Scholarships to study the Chinese language in China: the official options compared
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
Three official documents describe public funding for studying Chinese in China rather than for a degree: the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), which runs study programmes of four weeks, one semester and one year (plus two online programmes); the Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship, which funds one academic year of Chinese-language study at Beijing Language and Culture University for trade union officials; and the Chinese Government Scholarship, whose application guide covers one year of Chinese language (preparatory) study alongside major study, not as a stand-alone award.
| Programme | What it funds | Length stated | Who the official text names |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship (CLEC) | Study at a Host Institution in China, or online | Four weeks, five months, or eleven months, depending on the programme | Students and in-service Chinese language teachers outside China, recommended by a Recommending Institution |
| Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship | Full scholarship: tuition, accommodation, medical insurance, stipend and one return flight | One academic year (12 months) | Trade union officials, mainly from countries along the "Belt and Road" |
| Chinese Government Scholarship | Chinese language (preparatory) study attached to major study | Language courses last one year | Undergraduates, postgraduates, general and senior scholars |
CLEC study programmes: length and HSK entry points
The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 set out four study routes with fixed lengths and different language-entry thresholds.
- Scholarship for One-Year Study Program — the programme commenced in September 2025 and the scholarship runs for a maximum of eleven months.
- Scholarship for One-Semester Study Program — the programme commenced in either September 2025 or March 2026 and the scholarship runs for a maximum of five months.
- Scholarship for Four-Week Study Program — the programme commenced in either July or December 2025 and the scholarship runs for a maximum of four weeks.
- Online programmes — the one-year online programme and the one-semester online programme each commence in September or March each year.
Those dates belong to the 2025 cycle described in that document and have passed. The guidelines were dated January 2025 and written for programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026.
The HSK requirement depends on the programme and on what you intend to study, not on the length alone:
| Programme and field | HSK | HSKK |
|---|---|---|
| One-year, international Chinese language education | Minimum 270, HSK (Level 3) | Required |
| One-year, Chinese language study | Minimum 210, HSK (Level 3) | Priority given to applicants who provide a score |
| One-year, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history or Chinese philosophy | Minimum 180, HSK (Level 4) | 60 (Intermediate Level) |
| One-semester, international Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history or Chinese philosophy | Minimum 180, HSK (Level 3) | Required |
| One-semester, traditional Chinese medicine or Taiji culture | HSK score required (no level or minimum stated) | Priority given to those who also provide a score |
| Four-week, Chinese language study, traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture, or Chinese language plus homestay | HSK score required (no level or minimum stated) | Not mentioned |
| Online one-year | Under most circumstances 180, HSK (Level 3) | Priority given to those who also provide a score |
| Online one-semester | An HSK score is required, regardless of level or score | Not mentioned |
How you reach the CLEC scholarship matters as much as the scores. Under the guidelines, Confucius Institutes, independent Confucius Classrooms, selected HSK test centers, foreign educational institutions, Chinese language teacher training programmes or Chinese departments at foreign universities, professional associations for Chinese language teaching, and Chinese embassies and consulates abroad act as Recommending Institutions; they recommend outstanding students and in-service Chinese language teachers for study at Host Institutions in China. The application website named in the guidelines is http://www.chinese.cn.
The four-week programme has an extra condition: it may be organised and applied for by a Recommending Institution with 10–15 participants per group, and before the trip a detailed study plan must be made in consultation with the Host Institution or Institutions and submitted to CLEC for review and approval.
The sections of the 2025 guidelines reproduced here — the preamble and the programme descriptions — state lengths and language requirements. They do not state the monetary value of the award, so no amount is given for this programme on this page.
The Silk Road scholarship: who it is for, and what it pays
The Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship (CTUSRS) is described on Campus China as a dedicated project for trade union officials mainly from countries along the "Belt and Road". It is funded by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and supports scholarship winners to study Chinese Language as scholars for one year in the PRC. The instruction language is Chinese, the major is Chinese Language, and the designated university is Beijing Language and Culture University.
Eligibility, as written on that page:
- Citizen of a country other than the PRC, preferably from one of the countries along the "Belt and Road".
