Chapter 3 · Fellowship & Funding

What the Fellowship
Actually Covers

Full fellowship. But the official website is deliberately vague — especially on the stipend. Here's what you're actually getting, and the one financial gap that catches almost every incoming scholar off guard.

The Overview

The Yenching fellowship covers the big items well: tuition, on-campus housing, a monthly living allowance, one round-trip flight, and basic health insurance. With tuition and housing covered in Beijing, you can live comfortably on the stipend — Beijing is affordable by international standards. The one thing the official site almost never specifies is the exact stipend amount. Alumni consistently report around $500 USD equivalent per month. That number is not on their website. This page is going to tell you what you'll actually have to work with.

What You Get

Complete Fellowship Breakdown

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Tuition

Fully Covered

PKU tuition is paid in full by the fellowship for both Year 1 and Year 2. This is a genuine master's degree — without the fellowship, international tuition at Peking University runs to tens of thousands of dollars. You pay nothing.

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Housing

Year 1: On-Campus Year 2: Support Provided

Year 1 scholars are housed in Shaoyuan 6 dormitory on the PKU campus. These are two-bedroom suites shared with one other Yenching scholar. You'll have a private bedroom, a shared common area, and in-building facilities. The dormitory is inside the PKU campus — walking distance from everything you need for coursework.

For Year 2, housing support is available for scholars who remain in Beijing. The arrangement may be on-campus or off-campus depending on your status and the Academy's housing availability that year.

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Monthly Stipend

~$500 USD/month

The fellowship includes a monthly living allowance. The official website does not state the exact figure. Multiple alumni consistently report it as approximately $500 USD equivalent per month (paid in RMB). With tuition and housing already covered, this is enough to live comfortably in Beijing — food, local transport, occasional travel around China, daily expenses.

The timing problem: The stipend doesn't arrive until the end of September. You arrive in early September. Read below for what to do about this.
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Airfare

One Round-Trip

One round-trip airfare is covered for Year 1: your home city to Beijing at the start of the program, and Beijing home at the end of the year. Year 2 airfare is not included. Importantly, the reimbursement typically arrives in October — not before you travel. You need to book and pay for your own flight to Beijing, then get reimbursed. Factor this into your pre-arrival funds.

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Medical Insurance

Basic Coverage

Basic health insurance is included in the fellowship. It covers general medical care in China. However, it does not adequately cover pre-existing conditions and the coverage limits may be lower than you're used to at home. If you have ongoing medical needs or medications, look into supplemental international health insurance before you arrive. Also bring enough of any prescription medications for at least 3 months — some may be difficult or impossible to find in China.

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Research Expenses

Limited Budget

Some funding for research-related expenses is available through the Academy. The amount and process for accessing it varies. Don't count on this for major research travel — but it can help offset basic costs like printing, access to archives, or local field research.

Critical — Read Before You Arrive

The First-Month Cash Gap

The timeline problem

  • Early SeptYou arrive in Beijing. Orientation begins.
  • Mid-SeptYou need money for food, supplies, dorm deposit, daily life.
  • Late SeptFirst stipend payment arrives.
  • OctoberTransportation reimbursement arrives.

That's 3-4 weeks in Beijing before any fellowship money reaches you.

What to bring

$500–$1,000 USD

in personal funds for arrival month

This covers: food while settling in, any deposits, basic household items, transportation, and unexpected setup costs. Scholars who arrived without personal savings have found the first month genuinely stressful. This is money you'll get back once the stipend kicks in — just think of it as a float.

Second Year

Year 2 Fellowship — Not Automatic

What's required for Year 2 funding

  • •Maintaining good academic standing throughout Year 1
  • •Submitting a formal Year 2 fellowship application (internal process)
  • •Remaining enrolled in the program
  • •Having an approved thesis proposal and advisor

If you leave Beijing for Year 2

International scholars have completed their Year 2 thesis remotely from their home countries. However: if you're not in Beijing, you lose on-campus housing support and most of the stipend. You keep the academic enrollment and your path to the degree, but the financial support is substantially reduced. The fellowship is set up to reward staying in Beijing.

The degree timeline: Staying in Beijing for Year 2 keeps all your support intact and makes thesis completion significantly easier. Finding a PKU advisor, doing in-person consultations, and accessing PKU library resources are all much harder remotely. Most scholars who leave Beijing for Year 2 take longer to finish their thesis.

Out of Pocket

What the Fellowship Does Not Cover

Personal travel

Trips home, travel within China beyond the program's Field Study, international travel — all on you.

Books & materials

Beyond what's covered by the research budget, books and course materials are your expense.

Visa fees

Your student visa application, any extension fees, and travel documents are your responsibility.

Pre-existing condition care

The included health insurance doesn't adequately cover pre-existing conditions. Get supplemental coverage.

Large clothing & shoe sizes

If you wear large Western sizes, bring clothing and shoes from home. They're very difficult to source in Beijing.

Specialty food & supplies

Specific dietary requirements, Western products, and specialty items may be expensive or unavailable. Bring what you can.

Air purifier

Beijing air quality can be genuinely bad. Most long-term residents in Beijing run air purifiers in their rooms. Budget ¥500–¥1,500 for a decent one.

Year 2 airfare

The one round-trip airfare is for Year 1 only. Year 2 travel is your own expense.

VPN subscription

You'll need a paid VPN service. Set it up before you arrive. Ongoing monthly cost is on you.

Money Matters

Practical Financial Survival Tips

Set up a bank account with no international fees

Your stipend will be deposited in China and you'll need to access it. Use a bank card that doesn't charge international ATM fees or foreign transaction fees. Wise (TransferWise), Charles Schwab (US), or Starling (UK) are common choices among international students and expats in Beijing.

WeChat Pay and Alipay are how China works

Mobile payments are near-universal in Beijing. Cash is rarely used. You'll need to link a Chinese bank account or a foreign card to either WeChat Pay or Alipay early in your arrival. Older scholars report the setup process for foreigners has become easier but still has friction — ask a current scholar for the latest process when you arrive.

On-campus food and transport are genuinely cheap

The PKU campus cafeterias are inexpensive by any measure. Local Beijing food outside campus is also affordable. The stipend stretches well if you live like a local student. Where costs rise quickly: eating at Western restaurants, buying imported food, and personal travel. Be intentional about those.

Now you know what you're getting

Read the life in Beijing page for more on day-to-day practicalities — VPN setup, air quality, what to pack, and surviving the first month.

Life in Beijing →