The “Confucius Institute Scholarship” no longer goes by that name. Its official name today is the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship, run by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) under China’s Ministry of Education, and applications go through the cis.chinese.cn portal. It is open to all non-Chinese citizens and covers tuition, free on-campus accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend of CNY 2,500 (about US$350) for bachelor’s, one-year and one-semester programmes, CNY 3,000 for the master’s in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, and CNY 3,500 for doctoral students. For the 2026 cycle, registration opened on 1 March 2026; the last date for September programmes is 15 May, and for March 2027 programmes 31 October 2026. Here are the categories, HSK requirements, coverage and steps, taken from the official announcements.
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What Is the Scholarship and Who Offers It?
The scholarship is for people who want to learn Chinese or study international Chinese language education at Chinese universities. It is offered by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), and many Chinese universities take part as host institutions, such as Xiamen University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Nankai University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Candidates are nominated by a “recommending body” (such as the Confucius Institute in your country, the Chinese department at your university, or an accredited organisation), and the host university then reviews the application.
Scholarship Categories and Requirements (2026)
| Category | Maximum duration | Academic requirement | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master’s in International Chinese Language Education | Two academic years (from September 2026) | Bachelor’s degree | HSK 5 with a score of 210 + HSKK intermediate 60 |
| Bachelor’s (International Chinese Language Education) | 4 years (from September 2026) | High school certificate | HSK 4 with a score of 210 + HSKK intermediate 60 |
| One academic year – International Chinese Language Education | 11 months | – | HSK 3 with a score of 270 + HSKK |
| One academic year – Chinese Language Study | 11 months | – | HSK 3 with a score of 210 (priority for those with HSKK) |
| One semester | 5 months (September 2026 or March 2027) | – | For Chinese teaching: HSK 3 with a score of 180 + HSKK |
| Four-week programme | 4 weeks | Groups of 10–15 participants through a recommending body | Depends on the programme |
Source: Xiamen University’s 2026 scholarship announcement. Some host universities set higher requirements, so read the announcement of the university you choose. In principle, anyone who has received a similar scholarship in the past 3 years cannot apply for the one-year and one-semester programmes.
What Does the Scholarship Cover?
- Tuition fees.
- Accommodation: free on-campus accommodation (usually a double room). Students who receive permission to live off campus are paid an allowance of CNY 700 a month (CNY 1,000 for doctoral students).
- Monthly stipend: CNY 2,500 for bachelor’s, one-year and one-semester programmes, CNY 3,000 for the master’s in International Chinese Language Education, and CNY 3,500 for the doctorate in International Chinese Language Education. It is not paid for the four-week programme.
- Comprehensive medical insurance: CNY 800 a year for those studying more than a year, CNY 400 for the semester programme, and CNY 100 for the four-week programme.
- International airfare is not listed as covered, so treat it as your own expense.
The stipend stops if the student leaves China for personal reasons for more than 15 days during the programme (excluding holidays). Source: Xiamen University.
2026 Application Deadlines
| Programme | Student application deadline |
|---|---|
| Registration opens on cis.chinese.cn | 1 March 2026 |
| Four-week programme (July) | 15 April |
| Programmes starting in September 2026 | 15 May |
| Four-week programme (December) | 15 September |
| One-semester programme (March 2027) | 31 October 2026 |
After the student deadline, the recommending body and host university review the application within about 10 days. Then an expert panel appointed by CLEC reviews the applications and decides based on HSK and HSKK levels and scores and geographic distribution, and results are announced about three months before the programme starts. Some universities ask you to apply on their own portal first, with an earlier deadline; Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, for example, asked applicants to apply on its portal before 15 October 2026 for March 2027 programmes. Sources: Xiamen University and SUFE.
How to Apply
- Get an HSK certificate (and HSKK if required) at the level your category requires.
- Choose the host university and programme, and read its own announcement.
- Contact a recommending body (a Confucius Institute, the Chinese department at your university, or an accredited organisation).
- Register and apply on cis.chinese.cn before the deadline, and also apply on the university’s portal if it asks you to.
- Upload your documents: passport copy, certificates and transcripts, HSK/HSKK certificate, the Foreigner Physical Examination Form, and anything else the university asks for. Doctoral applicants need two recommendation letters and a personal statement of about 3,000 words in Chinese. Applicants under 18 need a guardianship document from a guardian in China.
Documents in Languages Other Than Chinese and English
If your documents are in another language, upload the original together with a certified translation into English or Chinese. The physical examination form must carry the doctor’s signature, the hospital’s stamp and a stamped photo. Source: SUFE.
Is This Scholarship Right for You?
- A good fit if your goal is to learn Chinese for a year or a semester before your main degree, or to study Chinese language teaching as a career.
- Not a good fit if you want a scholarship for a subject such as engineering or medicine; for those, use the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) or university scholarships. Read about the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC).
- A scholarship-funded language year can be a good first step before applying for a Chinese-taught bachelor’s programme that requires HSK 4 or 5. Read about Chinese language courses in China.
After You Win the Scholarship: Visa and Residence
- The university sends you your admission documents and the JW201 form (the form for scholarship students).
- Apply for an X1 visa for study longer than 180 days (or X2 for shorter programmes such as one semester or the four-week programme) at the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country.
- After arrival, you register your address with the police within 24 hours; the international student office usually helps with this.
- You convert the X1 visa into a residence permit within 30 days of arrival.
Source: China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law. China joined the Apostille Convention, which came into force there on 7 November 2023, so documents issued in member countries need only an apostille, while those from other countries need full legalisation (table of contracting parties).
Costs the Scholarship Does Not Cover
- Flights to and from your home country.
- Visa fees, the medical examination, and document authentication and translation in your home country.
- Application fees at universities that charge them (some waive them for scholarship holders).
- Your expenses for the first weeks before the first monthly stipend is paid, so bring enough to cover at least a month.
To work out these items in your own currency, use the study cost calculator.
Can I Work to Cover My Expenses?
Regular employment under a contract is forbidden for international students in China. The only thing allowed is university-organised “work-study”: up to 8 hours a week and 40 hours a month during term, and 16 hours a week and 80 hours a month during holidays. Violations carry a fine of CNY 5,000–20,000. So do not build your financial plan on working. Source: China’s Ministry of Education.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Confucius Institute Scholarship still exist?
Yes, but under its current name: the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship, with applications through cis.chinese.cn.
How much is the monthly stipend?
CNY 2,500 for bachelor’s, one-year and one-semester programmes, CNY 3,000 for the master’s in International Chinese Language Education, and CNY 3,500 for the doctorate, according to Xiamen University’s 2026 announcement.
Do I need HSK to apply?
Yes. The minimum is HSK 3 (210 for the one-year Chinese language study programme and 180 for the one-semester Chinese teaching programme); the bachelor’s requires HSK 4 and the master’s HSK 5, with HSKK.
Does the scholarship cover flights?
No, airfare is not listed in the official coverage.
Last updated: October 2026. The details come from the 2026 announcements of the host universities; the final reference is the CLEC announcement and that of the university you choose.
Official Sources
- China’s Ministry of Education – Work-Study for International Students
- China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law
- Hague Conference – Apostille Convention contracting parties
- Application portal cis.chinese.cn
- Xiamen University – International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2026
- Shanghai University of Finance and Economics – 2026 Scholarship
- Nankai University – Scholarship page
- Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC)
Read also: Scholarships for study in China.