University and local scholarships for international graduate students: what Order No. 42 allows

Beside the Chinese Government Scholarship, international graduate students in mainland China can be supported by scholarships set up by local people's governments, by their university, or by outside donors such as enterprises and individuals. Order No. 42 (the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security) sets out which of these are permitted, and the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) state how universities must run them. The English wording in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese official text.

What Order No. 42 permits

The national scholarship and local-government scholarships

The Chinese government sets up the Chinese Government Scholarship for international students receiving higher education, and encourages local people's governments to set up international student scholarships (Order No. 42, Article 32). The management measures for the Chinese Government Scholarship are formulated by the relevant State Council administrative departments (Order No. 42, Article 32).

University scholarships

Higher education institutions may set up scholarships for international students (Order No. 42, Article 34).

Donor-funded scholarships

Order No. 42, Article 34 encourages enterprises and public institutions, social organisations and other social organisations, and individuals to set up international student scholarships. The same article requires that such scholarships must not attach unreasonable conditions (Order No. 42, Article 34).

Priority admission for government-scholarship students

Where the State Council education administrative department selects higher education institutions by merit to entrust with training Chinese Government Scholarship students, the institutions undertaking that training shall give priority to admitting those students (Order No. 42, Article 33). This concerns the placement of national-scholarship students, not university-set awards.

How universities must assess and manage scholarships

Clear criteria and published results

When a university runs any international student scholarship project, it shall formulate clear scholarship assessment standards and procedures in accordance with relevant state regulations and the scholarship-funding policy (Quality Standards, section 2.4). Assessment shall follow the merit principle based on academic performance and conduct, and be carried out in a standardised, objective and fair manner; the university shall publicise the results and accept supervision (Quality Standards, section 2.4).

Management and periodic review

A university shall formulate its international student scholarship management system in accordance with relevant state regulations, and use scholarship funds on the principles of standardisation, reasonableness and efficiency (Quality Standards, section 13.1). The university shall stress the incentive and value-guidance role of the scholarship, strictly apply the academic and conduct requirements for recipients, and establish a periodic review and dynamic adjustment mechanism (Quality Standards, section 13.1). The specific assessment criteria and procedures are therefore set by each university within the state framework.

The national scholarship's university route

The Chinese Government Scholarship has a University Program under which designated Chinese universities recommend talented international students in China for funded study. The student categories supported vary according to the requirements of each university, and an applicant shall file the application with the Chinese universities that undertake the program (Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, section I (II)). This is one route of the national scholarship and is separate from scholarships a university sets up under Article 34.

Questions people ask

Can a university set up its own scholarship for international graduate students?

Yes. Order No. 42, Article 34 states that higher education institutions may set up scholarships for international students.

If a company or foundation funds a scholarship at a university, can it attach any condition?

No. Article 34 encourages enterprises and public institutions, social organisations and other social organisations, and individuals to set up international student scholarships, but they must not attach unreasonable conditions (Order No. 42, Article 34).

How does a university decide who receives an international student scholarship?

A university running such a project shall set clear assessment standards and procedures, assess on the merit of academic performance and conduct in a standardised, objective and fair way, and publicise the results (Quality Standards, section 2.4).

Sources

• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China)

Checked 11 October 2026

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