How to Apply for CSC Scholarship 2027

The most important decision you'll make. Type A goes through your home country's Chinese Embassy and is limited by a national quota. Type B goes directly to a Chinese university, which nominates you to CSC. A full scholarship on either route covers tuition, the monthly stipend, accommodation and insurance.

Type A: The Embassy Route, Step by Step

Full funding (tuition + stipend + accommodation + insurance). Apply through your home country's Chinese Embassy. More competitive because of the country quota.

1. 1
   Oct–Dec 2026

   Research & contact professors

   Browse the CSC university directory to find programmes. For Master's/PhD, email potential supervisors. Many 2026/27 embassy notices (for example Fiji's) required a pre-admission document from at least one chosen university for every applicant, so plan for one. Professor contact strategy →

2. 2
   Nov 2026–Jan 2027

   Gather all documents

   Transcripts, degree certificates, recommendation letters, passport copy, physical examination form, non-criminal record, study plan. The medical form and police record must be issued within 6 months of applying. Full document checklist → Medical exam guide →

3. 3
   Nov 2026–Jan 2027

   Write your study plan

   This is the #1 factor that determines selection. Your study plan must be specific, research-oriented, and show exactly what you'll do semester by semester. Not a personal essay. Study plan writing guide →

4. 4
   From about Nov 2026

   Register on the CSC portal

   Go to campuschina.org, create an account and fill out the online application. Choose Type A and enter your embassy's agency number (for example, the Fiji embassy used 2421 in 2026/27). Select up to 3 university preferences.

5. 5
   Usually Feb 2027

   Submit before your embassy deadline

   Upload every document and submit online. Many embassies now accept applications online only and no longer take paper copies; others still ask for hard copies, so follow your embassy's notice. In 2026/27, most embassy deadlines fell in February 2026 (from 1 February in Fiji to 24 February in Micronesia), and a few ran into March. Deadline details →

6. 6
   Feb–Aug 2027

   Review, interview and results

   Embassies review and interview shortlisted candidates in February and March; CSC and the universities then decide. Results typically arrive in late July or early August. You'll receive an admission notice and JW201 form, then apply for your visa. After selection checklist →

Type B: The University Route, Step by Step

Apply directly to a Chinese university. Often less competitive because there is no national quota. A full Type B award pays the same stipend as Type A (CNY 2,500/3,000/3,500 a month by level) plus tuition, accommodation and insurance.

1. 1
   Oct–Dec 2026

   Contact the university directly

   Find your target university's international admissions office. Check that it is a CSC-designated university (around 300 in total). Look up its Type B notice for specific requirements and deadlines.

2. 2
   Nov 2026–Feb 2027

   Get a pre-admission letter

   For Type B, a pre-admission letter from a specific professor is strongly recommended and often required for postgraduates (Xiamen University, for example, asks for one stamped by the college). The university itself nominates you for CSC funding. How to get pre-admission →

3. 3
   Dec 2026–Mar 2027

   Register on the CSC portal

   Same portal: campuschina.org. Choose Type B and enter the university's agency number (Xiamen used 10384 in 2026). This is the university's code — do not confuse it with paid agency numbers.

4. 4
   By the university deadline

   Submit to the university

   Most universities also run their own online application system. Windows vary: in the 2026 cycle Xiamen accepted applications from 1 December 2025 to 15 February 2026, while East China Normal ran batches closing on 9 January and 1 March 2026. The university reviews and ranks applicants, then submits its nominees to CSC.

5. 5
   Spring–Aug 2027

   CSC final review

   CSC reviews the university's nominees and makes the final decisions, usually announced in July or August. Note: the university can admit you but CSC can still decline the scholarship funding.

You Can Apply to Both Simultaneously

Within one enrolment year you can submit up to 2 Type A applications (through two different dispatching agencies) AND 1 Type B application (directly to one university). That gives you a maximum of 3 parallel applications, reviewed independently. This limit is widely reported but was not stated in the 2026/27 embassy notices we checked, so treat it as unconfirmed.

You can apply to more than one programme, but CSC grants no more than one scholarship to each person and reserves the right to decide which one. Detailed comparison of both routes.

Track your progress. Tick each item as you complete it. For full details on each document, see the documents guide.

CSC Portal Tips

The online application portal at campuschina.org can be frustrating. Here's what to know.

Browser compatibility

The official CGSIS instructions recommend Firefox. If a form will not save or submit, clear your cache or try another browser.

Save frequently

The session can time out without warning. Click "Save" after completing each section. Draft your study plan in a separate document first, then paste it in.

Photo upload

Must be a passport-style photo, white background, JPEG format, under 100KB. If rejected, resize your photo to exactly 354x472 pixels.

Document upload limits

PDF files must be under 5MB each. Scan in black and white at 200 DPI to keep file sizes small. Combine multi-page documents into single PDFs.

Agency number

For Type A, use the code published by your embassy. For Type B, the university provides this code. Never use a paid agency's number.

Server overload

The portal crashes frequently near deadlines. Submit at least 3–5 days before the deadline. Early morning (Beijing time, UTC+8) usually has lighter traffic.

Not sure which route to choose? Take the Type A vs Type B decision quiz, then write your study plan.