Top 10 Fully Funded Scholarships in China 2026: CSC, Provincial & University Awards

China runs one of the largest scholarship systems in the world, funding hundreds of thousands of international students every year through the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) and a network of provincial and university awards. These are the ten fully funded options for 2026.

1. Chinese Government Scholarship. The main CSC award covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend and full medical insurance at Chinese universities.

2. Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) - Type A Programs. The central government tier of the CSC is administered through Chinese embassies, with full funding for bachelor's, master's and PhD study.

3. Chinese Government Scholarship - Bilateral Program. The CSC tier negotiated between China and partner governments funds students from participating countries.

4. Chinese Government Scholarship Graduate Program. A 2026 CSC intake covering graduate study with full funding.

5. Beijing Government Scholarship. The capital's fully funded award for international students at Beijing universities.

6. Shanghai Government Scholarship. Funds international students at Shanghai institutions, with Type A covering full tuition, accommodation and stipend.

7. Shaanxi Provincial Government Scholarship. A provincial CSC-style award fully funding international students in Shaanxi.

8. Provincial Government Scholarship. The general provincial tier, funded by provincial governments across China with full or near-full coverage.

9. Duke Kunshan University Full Scholarship. A full-tuition award at the joint Duke-Kunshan campus, one of China's best-known international universities.

10. University-level CSC programmes. Dozens of Chinese universities administer their own CSC-designated scholarships; these follow the same national funding terms.

CSC deadlines typically fall between January and April for September intake, and applications are submitted either through your local Chinese embassy (Type A) or directly to universities (Type B). Check each listing's terms, because coverage, tuition, stipend and insurance, varies slightly by tier.

The list above mixes three different things, and the difference decides how you apply. The national CSC tiers are administered centrally, so the embassy or the university forwards your file. Provincial awards are run by the province, and their deadlines and document lists are published separately. University awards are decided by the institution, sometimes with a departmental shortlist before the scholarship office sees anything.

Check the coverage line rather than the word fully. The national award covers tuition, dormitory accommodation, a monthly allowance and medical insurance. Some provincial awards cover tuition and accommodation but pay a smaller stipend, and a few cover tuition only. A tuition-only award in a city where rent is high is a different proposition from a full package, and the difference is usually written in one sentence on the university's notice.

Two documents decide more files than any other: the study plan and the physical examination form. The study plan should match the department you name, and the examination has to be done at a designated hospital, which takes time in most countries. Start both before you start the online form, because the form cannot be submitted without them.

If you are applying this cycle, shortlist three universities that teach your subject, find each one's agency number, and read its current Type B notice for the internal deadline. That notice, not the central page, is the date that decides whether your file is reviewed.