Online and joint programmes under the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
Yes — online study is part of the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship. The 2025 guidelines set aside a category for online programmes with two entries: a one-year Chinese language programme and a one-semester Chinese language programme. Both start in September or March, both ask for an HSK score, and both are funded for tuition only.
Everything below comes 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, so its dates belong to that cycle and have passed. For a current edition, check chinese.cn.
The two online programmes
| Programme | Starts | HSK requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Online Program for One-Year Chinese Language Study | September or March each year | Under most circumstances, a score of 180 on HSK (Level 3); priority to applicants who also provide an HSKK score |
| Online Program for One-Semester Chinese Language Study | September or March each year | Under most circumstances, an HSK score, regardless of level or score |
The two programmes differ mainly in the language line. The one-year programme asks for 180 on HSK Level 3 under most circumstances and gives priority to applicants who also submit an HSKK score. The one-semester programme asks only for an HSK score of any level or any result.
Both requirements carry the qualifier "under most circumstances". The guidelines do not describe what happens outside those circumstances, and they do not state a minimum score for the one-semester programme beyond having an HSK result at all.
What an online scholarship pays for
Appendix 1 sets the scholarship's coverage as tuition, accommodation, a living allowance (excluding four-week study programme students) and comprehensive medical insurance. Its first item adds that the scholarships for online programmes provide support for tuition fees only.
So an online award is a tuition award. The same appendix lists figures for the other items — for example a monthly living allowance of RMB 2,500 for one-year and one-semester study students, and off-campus accommodation allowances of RMB 1,000 per month for doctoral students and RMB 700 per month for other students — but the online item limits online scholarships to tuition, and the guidelines do not explain how the two statements relate to each other for online students. Read the tuition line as the one that applies to online study and confirm the rest with the host institution.
One condition from the appendix applies regardless of format: recipients must register within the period stated in the Letter of Admission, or the scholarship is revoked.
Joint programmes
Joint Program Scholarships are jointly funded by CLEC and educational departments, universities, or host institutions. The guidelines state that information on the admission methods, the guidelines themselves and the number of scholarships will be available on the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website. The 2025 document gives no start months, no language requirement and no coverage figures for this category, so those details have to come from the scholarship website rather than from these guidelines.
Questions people ask
Does the one-semester online programme require a specific HSK level?
No level is named. The guidelines say an HSK score is required under most circumstances, regardless of level or score. The one-year programme is the one that names a line: 180 on HSK Level 3.
Do online scholarships pay a living allowance?
The guidelines say they provide support for tuition fees only. Appendix 1 lists a living allowance of RMB 2,500 per month for one-year and one-semester study students, but it does not say that this applies to online students, and the online item is stated as tuition only.
Are the September and March start dates still open?
Not as described here. Those months are the start dates given in the 2025 guidelines, which cover programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026, and that cycle has ended. The 2025 edition was the most recent one found on chinese.cn when this page was checked; the current edition may name different months.
Where do I find the rules for joint programmes?
On the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website. The guidelines say the admission methods, the guidelines for the category and the number of scholarships will be published there; the application website named in the document is chinese.cn.
Sources
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
- chinese.cn — International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website and application site named in the guidelines — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC)
Checked 10 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary prepared by China Scholarships Index; it is not published by CLEC, chinese.cn or any university, and the official notice prevails if the two differ.