Agency Scam Warning
Many agencies charge $500–$2,000 for CSC application "services." The CSC application is 100% free through official channels. Some agencies submit fraudulent documents, resulting in permanent blacklisting. The official CSC application portal is www.campuschina.org (also known as the CSC Study in China portal).
You do NOT need an agency number. If anyone asks you for one, they are not using the official free route.
Choose Your Application Route
The most important decision you'll make. Full comparison here.
Type A: Full funding (tuition + stipend + accommodation + insurance). Apply through your home country's Chinese Embassy. More competitive but more generous.
Research & Contact Professors (Dec–Jan)
Browse the CSC university directory to find programmes. For Master's/PhD, email potential supervisors. A pre-admission letter is not required for Type A but significantly helps.
Professor contact strategy →Gather All Documents (Jan–Feb)
Transcripts, degree certificates, recommendation letters, passport copy, medical exam form, study plan. Remember: all documents must be within 6 months validity at submission.
Write Your Study Plan (Jan–Feb)
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 →Register on CSC Portal (Feb–Mar)
Go to campuschina.org, create an account, and fill out the online application. Select up to 3 university preferences. Your agency number field should be left blank or filled with the embassy code — check with your country's Chinese Embassy.
Submit to Embassy (Feb–Apr)
Print your CSC application form, gather all physical documents, and submit to the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in your country. Deadlines vary by country — some close as early as January, others in April. Check your specific embassy's deadline.
Deadline details →Wait for Results (Apr–Jul)
Results typically announced in July. You'll receive an admission letter and JW201 form by mail. Then proceed to visa application.
After selection checklist →Type B: Tuition waiver + accommodation. NO monthly stipend from CSC (unless the university adds its own). Apply directly to the Chinese university. Less competitive but less generous.
Contact the University Directly (Nov–Jan)
Find your target university's international admissions office. Check if they're a CSC-designated university (289 total). Contact the international student office directly for their specific Type B requirements and deadlines.
Get a Pre-Admission Letter (Dec–Feb)
For Type B, a pre-admission letter from the university or a specific professor is strongly recommended and sometimes required. The university itself nominates you for CSC funding.
How to get pre-admission →Register on CSC Portal (Jan–Mar)
Same portal: campuschina.org. The university will provide you with an agency number to use. This is the university's code — do not confuse with paid agency numbers.
Submit to University (Feb–Apr)
Submit both online and physical documents to the university's international admissions office. The university reviews and ranks applicants, then submits their nominees to CSC.
CSC Final Review (Apr–Jul)
CSC reviews the university's nominees and makes final decisions. Results in July. Note: the university can accept you but CSC can still reject the scholarship funding.
Critical Warning: Type B Stipend
Type B scholarships typically cover tuition and accommodation only. There is no monthly living stipend from CSC. Some universities add their own stipend (CNY 1,000–2,000/month), but this is not guaranteed. Confirm with the university before counting on living expense coverage.
Full funding breakdown →You Can Apply to Both Simultaneously
You can submit up to 2 Type A applications (through your embassy) AND 1 Type B application (directly to a university) in the same cycle. This gives you a maximum of 3 parallel applications. They are reviewed independently.
If accepted through both routes, you can choose which offer to accept. But you cannot hold two CSC scholarships simultaneously.
Detailed comparison of both routes →Document Checklist
Track your progress. Click 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 portal works best on Chrome or Edge. Firefox and Safari sometimes have form submission issues. Clear your cache if you encounter errors.
Save Frequently
The session can timeout 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 provided by your embassy (or leave blank if your embassy doesn't use one). 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 our decision quiz to find out whether Type A or Type B is right for your situation.