Chinese Government Scholarship eligibility by level: age, qualification, HSK and CSCA
The Chinese Government Scholarship sets one age limit and one qualification for each study level: under 25 with a high school diploma for a bachelor's programme, under 35 with a bachelor's degree for a master's, under 40 with a master's degree for a doctorate, under 45 for general scholars and under 50 for senior scholars. Chinese-taught programmes add an HSK condition, and bachelor's applicants take the CSCA.
The conditions in one table
| Applying for | Must hold | Age | If taught in Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's programme | High school diploma or its equivalent | Under 25 | No HSK level stated; CSCA score report required |
| Master's programme | Bachelor's degree or its equivalent | Under 35 | Passed HSK Level 4 |
| Doctoral programme | Master's degree or its equivalent | Under 40 | Passed HSK Level 4 |
| General scholar programme | High school diploma or higher | Under 45 | Passed HSK Level 3, except Chinese language majors |
| Senior scholar programme | Master's degree, or associate professor or above | Under 50 | Passed HSK Level 3 |
These are items 2 to 10 of Section IV of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council on its Campus China site.
Conditions that apply to everyone
Every applicant must be a citizen of a country other than the People's Republic of China and be in good health, mentally and physically. For the three degree levels the guide also asks that the applicant be "academically excellent". It does not define the phrase; eligibility and academic performance are examined in the review the CSC organises.
The CSCA for bachelor's applicants
Applicants for bachelor's programmes must take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment and upload a valid score report. The guide's document list adds that the test must be taken before the application deadline, and that the required subjects depend on the major, so applicants should ask the target institution. The guide gives www.csca.cn as the test's official website.
Programmes not taught in Chinese
For a programme taught in another language the guide sets no score. It asks you to meet the admission requirements of your university of preference for language proficiency and academic ability, and to submit the certificate that university requires, such as an IELTS or TOEFL report.
If you are not applying for the scholarship
These limits belong to the scholarship. A self-funded applicant is assessed under the university's own admissions brochure. Under the national Measures (Order No. 42), each university publishes its brochure and recruits by the conditions in it, examines qualifications and proof of financial support, and decides admission (Articles 11 and 12). The brochure may set different ages or levels, so read it.
Check your own case
The eligibility self-check on the home page compares your age, qualification and HSK level with the table above, line by line.
Sources. Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China); Order No. 42 (in Chinese), Ministry of Education. Checked 10 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary and is not published by the CSC or the Ministry of Education.