Bachelor's scholarship in International Chinese Language Education: HSK 4 with 210 and the age rule
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
The bachelor's category of the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship asks for a senior high school diploma, a minimum HSK (Level 4) score of 210 and an HSKK (Intermediate Level) score of 60. It pays tuition, accommodation, a monthly living allowance of RMB 2,500 and comprehensive medical insurance, for a maximum of four academic years. Applicants to this category "shall be younger than 25 under most circumstances," in the wording of the 2025 guidelines.
All of the details below come from the Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) on chinese.cn. That edition is dated January 2025 and was written for programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026; its dates belong to that cycle and have passed. For a current edition, check chinese.cn.
What the bachelor's category covers in time
The guidelines describe the Scholarship for Bachelor's Degree in International Chinese Language Education as commencing in September 2025 and running for a maximum of four academic years. The document does not state a separate probation year, a language-preparation year, or any extension beyond four years for this category.
Who is eligible
The eligibility section applies to every category, including the bachelor's one:
- Be a non-Chinese citizen.
- Be friendly to China, have no criminal record, and abide by the laws and regulations of China and the rules of the host institution.
- Be in good physical and mental health, and in good academic and behavioral standing.
- Be interested in Chinese language education and related work.
- Be aged between 16 and 35 years on September 1, 2025.
The fifth point carries the age rule that matters most to bachelor's applicants, and it is worth quoting in full because the two halves pull in different directions: "The maximum age limit for in-service Chinese teachers may be extended to 45, but those who apply for a scholarship for a Bachelor's degree shall be younger than 25 under most circumstances."
The age rule, and what the guidelines do not say
For the bachelor's category the operative line is the younger-than-25 rule. The guidelines do not define "under most circumstances," do not list the exceptions they have in mind, and do not say who decides whether a given applicant falls inside one. They also do not explain how the 45-year limit for in-service Chinese teachers interacts with the bachelor's rule — whether an in-service teacher under 45 can be admitted to the bachelor's category is not stated in the document.
The age is measured on a fixed date: September 1, 2025, in that cycle. The guidelines give no method for converting an age measured on a different date.
Language scores
| Test | Required minimum |
|---|---|
| HSK (Level 4) | 210 |
| HSKK (Intermediate Level) | 60 |
Both scores appear in the bachelor's section and both are described as minimums. The materials list adds a time condition: the scanned score reports must be within the two-year validity.
What the scholarship pays
Appendix 1 sets the coverage as tuition, accommodation, living allowance (excluding four-week study programme students) and comprehensive medical insurance.
Tuition. Host institutions use the tuition fees for the education and management of scholarship recipients, cultural programming and HSK tests. The guidelines do not name a tuition amount, and for online programmes the scholarship supports tuition fees only.
Accommodation. Host institutions provide free on-campus accommodation, typically double rooms. Recipients may live off-campus upon application and approval from the host institution; in that case doctoral students receive RMB 1,000 per person per month and other students RMB 700 per person per month, paid monthly or quarterly.
Living allowance. Paid monthly by the host institution:
| Category | Monthly living allowance |
|---|---|
| Undergraduates, one-year study students, one-semester study students | RMB 2,500 per person |
| Master's students in International Chinese Language Education | RMB 3,000 per person |
| Doctoral students in International Chinese Language Education | RMB 3,500 per person |
Four conditions attach to the allowance in the same appendix:
- Recipients must register with the university within the period stipulated in the Letter of Admission; otherwise the scholarship is revoked.
- Students registered before the 15th of the month (inclusive) receive the full allowance for that month; those registered after the 15th receive half.
- Leaving China for more than 15 days for personal reasons during the study period, excluding summer and winter vacations, suspends the allowance for the period of absence.
- Suspension, withdrawal or disciplinary action for personal reasons suspends the allowance from the date of suspension, withdrawal or notification.
For graduating students, the allowance is paid until half a month after the graduation date set by the host institution.
Medical insurance. Host institutions purchase comprehensive medical insurance in accordance with the applicable Ministry of Education regulations on overseas students. The premium for four-week students is RMB 100 per person, for one-semester students RMB 400 per person, and for students studying more than one year RMB 800 per person per year. A four-year bachelor's programme falls in the last bracket.
Documents a bachelor's applicant submits
From Appendix 2, the items that apply to a degree-programme applicant are:
- A scanned copy of the passport photo page.
- Scanned HSK and HSKK score reports, within the two-year validity.
- A reference letter by the head of the Recommending Institution.
- A certificate of the highest diploma, or proof of expected graduation, plus an official transcript.
- Any additional documents required by the host institution.
Two items in the same appendix belong to the other degree categories, not to the bachelor's one: the two reference letters from professors or associate professors, and the 3,000-word personal statement written in Chinese, are listed for the doctoral category, and the two professor reference letters are listed for the master's category. The bachelor's entry lists only the diploma and transcript.
In-service Chinese language teachers additionally provide proof of employment and a reference letter from the employer.
Applicants under 18
Appendix 2, section D, is brief: applicants under 18 shall provide certified documents of designation signed by their entrusted legal guardians in China. The guidelines do not describe the form of those documents, who may serve as a guardian, or how a guardian is appointed, so any of those details come from the host institution or from the guardian arrangement itself, not from this document.
Dates for this cycle
The edition used here was written for programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026, with the bachelor's programme commencing in September 2025 and ages measured on September 1, 2025. Those dates have passed. Treat them as the dates of that cycle and check chinese.cn for the edition that applies to the intake you are looking at; the age reference date, the start month and the length of funding are the figures most likely to be restated in a later edition.
Questions people ask
Do I need both HSK and HSKK?
Yes. The bachelor's section requires a minimum of 210 on HSK Level 4 and 60 on HSKK Intermediate Level, and Appendix 2 asks for scanned copies of both score reports within the two-year validity.
Is the age limit 25 or 35?
The general eligibility range is 16 to 35 on September 1, 2025, and the bachelor's category adds that applicants "shall be younger than 25 under most circumstances." The guidelines do not state what the exceptions are.
Can I live off campus and still keep the accommodation money?
Only with the host institution's approval. Approved off-campus students receive RMB 700 per person per month instead of a room; doctoral students receive RMB 1,000.
Does the scholarship pay for flights or the visa?
Appendix 1 lists tuition, accommodation, living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance. International travel, visa costs and application fees are not mentioned anywhere in the coverage section, so the document does not state that they are covered.
What if I finish my degree early or late?
The guidelines fund a maximum of four academic years and pay the living allowance until half a month after the graduation date set by the host institution. They do not describe funding beyond four years.
Sources
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
Checked 10 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary and is not published by CLEC, Campus China or any university; where this summary and the official notice differ, the official notice prevails.