ISLAMABADLAHOREKARACHIPESHAWAR
AUTUMN 2027 INTAKE — APPLICATIONS OPEN
CSC · BELT AND ROAD · PROVINCIAL · UNIVERSITY

Four funding categories, four different deadlines, one file.

CSC, Belt and Road, local government and university-sponsored awards run in parallel on separate calendars. Most profiles are filed into two or three of them, so a rejection in one does not lose the year.

AGE LIMITSBachelor's 25 · Master's 35 · PhD 40
EARLIEST WINDOWDecember
DECIDED BYUniversities and awarding bodies, not us

Four routes, and most profiles are filed into two or three.

Deadlines fall in different months, which is the whole reason we start the file early. A rejection in one category does not close the others.

Award decisions rest entirely with the scholarship bodies and universities. We prepare and file the application; we do not promise an outcome, and no consultancy honestly can.

Funding your study in China has become easier than ever before through Chinese university scholarships for international students. There is a plethora of variations — from the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) and municipal scholarships through to Confucius Grants and others.

Chinese universities are attracting international students in large numbers by providing fully funded and partially funded scholarships, as well as sponsored exchange programmes. Global Dao Consultants helps applicants secure funding to cover their studies in China, across provincial government scholarships and federal awards under the CSC scheme.

Our admission officers help applicants evaluate all the options available and select the right opportunities. We also help throughout the application process, making sure the right documents are submitted, in the right format, before the deadline that actually binds you.

What each route pays, and who it will take.

Monthly stipend and coverage, by route and level

CNY PER MONTH · FROM 2023 SOURCE COPY · VERIFY BEFORE RELYING
ROUTEBACHELOR'SMASTER'SDOCTORALTUITIONACCOMMODATION
CSC — Chinese Government2,5003,0003,500FreeFree
Local / municipal government2,0003,0003,500FreeNot covered
Belt & Road and corridor fundsVaries by fund — figures not stated in our source copyVariesVaries
University sponsoredPartial award; tuition-waiver tiers vary by university and facultyPartial / freeVaries
Stipend figures are reproduced from the 2023 source copy. The CSC programme was restructured after 2023, so scheme names, stipend levels and eligibility are confirmed against the official CSC portal before any application is filed. Local and municipal government scholarships vary from one university to another; the figures shown are averages and this route does not cover accommodation or rental expenses.

Age limits by programme category

MAXIMUM AGE AT APPLICATION
ROUTEBACHELOR'SMASTER'SDOCTORATE / PHD
CSC — Chinese Government25 years35 years40 years
Belt & Road (BRI)25 years35 years40 years
Local / municipal government25 years35 years40 years
University sponsoredNo specific age limit stated
Age limits are set by the awarding body and applied at the date of application, not the date of enrolment. If you are close to a limit, that is the first thing a counsellor checks — it decides which routes are open before anything else is discussed.

What each body is looking for.

There are qualifications international students must meet to secure a scholarship. Applicants should pay very close attention to deadlines and to the documents required, and make sure they are properly submitted. Our advisors review applicants' materials before submission.

CSC — Chinese Government Scholarship

FULL / PARTIAL

The flagship route, awarded by the Chinese Scholarship Council to international students to study bachelor's, master's, PhD and other programmes in China. Filed either through a university (Type B) or the embassy channel. It is seen as the best of the routes because it covers essentially all expenses while you are in China.

  • Must be within the age limits for the programme category.
  • Submit applications on time.
  • Must have secured admission with a Chinese university under the CSC scheme.
  • Must be fit and healthy to study in China.
WINDOW
DEC – APR
COVERS
TUITION, ROOM, STIPEND
LANGUAGE
ENGLISH OR CHINESE

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Scholarships

PARTIAL

There are dozens of further scholarships offered through the Chinese Government Scholarship Council, including Belt and Road Scholarships, Great Wall, and EU and AUN programmes. Qualifications and details vary from one programme to another, and Pakistani applicants are explicitly in scope as a designated Belt and Road country.

  • Must be from one of the designated Belt and Road countries.
  • Must be within the age limits for the programme category.
  • Submit applications on time.
  • Must have secured admission with a Chinese university under the CSC scheme.
  • Must be fit and healthy to study in China.
WINDOW
VARIES BY FUND
COVERS
CONFIRMED PER FUND
EXTRA DOCUMENT
PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH

Local and municipal government scholarships

PARTIAL

Chinese local government and municipal authorities also issue scholarships to international students of all nationalities. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei and others run their own funds, often less contested than CSC, and generally tied to studying inside that province. Also known as the Municipal Scholarship, it varies from one university to another.

  • Must be within the age limits for the programme category.
  • Submit applications on time.
  • Must have secured admission with a Chinese university under the scheme.
  • Must be fit and healthy to study in China.
WINDOW
JAN – MAY
COVERS
TUITION + STIPEND
NOT COVERED
ACCOMMODATION, RENT

University sponsored scholarships

PARTIAL

Every year there are thousands of scholarships available to foreign students, sponsored by individual universities and awarded to outstanding students from the university's own budget. These may be partial scholarships with tuition-free admission. Rolling in many cases, which makes them the practical fallback for late applicants.

  • There is no specific age limit for this scholarship.
  • Submit applications on time.
  • Must have secured admission with a Chinese university under the scheme.
  • Must be fit and healthy to study in China.
WINDOW
ROLLING
COVERS
TUITION-WAIVER TIERS
FLOOR
VARIES BY FACULTY

Where our source copy did not state a figure for a route, none is shown above. We would rather leave a cell blank than print a number that turns out to belong to a different scheme.

The documents, in the order they have to happen.

Specific documents are required for scholarship applications. Some overlap with the university applications, and applicants are required to submit copies to that effect.

Attestation has an order — board, IBCC, HEC then MOFA. Doing it out of sequence means doing it twice, which is where families lose weeks.

REQUIRED FOR ALL FOUR ROUTES
  • Two recommendation letters. From academic referees who can speak to your subject, not to your character in general.
  • Completed physical examination form, certified by a recognised hospital. Not older than six months at the point of filing.
  • Study plan for your degree in China, or a personal statement. This is the document that most often decides a marginal file.
  • Completed scholarship form, filled in online then printed out.
  • Attested certificates — transcripts and degree certificates, attested in the correct sequence.
  • Passport-size photograph — required for BRI applications specifically.
GUIDANCE AND REQUIREMENTS

Scholarship applications require documents that fulfil the set requirements in order to secure funding for your degree in China. Applicants need proof that they are fit to study in China by completing the physical examination record, and you will need to provide the institution's code and other documentation.

We advise applicants to begin the process early enough to avoid last-minute disappointment. Some scholarships are also time-bound — we provide detailed information and guide our clients through the process, and you receive a filing log with a reference number for every submission.

Find out which routes your profile qualifies for.

A counsellor reads your transcripts against this cycle's criteria and tells you which categories can realistically be filed — including when the honest answer is a language year first.