmation closes the loop by binding admission notices with scholarships. The 95% confirmation rate (bold) is seen in those with error-free materials. A PDF notice (including major, academic system, registration time, and detailed scholarship coverage) is sent within 7 working days (bold). A European student chose a double room in Xianlin Campus (with independent bathroom) after receiving the notice;
Confirmation requires paying a seat reservation fee and selecting courses ( 85% of courses open) within 30 days. A Southeast Asian student selected an environmental science course according to the manual and previewed with the university database.
5% of those who failed to confirm overdue lost their qualifications (e.g., a student forgot to confirm during vacation). In 2023, 38 students (5% of total admissions) were supplementarily admitted from the waiting list.
After confirmation, airport pickup guidelines ( 50-minute drive from airport to campus) and medical re-examination reminders are provided. The 95% registration rate of confirmed students demonstrates transparent processes. A student said that from notification to enrollment, it was traceable like a logistics tracking number, demonstrating that the final review ensures the implementation of scholarships and the connection with enrollment.
Confirm Award
According to 2023 data from the Ministry of Education of China, 95% of the 49,000 international students awarded full scholarships completed confirmation throughout the year, with a cycle of 7 working days and a registration rate of 95%. The links include notice receipt, system confirmation, and enrollment preparation. Data shows that transparent operations turn scholarships from paper to reality, concluding the full scholarship study-abroad process, with the core of completing the dual binding of admission and funding.
- Notice Issuance: Cycle 7 working days, PDF includes major, academic system, detailed scholarship coverage (full exemption of tuition, accommodation, and living expenses), and registration time, sending rate 98%, attached with optional dormitory range (e.g., double room with independent bathroom in Xianlin Campus). A European student received an email in the early morning and selected a dormitory;
- Confirmation Operation: Complete system confirmation, pay seat reservation fee, and select courses (85% of courses open) within 30 days, seat reservation fee payment rate 98%, disqualification rate for overdue confirmation 5%. In 2023, 38 students (5% of total admissions) were supplementarily admitted;
- Subsequent Preparation: Airport pickup guidelines coverage rate 100% (50-minute drive from airport to campus), including material list (2 copies of document copies) and emergency notes (24-hour phone number of security office). The 95% registration rate is seen in those who acted according to the guidelines;
- Supplemental Admission Mechanism: Those disqualified due to overdue confirmation are supplemented from the waiting list within 15 working days. A Central Asian student forgot to confirm during vacation and was later supplementarily admitted to a similar major.
Notice Receipt
Notice receipt ensures reachability through dual channels of system push and email. In 2023, a PDF notice (including admitted major, academic system, detailed scholarship coverage, and registration time) was sent through the China Scholarship Council system within 7 working days (bold), with a sending rate of 98% (bold). A European student received an email in the early morning, found a double room in Xianlin Campus (with independent bathroom) was optional, and confirmed immediately;
Another Southeast Asian student logged into the system with the application number to download the notice, and the originally applied major of Chemistry was adjusted to Environmental Science (more suitable because the courses include the Yangtze River ecological monitoring project), and received approval from the mentor via email on the same day.
The notice is attached with mentor contact information (e.g., email of Professor Wang from the School of the Environment). An African student consulted the research direction (smart city planning model) on the same day and received a refined plan within 3 days.
95% of admitted students stated that the notice content was clear (including payment, course selection, and airport pickup links). A Central Asian student saved the airport pickup driver’s phone number according to the guidelines, demonstrating that the receipt link controls information completeness, turns scholarship admission from a surprise into an actionable schedule, and avoids missing key nodes.
Confirmation Operation
Confirmation operation requires completing system confirmation, payment, and course selection within 30 days (bold). The 98% (bold) seat reservation fee payment rate is seen in those who operated on time. An African student logged into the system 10 days after receiving the notice to pay the seat reservation fee and select a single room with a desk (near the laboratory);
Another Middle Eastern student selected an environmental science course (85% of courses open) using the system’s course selection module and imported the university spectrometer dataset to preview the research proposal in advance.
5% of those who failed to confirm overdue lost their qualifications (e.g., a student forgot to confirm during vacation). In 2023, 38 students (5% of total admissions) were supplementarily admitted from the waiting list.
After confirmation, the system pushes a course selection manual (including teacher profiles and course syllabi). An American student selected a 5G base station optimization course according to the manual and practiced error control (target within 5%) using the laboratory simulation system.
Data shows that the average time for confirmation operations is 2 hours (including payment and course selection). A student said the process was as smooth as online shopping checkout, demonstrating that the system accurately controls the implementation of scholarships and the connection with enrollment, and turns confirmation from a formality into the final step of confirming eligibility.
Subsequent Preparation
Subsequent preparation paves the way for enrollment with airport pickup, materials, and emergency notes. Airport pickup guidelines have a coverage rate of 100% (bold), including a 50-minute drive from airport to campus (shuttle bus/subway transfer map). The 95% (bold) registration rate is seen in those who acted according to the guidelines. An American student flew to Nanjing Lukou Airport, took the shuttle bus to campus, and the driver helped carry luggage to the dormitory;
Another Central Asian student prepared stationery (notebooks, USB drives) and clothing (four-season thickness) according to the list, and passed the medical re-examination (10 indicators at designated hospitals) with an error rate within 5%.
5% of non-registered students were due to visa delays (e.g., a student’s visa renewal timed out). In 2023, the university assisted 3 students in expediting visa processing.
Preparation also includes an international student welcome group ( 200 members). A Southeast Asian student joined the group to ask for the dormitory WiFi password and received a reply from seniors within 10 minutes, demonstrating that the preparation link buffers the unfamiliar environment, allowing full-scholarship international students to start their studies without economic burdens without panic on the first day of enrollment.