How to apply for Chinese government scholarships from Nigeria

Among the most popular scholarships given to foreign students are CSC scholarships. This kind of government scholarship is offered by the Chinese Scholarship Council and is a project of the Chinese Ministry of Education, which aims to promote mutual understanding, political cooperation, cultural exchange, and education between China and other nations. Full or partial funding is available for CSC scholarships.

The Chinese Government Scholarship Program is a fully funded scholarship. It covers tuition waiver, housing, a monthly stipend of CNY 3,500, and complete medical insurance.

The Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the program, which is supported by the Chinese government, to assist Chinese institutions in recruiting exceptional full-time master’s and doctorate students for graduate study in China.

Since this scholarship was created to promote education, commerce, cultural exchange, and improved ties between China and other countries in the areas of politics and education, it is available to foreign students from any country in the globe, including Nigeria.

Undergraduate, graduate, general, and senior scholars are all supported by Chinese government scholarship programs. Programs with very expensive tuition fees, MBA programs, and MBBS programs (which have very few scholarships) are not covered by CSC.

Take advantage of the coveted Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) to launch your academic career. This post will go over all the information on the Chinese Government Scholarship, including how to apply from Nigeria. 

How to Apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship

Applications for the Chinese Government Scholarship must be submitted online using the CSC site. Following that, you must apply for the CSC scholarship to the institution of your choice and the necessary paperwork.

Below is a step-by-step process of how to apply for a CSC scholarship

1. Meet the requirements 

To be eligible for the Chinese Government Scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements: 

• To continue with postgraduate study, applicants must be mentally and physically healthy non-Chinese indigenous people.
• Candidates must have graduated from a Chinese institution after more than a year of attendance or be enrolled as students there at the time of application.
• In addition to being under 35 years old by September 1st of the relevant year, applicants for the master’s degree program must have earned a bachelor’s certificate or its equivalent in China.
• Applicants for doctoral studies must be under 40 years old on September 1st and hold a master’s degree, which is equal to a master’s degree in China.
• Candidates should be aware that it will take two to three academic years to finish a master’s degree and three to four years to complete a doctoral program.
• fulfil additional requirements for eligibility that colleges impose to get admitted.
• Total age needed to be eligible for a CSC scholarship:
• Bachelor: 18–25
• Master: 18–35
• PhD: 18–40
• General Scholar: 18–45
• Senior Scholar: 18–50

2. Choose a university that offers the CSC scholarship

Find a college that grants the CSC Scholarship. 279 institutions across China offer the CSC scholarship. 

Consult the Chinese university of your choosing for unique application guidelines and deadlines.

Next, go to the official CSC scholarship portal application website and fill out the online application for the Chinese Government Scholarship.

3. Choose the scholarship for which you want to apply for

The phrase “CSC Scholarship” is general. There are a ton of different scholarships listed here that you may apply for.

Students enrolled in a university who are already in China fall under the CSC Program Category Type C (first-year students are not eligible for this).

Chinese University Program Scholarship is under CSC Program Category Type B. The applied institutions will assess Type B applications. Candidates for the Chinese University Program may apply to three institutions.

Scholarships outside of universities are under CSC Program Category Type A. To apply for these programs, candidates must enter the “Agency Number” of the relevant accepting organization (such as the Chinese Embassy in a certain nation). The relevant accepting organization will then examine the applications that are submitted. Applications through the Chinese Embassy are accepted for two universities under the following Type A programs: Bilateral Program, European Union Program, ASEAN University Network Program, Pacific Islands Forum Program, Great Wall Program, World Meteorological Organization Program, Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship, MOFCOM SCHOLARSHIP-CSC Program, and Marine Scholarship of China Program.

4. Find the agency number 

You must provide the agency number of the institution that is funding your scholarship when you apply for the CSC scholarship to study in China. 

5. Get your paperwork ready

The precise documentation criteria for each scholarship must be verified by visiting their respective web pages. But these are the fundamental ones you should be ready for:

• Two letters of reference in either Chinese or English from professors or associate professors are required only for candidates to graduate programs or senior scholar programs.
• Certificate 
• Transcripts
• Passport page
• Police Report
• Study plan
• Medical report 

Candidates for the Marine Scholarship must additionally apply for collaborative training with appropriate educational institutions. If the candidate requires joint training, he or she applies in either Chinese or English.

6. Send off your paperwork

The deadline for applying varies depending on the specific Chinese embassy, although it often closes in January or February.

Make an application to the dispatching authorities for your home country’s study abroad program. Apply to the institution of your choice after being accepted, then fill out an online application on the CSC website. Make copies of every document for your use. Before the deadline, provide the papers to the appropriate authorities.

Make a note of whom you must mail the paperwork to first. Applying to the university or via the CSC website does not guarantee you a scholarship; you may need to be preselected by another body first. Make sure you do each step in the correct sequence!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much money is awarded as part of the CSC scholarship?

The following comprises the benefits awarded to the CSC Scholarship recipients: 

• Tuition fee waiver
• A free university dorm or housing 
• Allowance of CNY 2,500 monthly for undergraduate students, CNY 3,000 per month for general scholars and master’s students, and CNY 3,500 per month for senior academics and doctorate candidates. 
• CNY 800 medical insurance annually;

Does the CSC Scholarship need an HSK?

Only if you’re applying for the Confucius Institute Scholarship OR a program taught in Chinese do you need to have an HSK.

When applying to an undergraduate or general scholar program taught in Chinese (apart from Chinese language majors), you must have HSK 3; HSK 3 to be considered for a senior scholar program taught in Chinese; HSK 4 to be considered for a postgraduate program taught in Chinese. 

What if I get many offers of CSC scholarships? 

Even if accepted by more than one university, a winner of a scholarship will only be awarded one scholarship. The host institution you will attend will be chosen for you by CSC if you do not provide a preference. One scholarship from the Chinese government may be accepted at a time.

Can I submit more than one scholarship application? 

Yes, you can apply simultaneously to many colleges and scholarships. However, as you are only allowed to take one CSC scholarship at a time, you will ultimately have to make a single choice. Please be aware, too, that many CSC scholarships—like the China Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship—are limited to a select group of colleges.