Chinese Government Scholarship for a bachelor's degree: age 25, the CSCA test and the documents asked
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
To apply for a Chinese Government Scholarship at bachelor's level, you need a high school diploma or its equivalent, you must be under 25 when you apply, and you must take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) and upload a valid score report. Those three conditions come from the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship published by the China Scholarship Council on Campus China, which also sets the undergraduate stipend at CNY 2,500 per month and requires a study plan of at least 200 words or characters.
Everything below is undergraduate-only. Where the guide does not say something, this page says so rather than borrowing a rule from another programme.
Who is eligible at bachelor's level
The guide lists three conditions that bear on school-leavers:
- You must be a citizen of a country other than the People's Republic of China, and in good health both mentally and physically.
- You must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, be academically excellent, and be under the age of 25 when applying for an undergraduate programme.
- You must take the CSCA and upload a valid score report when applying for a bachelor's programme.
The age thresholds in the same section are higher for other categories — 35 for a Master's programme, 40 for a doctoral programme — so an age limit of 25 applies specifically to the undergraduate route. The guide does not define "academically excellent" with a grade average or a score cut-off.
The CSCA
The guide gives the assessment's full name — China Scholastic Competency Assessment, short as CSCA — its purpose as a requirement for bachelor's applicants, and its official website address: www.csca.cn. It adds that bachelor's applicants must register for and take the CSCA before the application deadline and obtain a valid score report, and that you should contact the target institution to find out which test subjects your major requires.
The guide does not describe the test's format, subjects, scoring, fees, or how a score is used in selection.
What the scholarship covers
| Item | Undergraduate terms in the guide |
|---|---|
| Tuition | Tuition fees are covered |
| Housing | Free university dormitory or an accommodation subsidy |
| Living stipend | CNY 2,500 per month |
| Medical insurance | CNY 800 per person per year (CNY 400 per person for programmes lasting less than six months) |
For comparison, the same section sets the stipend at CNY 3,000 per month for Master's students and general scholars and CNY 3,500 per month for doctoral students and senior scholars. The medical insurance figures are stated per person and are not broken down by student category.
The guide does not state whether the stipend is paid during the preparatory language year specifically, nor does it set out a payment schedule.
How long it lasts, and the language year
The scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. The guide states that the language courses last one year, and that the duration of the scholarship for major study conforms to the duration required. It does not name a total length for a bachelor's degree in years.
Majors are offered by designated Chinese universities across science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, economics, law, management, education, history, literature, philosophy and fine arts, among others. The guide directs readers to http://www.campuschina.org for the list of designated universities and the majors they offer.
The study or research plan
Undergraduates must submit a study or research plan written in Chinese or in English, of no less than 200 words or characters. The same item sets longer minimums for other categories: 500 words or characters for scholars and 1,000 for postgraduates.
Documents asked of applicants
- Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship, filled in online.
- Passport: a clear scanned copy of the information page of an ordinary passport. If the passport's remaining validity is less than 12 months calculated from the expected start date of study, renew it first and apply with the new one. If you cannot obtain a passport for objective reasons, you may submit other valid documentation showing your full English name, gender, nationality and date of birth, subject to the approval of the application receiving agency.
- Highest diploma, as a notarized photocopy. If you are still in education, submit the certificate of expected graduation or of student status issued by your school or university.
- Academic records, with notarized Chinese or English translations if they are in another language.
- Language qualification certificates: for programmes taught in a language other than Chinese, relevant certificates such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports, in accordance with the requirements of each university.
- CSCA score report, valid, obtained before the application deadline.
- Pre-admission documents from the university you are applying to — for example a pre-admission notice from its international students' admission department, or an invitation letter from a school or professor.
- A study or research plan of at least 200 words or characters (see above).
- Works of your own if you are applying for an arts or design programme, such as videos or paintings.
- Legal documents of your legal guardian(s) in China if you are under 18.
- Foreigner Physical Examination Form if you will study in China for more than six months: a photocopy, with the original — printed by Chinese quarantine authorities, filled in in English — kept by you. All listed items must be covered; records missing the physician's signature, the hospital's official stamp or a sealed photograph of the applicant are invalid, and results are valid for six months only.
- Certificate of Non-Criminal Record (or Police Clearance Certificate) issued by the local public security authority such as a police station, usually issued within six months before you submit the application.
The guide asks for two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors only from postgraduate and senior scholar applicants; bachelor's applicants are not listed among those who must submit them.
Which programmes take undergraduates
The guide lists undergraduates among the supported categories in some programmes and not in others:
| Programme | Undergraduates | Where the guide says to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Bilateral Program | Listed, alongside postgraduates, general and senior scholars | The dispatching department of your home country |
| University Program | Student categories vary and are subject to the requirements of each university | The Chinese universities undertaking the programme |
| EU Program | Listed | Office for Education and Culture, Mission of the PRC to the EU |
| PIF Program | Listed | Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat |
| WMO Program | Listed | WMO |
| Great Wall Program | Not listed (postgraduates, general scholars, senior scholars) | National Commission for UNESCO in the home country |
| AUN Program | Not listed (postgraduates) | AUN Secretariat |
| Student Exchange Program | Not listed (general and senior scholars, for a session of no more than 12 months) | Chinese universities and their foreign partners |
The guide does not publish deadlines, quotas or opening dates for any of these programmes.
Questions people ask
Do I have to sit the CSCA before I submit my application?
Yes. The guide requires bachelor's applicants to register for and take the CSCA before the application deadline and to obtain a valid score report, which is item 6 of the application documents. The official website address given is www.csca.cn; the guide tells applicants to ask the target institution which test subjects their major requires.
Is 25 a hard age limit, and when is it measured?
The guide states the undergraduate condition as being under the age of 25 when applying, so the reference point is the moment of application. It does not describe how the age is calculated or verified.
How much money does an undergraduate receive each month?
CNY 2,500 per month, according to the scholarship coverage section. Tuition, housing (a free dormitory or an accommodation subsidy) and comprehensive medical insurance are covered separately from the stipend.
Does the guide ask bachelor's applicants for an HSK score?
No. The HSK requirements in the eligibility section apply to Chinese-taught general scholar programmes (Level 3), senior scholar programmes (Level 3) and Master's or doctoral programmes (Level 4). For bachelor's degrees the guide requires the CSCA instead, and separately requires applicants to meet the language proficiency and academic requirements of the university they prefer.
Do I have to study Chinese for a year before my degree?
The scholarship covers major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study, and the guide states that the language courses last one year. It does not say whether every undergraduate is placed into that year or how the placement is decided.
Which universities can I apply to?
The guide does not name individual universities in this section. It says designated Chinese universities offer the programmes and refers readers to http://www.campuschina.org for the universities and majors.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary; it is not published by the China Scholarship Council, Campus China or any university, and the site is not affiliated with them, so the official notice prevails wherever the two differ.