One-semester study scholarship from CLEC: September or March start, five months of funding
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
The one-semester study programme under the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship runs for a maximum of five months, and in the 2025 guidelines the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) set the starts at September 2025 and March 2026. Funding covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance.
Every date and figure below comes from the Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, which was written for programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026. Those dates have passed; check chinese.cn for the edition now in force.
What the programme is
The one-semester study programme is one of the categories listed in the 2025 guidelines, alongside degree programmes, the one-year study programme and the four-week study programme. The guidelines describe it as a scholarship provided for a maximum of five months, starting either in September or in March.
The notice does not list curricula or course content for this category. It tells applicants to contact the host institutions for curriculum and course listings, and for enrolment matters.
The language requirements, by subject area
The 2025 guidelines split the one-semester programme into two groups of subject areas, with different language-test requirements.
| Subject areas named in the guidelines | Requirement |
|---|---|
| International Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, Chinese philosophy | Minimum HSK score of 180 (Level 3); an HSKK score is required |
| Traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture | HSK score required; priority given to applicants who also provide an HSKK score |
For subject areas outside these two groups, the guidelines do not state a separate HSK or HSKK line for the one-semester programme.
Selection is done by an expert panel entrusted by CLEC. The guidelines say decisions are based on HSK and HSKK levels and scores, geographical distribution and other factors.
What the scholarship pays
The one-semester programme is covered under the same Appendix 1 table as the other categories, with two figures specific to it.
| Item | What the 2025 guidelines state |
|---|---|
| Tuition | Covered; host institutions use the tuition fees for education and management, cultural programming and HSK tests. Scholarships for online programmes provide support for tuition fees only |
| Accommodation | Free on-campus accommodation, typically a double room. Off-campus living is possible on application and approval; students other than doctoral students then receive RMB 700 per person per month (doctoral students: RMB 1,000) |
| Living allowance | RMB 2,500 per person per month, paid monthly by the host institution |
| Comprehensive medical insurance | Bought by the host institution; the premium for one-semester students is RMB 400 per person |
Three rules attached to the living allowance are worth reading closely:
- Register before the 15th of the month (inclusive) and you receive the full month's allowance; register after the 15th and you receive half.
- Leave China for more than 15 days for personal reasons during the study period — summer and winter vacations excluded — and the allowance is suspended for the period of absence.
- The allowance is also suspended from the date of suspension, withdrawal, or notification of disciplinary action. For graduating students it is paid until half a month after the graduation date set by the host institution.
Separately, scholarship recipients must register with the university within the period stated in the Letter of Admission, or the scholarship is revoked.
Application deadlines for each start
Online registration for the 2025 cycle opened on 20 February 2025 on the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website (http://www.chinese.cn). Deadlines are given in Beijing Time.
| Start | Applicants must complete applications by | Recommending and host institutions complete review by |
|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 15 May | 25 May |
| March 2026 | 31 October | 10 November |
The same notice sets 15 April and 15 September deadlines for programmes starting in July and December 2025. The one-semester programme is not listed as starting in those months.
CLEC states that results are announced about three months before the programme starts.
The three-year rule
Under "Miscellaneous", the 2025 guidelines say that in principle, applicants who have received a similar scholarship within three years are not eligible for the one-semester study programme or the one-year study programme. The guidelines do not define "similar scholarship" further.
The same section lists other ways a scholarship can be lost: failing the pre-enrollment medical examination, withdrawing before completing the programme, failing to register without prior permission, or suspending studies.
Who the notice says may apply
The eligibility section applies to the scholarship as a whole: non-Chinese citizenship; a friendly attitude towards China and no criminal record; good physical and mental health and good academic and behavioural standing; interest in Chinese language education and related work. On age, the 2025 notice requires applicants to be between 16 and 35 on 1 September 2025, with the limit extendable to 45 for in-service Chinese teachers, and applicants for a Bachelor's degree normally younger than 25.
For a fuller picture of the category, see the one-semester study programme page on this site.
Questions people ask
When are results announced?
The guidelines say results are announced about three months before the programme starts, and that an expert panel entrusted by CLEC reviews applications on HSK and HSKK levels and scores, geographical distribution and other factors.
Do I need HSKK for a Taiji culture programme?
The 2025 guidelines require an HSK score for traditional Chinese medicine and Taiji culture programmes and say priority will be given to applicants who also provide an HSKK score. For Chinese language, literature, history, philosophy and international Chinese language education, an HSKK score is listed as required.
Can I live off campus?
Yes, on application and approval from the host institution. In that case the guidelines provide an accommodation allowance of RMB 700 per person per month for students other than doctoral students, paid monthly or quarterly by the host institution.
Can I hold this scholarship twice in a row?
The guidelines state that, in principle, applicants who have received a similar scholarship within three years are not eligible for the one-semester or one-year study programme, but they do not define what counts as similar.
Does the notice say how many applicants are accepted?
No. The official text does not state acceptance, award or success rates, and this page does not estimate them.
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, the Ministry of Education of China or any host institution; where this page and the official notice differ, the official notice prevails.