How to apply for YES China: Type A, agency code 1563 and the 2026 schedule
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
You apply for YES China — the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China — online, through the Chinese Government Scholarship System at studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login. When you fill in the form, choose "Type A" for the scholarship type and enter agency code 1563, then find "Youth of Excellence Scheme of China". For the 2026 intake the deadline was 23:59 on 31 March 2026 (GMT+8); that date has passed, and when the page was checked no notice for a following intake had appeared on it.
What "apply online" means here
The notice on Youth of Excellence Scheme of China, published by the China Scholarship Council on Campus China, describes one route only: applicants log in to the Chinese Government Scholarship System and submit their application materials in it. The same notice states that the China Scholarship Council accepts individual applications directly, reviews the materials submitted, and then arranges expert review.
The system fields are the part that applicants most often get wrong. Three details come straight from the notice: the scholarship type is "Type A", the agency code is 1563, and the programme is found under the name "Youth of Excellence Scheme of China". The notice does not describe what happens if an application is submitted under a different type or code.
Who the notice says can apply
The application requirements are listed in the notice as follows:
- The applicant must be a citizen of a country other than the People's Republic of China, under the age of 45, and in good mental and physical health.
- The applicant must hold a bachelor's degree or higher and have at least three years of work experience. The notice adds that those with professional training or work experience related to the proposed programme "will be given preference" — preference, not a separate condition.
- The applicant must fall into one of four categories: a government official at division chief level or above (or equivalent); a senior manager of an institution or enterprise; an administrator of a university or scientific research institution; or someone with relevant employment or internship experience in international organizations.
The pre-admission letter
An applicant should have received a pre-admission letter from one of the subprogrammes at least by the time they apply. The notice sets two conditions on that letter: it must contain all the necessary registration information — personal information, admission date and major's information — and it must not contain any information about having received, or being promised, a Chinese government scholarship.
How you obtain that letter is stated in one line in the schedule: during the preparation period, applicants "apply for pre-admission letter from the intended university". The notice does not name the universities, does not say how far in advance to request the letter, and does not describe what a university may ask for before issuing one.
The 2026 schedule as the notice gives it
Section 6 of the notice, "Time and steps", sets out the cycle as a six-row table. The dates below are the 2026 intake's dates.
| No. | Time | Step | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January through March 2026 | Application preparations | Applicants prepare application materials as required and apply for a pre-admission letter from the intended university. |
| 2 | 31 March | Online application | Applicants log in through https://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login. |
| 3 | May | Documents review | A panel of experts arranged by the China Scholarship Council reviews the application documents to determine who to enroll. |
| 4 | June | Enrollment announcement | Admissions outcomes are publicized and documents for admission are sent. |
| 5 | July & August | Visa to China application | Those who have been accepted go to Chinese embassies or consulates to obtain study visas and prepare to study in China. |
| 6 | September | Commencement of study in China | Students arrive at the university, complete registration and obtain residence permits. |
The deadline in row 2 is given without a year in the table itself; the year comes from the application section of the same notice, which sets 23:59 on 31 March 2026 (GMT+8) as the submission deadline.
What happens after you submit
Assessment is described in two stages. First, the China Scholarship Council carries out a preliminary examination of the application materials. Then the Council arranges a second examination by a panel of experts, and the final enrollment results are announced after that expert review. The notice does not say how applicants are told the result, and does not give a number of places or any indication of how many applicants are admitted.
What the notice does not say
It does not list the documents that make up an application — it refers only to materials prepared "as required", without stating where the requirement is published. It does not state the duration or content of the programme, and it does not name the universities that take part. It does not give a date for the next intake after 2026, and it does not say whether the 2026 schedule will be repeated.
Questions people ask
Do I apply through a university or directly?
The notice states that the China Scholarship Council accepts individual applications directly. The role of the university in the text is limited to issuing the pre-admission letter that applicants should have before they apply.
Is agency code 1563 specific to this programme?
The notice gives 1563 as the agency code to use when applying for Youth of Excellence Scheme of China, alongside "Type A" as the scholarship type. It does not say whether other codes apply to other programmes.
When are the results announced?
In the 2026 schedule, enrollment is announced in June: admissions outcomes are publicized and documents for admission are sent. The assessment section says the final enrollment results are announced after expert review, without giving a more precise date.
Does the pre-admission letter guarantee a scholarship?
The notice does not say that. It requires the letter to contain registration details and forbids it from mentioning a Chinese government scholarship, received or promised. Admission follows the expert review described in the assessment section.
Can I still apply for the 2026 intake?
No. The 2026 deadline was 23:59 on 31 March 2026 (GMT+8) and has passed. When the Campus China page was checked on 10 October 2026, no notice for a following intake had been seen on it.
Sources
- Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Program Chinese Government Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by the bodies named above, and the official notice prevails if the two differ.