- In sound physical and mental health.
- Holder of a high school certificate at least, and under the age of 45.
- At least one year of work experience, preferably with experience in China-related affairs.
- Not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship.
The page calls it a full scholarship covering all programme-related expenses, and lists the standard per person per academic year:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | 8,400 CNY |
| Stipend | 36,000 CNY |
| Tuition | 25,000 CNY |
| Medical insurance | 800 CNY |
| One-time international round-trip air fare | Economy class only |
Tuition and accommodation funds are allocated directly to the host universities; accommodation is a free university dormitory. The stipend is paid monthly by the host university: students who register on or before the 15th of the month receive a full month, those who register after the 15th receive half a month, and graduating students receive a further half month after the graduation date. A registered student who stays outside China for more than 15 days for personal reasons (school holidays excluded) has the stipend stopped during the absence. Return tickets are provided only upon completion of study.
Two gaps are worth knowing before you rely on this page. It states no academic year and no application deadline. Its "Tips for Coming to China" section also refers to "ACYLS winners" in its first sentence, which is the wording as it appears on the page even though the page is about the Silk Road scholarship.
The Chinese Government Scholarship's one-year Chinese study
The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship states that the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study, and that the language courses last one year, while the duration of the scholarship for major study conforms to that required.
That is the whole of what the guide says about language study here, and the wording is doing specific work. The supporting categories it lists are undergraduates, postgraduates, general and senior scholars — there is no separate category for language study on its own. The one year of Chinese is preparatory study attached to a degree or scholar programme at a designated university, which offers programmes in science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, economics, law, management, education, history, literature, philosophy and fine arts, among others. If you want to study Chinese and nothing else, this guide does not describe that route.
The guide page carries no publication date and no academic year.
More detail on that programme sits on this site's Chinese Government Scholarship page.
Reading the three side by side
The programmes answer different questions, and the documents keep them separate.
The CLEC scholarship is the only one of the three built around language study itself, with a ladder of lengths from four weeks to eleven months and two online options. It reaches applicants through Recommending Institutions rather than through a general call, and the entry threshold is an HSK score that varies by programme and field.
The Silk Road scholarship is a one-year, fully funded year of Chinese-language study, but the eligibility criteria close it to most readers: it is aimed at trade union officials with at least a year of work experience, under 45, and it cannot be held at the same time as a Chinese government scholarship.
The Chinese Government Scholarship route is the one that most often misleads applicants searching for a language scholarship. Its one year of Chinese is preparatory study attached to major study, so an applicant is applying for a degree or scholar place first.
Where two documents could overlap, they say so: the Silk Road scholarship excludes concurrent Chinese government scholarship awardees. The CLEC guidelines and the Chinese Government Scholarship guide, in the sections reproduced here, do not state any relationship between the two programmes.
Questions people ask
Can I get a Chinese Government Scholarship to study only Chinese?
The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship does not describe that. It states that the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study, with the language courses lasting one year, and it lists its supporting categories as undergraduates, postgraduates, general and senior scholars. No stand-alone language-study category appears.
How much HSK do I need for the CLEC one-year programme?
It depends on your field. International Chinese language education applicants need a minimum of 270 on HSK (Level 3) plus an HSKK score; Chinese language study applicants need a minimum of 210 on HSK (Level 3), with priority for those who also submit HSKK; applicants in Chinese language and literature, Chinese history or Chinese philosophy need a minimum of 180 on HSK (Level 4) and 60 on HSKK (Intermediate Level).
Does the Silk Road scholarship pay for flights home?
It funds one international round-trip air fare in economy class between your home country and the city of the host university, and the return ticket is provided only upon completion of study.
Can I hold the Silk Road scholarship and a Chinese government scholarship at the same time?
No. One of the stated eligibility criteria is that the applicant is not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship.
Does the Silk Road scholarship page say when to apply?
No. The page states no academic year and no deadline date.
Sources
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
- Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary written by China Scholarships Index; it is not published by CLEC, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and where this page and the official notice differ, the official notice prevails.