Taiwan Scholarship — Frequently Asked Questions

No. The MOE Taiwan Scholarship and university admission are completely separate processes. The scholarship is applied for through your local TECO. University admission is applied for directly with each university you want to attend. Winning the scholarship does not admit you anywhere. You must apply to universities and secure an admission offer separately, running both processes in parallel.

Yes. Applying for both in the same application cycle is allowed and many students do it. The applications go to different bodies through different channels — MOE via your TECO, ICDF via the online portal. If you receive both offers, you choose one. You cannot hold both simultaneously. If you receive only one, you proceed with that one.

Three main ones under the Taiwan government: the MOE Taiwan Scholarship (degree study at any Taiwan university, any field), the TaiwanICDF Scholarship (32 fixed programs at 18 universities, master's and PhD only, partner countries), and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (Mandarin language study only, not a degree). Individual Taiwan universities also offer their own scholarships independently — these are separate from the government programs and are applied for directly with each university.

The Taiwan Scholarship is administered through Taiwan's overseas missions — the TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office), the ROC embassy or consulate, or an equivalent representative office in your country. Not every country has a TECO; the office serving your country may operate under a different name. Search for "ROC Taiwan representative office [your country]" to find the right contact. Your local office sets the specific deadline and may have additional document requirements beyond the MOE standard.

No. The MOE Taiwan Scholarship explicitly excludes residents of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao — even if those residents hold passports from third countries. The exclusion is based on residency, not just citizenship. If you are a citizen of Country A but a permanent resident of mainland China, you are not eligible for the MOE scholarship.

Not for the same level of study you are currently in. The MOE scholarship cannot be used to fund a degree you already started. However, if you are currently completing a bachelor's degree and will graduate before September, you can apply for an MOE scholarship for a master's program. The same applies for master's-to-PhD transitions. The key rule: you cannot apply to continue a degree you are already enrolled in; you can apply to advance to the next level.

ICDF publishes an eligible partner countries list annually. Countries included are primarily Taiwan's official development cooperation partners in Asia-Pacific, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and some other regions. The list is updated each year — countries are added and removed based on diplomatic and development relationships. Always check the current list directly on the TaiwanICDF scholarship portal for the active cycle, rather than relying on third-party summaries that may be outdated.

No. The TaiwanICDF scholarship funds master's and PhD programs only. There is no ICDF undergraduate scholarship. For bachelor's degree funding, the MOE Taiwan Scholarship is the relevant program.

Only if you are applying for a Chinese-taught program. The MOE scholarship requires TOCFL Band B1 (Level 3) for Chinese-taught programs — this is a hard eligibility requirement, not a preference. If you apply for an English-taught program, TOCFL is not required by the scholarship (though having it does count as a positive factor). ICDF programs are all English-taught and do not require TOCFL.

No. HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is a mainland Chinese Mandarin proficiency exam. TOCFL is Taiwan's Mandarin proficiency exam. The Taiwan government does not accept HSK as a substitute for TOCFL in MOE scholarship applications. If you have studied Mandarin and hold an HSK certificate, you still need to take and pass TOCFL separately.

TOCFL tests in Traditional Chinese script, which is used in Taiwan. If your Mandarin study was primarily in Simplified Chinese, you will need to familiarize yourself with Traditional character forms before the exam. Reading and writing in Simplified will not be accepted in the exam. Many learners find the transition manageable with a few months of dedicated practice, since the vocabulary and grammar are the same — the character forms differ.

No. The MOE scholarship covers tuition up to NTD 40,000 per semester. If your program's tuition exceeds this amount, you pay the difference yourself. Many programs at competitive universities — particularly in STEM, medicine, and business — have tuition above this cap. The ICDF scholarship, by contrast, covers full tuition with no cap.

The scholarship is not renewed through a new annual application — it covers the full duration of your degree (up to the program maximum). However, continuation each year is conditional on satisfactory academic progress, as evaluated by your university and reported to MOE. Consistently poor grades or failure to meet academic requirements can result in scholarship suspension or termination. It is continuation-conditional, not guaranteed-annual.

Yes, but the lifetime cumulative cap applies. If you used 2 years of MOE scholarship for your master's, you have 3 remaining years of Taiwan government scholarship total. A PhD scholarship would be capped at 3 years, even if your PhD program is scheduled for 4 or more years. All years of MOE, ICDF, and Huayu scholarships count toward the 5-year lifetime total.

MOE: No. The MOE scholarship does not include flights or accommodation. You arrange and pay for both yourself.

ICDF: Yes. The ICDF scholarship includes economy-class round-trip airfare and on-campus dormitory accommodation.

Huayu HES: No. The Huayu scholarship is a monthly stipend only — no flights, no accommodation.

ICAPS (International Cooperation and Admission Platform) is a centralized online portal where international students can apply to multiple Taiwan universities simultaneously. It is a university admission tool, not a scholarship application system. Submitting through ICAPS applies you for university admission only. The MOE scholarship application goes to your TECO, completely separately. Using ICAPS is a practical way to apply to multiple universities at once, but it has no connection to your scholarship application.

Try a different contact channel — email, phone, or in-person visit if the office is accessible. Some TECO offices are small and have limited staff handling scholarship queries. If you are unable to reach your local TECO, check whether there is a regional TECO that serves multiple countries and contact them directly. The Study in Taiwan website lists contact information for Taiwan's representative offices globally.

This is an avoidable situation — apply to multiple universities (3–5 is a reasonable range) to reduce this risk. If it has already happened, contact your TECO immediately to explain the situation. In some cases, the scholarship offer can be deferred by one year while you reapply to universities in the next application cycle. This is not guaranteed, and outcomes depend on your TECO and MOE's policies in a given year. The better approach is to apply broadly in the first instance.

Changing universities after the scholarship is awarded requires approval from MOE. It is not a straightforward administrative change. The scholarship is awarded in the context of a specific program at a specific institution, and changes require formal review. Contact your TECO or MOE directly if circumstances require a change before assuming it is permitted.