One-year study scholarship from CLEC: three programme types, three HSK thresholds
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
There is no single HSK cut-off for the one-year study programme. The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 splits the programme into three types and gives each one its own line: 270 on HSK (Level 3) for international Chinese language education, 180 on HSK (Level 4) with 60 on HSKK (Intermediate) for Chinese language and literature, Chinese history or Chinese philosophy, and 210 on HSK (Level 3) for Chinese language study. The same document funds the programme for a maximum of eleven months, with the programme commencing in September 2025.
Those figures belong to the 2025 edition of the guidelines, which covers programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026. They are the dates of that cycle, not of a current one. Read the current edition on chinese.cn before you apply.
The three types and their thresholds
The guidelines state these requirements exactly as follows. Note that the HSK levels attached to the scores differ between the three rows, and that only one row names an HSKK score.
| Programme type | HSK | HSKK |
|---|---|---|
| International Chinese language education | Minimum 270 (Level 3) | A score is required; no minimum is stated |
| Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, Chinese philosophy | Minimum 180 (Level 4) | Minimum 60 (Intermediate Level) |
| Chinese language study | Minimum 210 (Level 3) | Not required; priority is given to applicants who provide a score |
Two gaps are worth naming, because the document does not close them. For the first programme type it says an HSKK test score is required but gives no minimum. For the third it does not require HSKK at all, and says only that applicants who submit a score will be given priority — it does not say how much priority, or at what stage.
How long the funding lasts, and what it covers
The scholarship is provided for a maximum of eleven months. The programme commences in September 2025.
Appendix 1 of the guidelines covers tuition, accommodation, a living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance:
- Tuition is used by the host institution for education and management of scholarship recipients, cultural programming and HSK tests.
- Accommodation is provided as free on-campus accommodation, typically a double room. Living off-campus is possible on application and approval; in that case other students (a category that includes one-year study students) receive RMB 700 per person per month, paid monthly or quarterly.
- Living allowance for one-year study programme students is RMB 2,500 per person per month, paid monthly by the host institution.
- Comprehensive medical insurance is purchased by the host institution under Ministry of Education regulations for overseas students.
The appendix gives insurance premiums for three groups only: RMB 100 per person for four-week study, RMB 400 per person for one-semester study, and RMB 800 per person per year for students studying more than one year. It does not state a premium for the eleven-month one-year study programme, which falls into none of those three groups.
The three-year rule
Part VI of the guidelines states that, in principle, applicants who have received a similar scholarship within three years are not eligible for the One-Semester Study Program or the One-Year Study Program. The document does not define what counts as a "similar" scholarship, and does not say whether the three years are counted from the start or the end of the earlier award.
Who is eligible
Under Part I, applicants must be non-Chinese citizens, be friendly to China with no criminal record, be in good physical and mental health and in good academic and behavioural standing, and be interested in Chinese language education and related work. The age requirement is 16 to 35 years on 1 September 2025. The maximum age for in-service Chinese teachers may be extended to 45; applicants for a Bachelor's degree scholarship are generally expected to be younger than 25.
Rules that change the amount you actually receive
Several conditions in Appendix 1 affect the living allowance after admission:
- You must register with the university within the period stated in the Letter of Admission, or the scholarship will be revoked.
- Registering on or before the 15th of the month entitles you to the full allowance for that month; registering after the 15th entitles you to half.
- Leaving China for more than 15 days during the study period for personal reasons suspends the allowance for the period of absence. Summer and winter vacations are excluded from this.
- Suspension, withdrawal for personal reasons, or disciplinary action by the host institution suspends the allowance from the date of that suspension, withdrawal or notification.
- For graduating students, the allowance is paid until half a month after the graduation date set by the host institution.
Part VI also lists the situations that disqualify a student from the scholarship: failing the pre-enrollment medical examination, withdrawing before completing the programme, failing to register without prior permission, or suspending studies. Degree students are additionally subject to annual assessment under a separate set of procedures.
Where the application is made
The guidelines name http://www.chinese.cn as the application website. Recommending and host institutions provide consulting, recommendation and enrollment services under the guidelines; curriculum and course listings, admission criteria and application deadlines are matters to take up with the host institution directly.
Questions people ask
Do I need HSKK for all three programme types?
No. The guidelines require an HSKK score for international Chinese language education applicants but state no minimum; they set a minimum of 60 (Intermediate) for the Chinese language and literature, history and philosophy route; and for Chinese language study they require no HSKK score at all, only giving priority to applicants who provide one.
Is the one-year programme funded for twelve months?
No. The 2025 guidelines provide the scholarship for a maximum of eleven months, with the programme commencing in September 2025.
Can I apply if I held a similar scholarship two years ago?
The guidelines say that, in principle, receiving a similar scholarship within three years makes an applicant ineligible for the One-Semester or One-Year Study Program. They do not define "similar", so the host institution or recommending institution is the place to confirm how your earlier award is treated.
Is this the one-year programme on this site's own listing?
This article describes only what the 2025 CLEC guidelines state; a separate page covers the one-year study programme category, and the general steps are set out under how to apply.
Sources
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
- chinese.cn — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC)
Checked 10 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by CLEC or any of the other bodies named above, and the official notice prevails if the two differ.