International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship for a master's or doctorate: what the latest guidelines say

This article summarises the 2025 edition of the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship guidelines issued by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) for master's and doctoral programmes that were scheduled to begin in September 2025. Every date in that edition has passed; the next edition must be checked on chinese.cn. The 2025 application deadline for September-start programmes was 15 May 2025 (Beijing Time) — a past date. This scholarship is separate from the Chinese Government Scholarship; their rules are not mixed here.

At master's level the scholarship supports a Master's Degree in International Chinese Language Education for a maximum of two academic years. At doctoral level it supports a Doctor's Degree in International Chinese Language Education for a maximum of four academic years. Both categories open in September and are administered through a recommending institution on the scholarship website http://www.chinese.cn.

Eligibility: prior degree, language scores and age

Prior degree
- Master's applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree (section “2. Scholarship for Master's Degree in International Chinese Language Education”).
- Doctoral applicants must hold a Master's degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, linguistics, international Chinese language education, or education-related disciplines (section “1. Scholarship for Doctor's Degree in International Chinese Language Education”).

HSK and HSKK requirements
- Master's applicants: minimum HSK Level 5 score of 210 and HSKK Intermediate Level score of 60 (section “2. Scholarship for Master's Degree…”).
- Doctoral applicants: minimum HSK Level 6 score of 200 and HSKK Advanced Level score of 60 (section “1. Scholarship for Doctor's Degree…”).

Age rule
Applicants must be aged between 16 and 35 on 1 September 2025 (section I, item 5). For in-service Chinese language teachers the maximum age may be extended to 45 (section I, item 5). The guideline states no other age exceptions for degree applicants.

General eligibility (section I, items 1–4)
- Non-Chinese citizen.
- Friendly to China, no criminal record, abide by Chinese laws and host institution rules.
- Good physical and mental health; good academic and behavioural standing.
- Interested in Chinese language education and related work.

Priority is given to applicants who can provide an employment contract with a teaching institution for after graduation, or equivalent proof (both degree sections).

What the scholarship covers

Tuition
Host institutions use the tuition fees for education, management, cultural programming and HSK tests (Appendix 1, paragraph 1).

Accommodation
Free on-campus accommodation (typically double rooms) is provided (Appendix 1, paragraph 2). Students may live off-campus with host institution approval. Off-campus allowance: doctoral students receive RMB 1,000 per person per month; other students receive RMB 700 per person per month, paid monthly or quarterly by the host institution (Appendix 1, paragraph 2).

Monthly living allowance
- Master's students in International Chinese Language Education: RMB 3,000 per person per month.
- Doctoral students in International Chinese Language Education: RMB 3,500 per person per month.
Paid monthly by the host institution (Appendix 1, paragraph 3). Registration by the 15th of the month (inclusive) yields the full allowance for that month; registration after the 15th yields half. Allowance is suspended if the student leaves China for more than 15 days for personal reasons during term (excluding summer/winter vacations), or if suspended, withdrawn or disciplined. For graduating students the allowance is paid until half a month after the host institution's graduation date (Appendix 1, paragraph 3).

Medical insurance
Comprehensive medical insurance purchased by the host institution per Ministry of Education regulations for overseas students. Premium for students studying more than one year: RMB 800 per person per year (Appendix 1, paragraph 4).

Application materials for degree applicants

All applicants must provide (Appendix 2, section A):
a) Scanned copy of passport photo page.
b) Scanned copy of HSK/HSKK score reports (within two-year validity).
c) Reference letter from the head of the recommending institution.

Degree applicants additionally provide (Appendix 2, section B):
d) Certificate of highest diploma (or expected graduation proof) and official transcript.
e) Doctoral applicants: two reference letters from professors, associate professors or experts with equivalent professional titles in relevant fields, plus a 3,000-word personal statement in Chinese (including knowledge of the intended area and research proposal).
f) Master's applicants: two reference letters from professors or associate professors.

In-service Chinese language teachers must also provide proof of employment and a reference letter from the employer (Appendix 2, section C). Applicants under 18 must provide certified guardianship documents signed by their entrusted legal guardians in China (Appendix 2, section D). Host institutions may require additional documents (Appendix 2, section E).

Application route

Applications are submitted online via the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website (http://www.chinese.cn) starting from 20 February 2025 (section III). Applicants search for recommending institutions and host institutions, submit materials online, and track the process. The recommending institution and host institution complete their reviews by the deadline (for September programmes: recommending institution and host institution review by 25 May 2025). CLEC entrusts an expert panel to review applications based on HSK/HSKK levels and scores, geographical distribution and other factors (section III). Results are announced about three months before the programme starts (section III). Successful applicants must confirm with the host institution and register on the date specified in the Letter of Admission; otherwise the scholarship is revoked (Appendix 1, paragraph 3).

Sources

• Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 (Center for Language Education and Cooperation)

Checked 11 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary, not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, and is not legal advice. The official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.