International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship: one-year, one-semester and four-week study

Yes, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) publishes a scholarship for short Chinese language study in China: the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship. Its 2025 application guidelines set separate conditions for three study types: the one-year program (item 4), the one-semester program (item 5) and the four-week program (item 6). This page sets out those conditions, the application steps, the deadlines and the coverage appendix. It does not cover degree study.

Who the scholarship is for

The guidelines' preamble says the scholarship is for eligible Chinese language teachers outside of China. Recommending Institutions may recommend outstanding students and in-service Chinese language teachers to Host Institutions. The preamble lists these Recommending Institutions: Confucius Institutes, independent Confucius Classrooms, selected HSK test centers, foreign educational institutions, Chinese language teacher training programs and Chinese departments at foreign universities, professional associations for Chinese language teaching, and Chinese embassies (consulates) abroad.

Section I sets five eligibility items:

Be a Non-Chinese citizen.
Be friendly to China, have no criminal record, abide by the laws and regulations of China and the rules and regulations of the Host Institution.
Be in good physical and mental health, be in good academic and behavioral standing.
Be interested in Chinese language education and related work.
Be aged between 16 and 35 years on September 1, 2025. The maximum age limit for in-service Chinese teachers may be extended to 45, but those who apply for a scholarship for a Bachelor's degree shall be younger than 25 under most circumstances.

Item 5 is the only age provision in Section I. The Bachelor's reference in item 5 belongs to degree study, which this page does not cover.

Study types and conditions

One-year study program (item 4)

The program commences in September 2025.
The scholarship is provided for a maximum of eleven months.
For international Chinese language education programs, the applicant shall have a minimum score of 270 on the HSK test (Level 3), and an HSKK test score is required.
For Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy programs, the applicant shall have a minimum score of 180 on the HSK test (Level 4) and 60 on the HSKK test (Intermediate Level).
For Chinese language study programs, the applicant shall have a minimum score of 210 on the HSK test (Level 3). Priority will be given to applicants who provide an HSKK test score.

One-semester study program (item 5)

The program commences either in September 2025 or March 2026.
The scholarship is provided for a maximum of five months.
For international Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy programs, the applicant shall have a minimum score of 180 on the HSK test (Level 3), and an HSKK test score is required.
For traditional Chinese medicine or Taiji culture programs, the applicant is required to provide HSK test scores. Priority will be given to those who also provide an HSKK test score.

Four-week study program (item 6)

The program commences either in July or December 2025.
The scholarship is provided for a maximum of four weeks.
For Chinese language study, traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture, or Chinese language plus homestay with a Chinese family programs, the applicant is required to provide an HSK test score.
Item 6 gives no minimum HSK score or level.
Item 6 names no HSKK requirement.
The program may be organized and applied for by a Recommending Institution with 10-15 participants per group.
Before the trip, a detailed study plan shall be made in consultation with the Host Institution(s).
The study plan shall be submitted to CLEC for review and approval.

Application steps

Section III describes the online route. It says that online registration is available from February 20, 2025, on the scholarship website at chinese.cn. The applicant may then take these steps online:

Search for Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions.
Submit application materials.
Track the application process.

Section III then sets two requirements for a successful applicant:

The successful applicant must confirm with the Host Institutions to go through the procedures of studying in China.
The successful applicant must register at the Host Institution on the designated date, as per the Letter of Admission.

CLEC will entrust an expert panel to review the applications. Decisions will be based on HSK and HSKK levels and scores, geographical distribution, and other factors. Section III gives no weighting for these factors. The results will be announced about three months before the program starts.

Deadlines

Section III sets the following deadlines, in Beijing Time. These are the dates for the 2025 intake, and they have passed.

For programs commencing in July, applicants must complete their applications by April 15. Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions must complete the review by April 25.
For programs commencing in September, applicants must complete their applications by May 15. Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions must complete the review by May 25.
For programs commencing in December, applicants must complete their applications by September 15. Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions must complete the review by September 25.
For programs commencing in March 2026, applicants must complete their applications by October 31. Recommending Institutions and Host Institutions must complete the review by November 10.

For a later intake, look for the current year's guidelines from the same publisher, CLEC.

Coverage (Appendix 1)

The appendix opens by stating what the scholarship supports: tuition, accommodation, living allowance (excluding four-week study program students) and comprehensive medical insurance. For four-week students, the living allowance is excluded under this opening sentence.

Item 1 (tuition): Host Institutions use tuition fees for the education and management of recipients, cultural programming and HSK tests. Scholarships for online programs provide support for tuition fees only.
Item 2 (accommodation): Host Institutions provide free on-campus accommodation, typically double rooms. A recipient may live off campus after applying and receiving approval from the Host Institution. Off-campus recipients receive an accommodation allowance: doctoral students RMB 1000 per person per month, and other students RMB 700 per person per month, paid monthly or quarterly by the Host Institutions.
Item 3 (living allowance): The Host Institutions pay the allowance monthly. The monthly allowance is RMB 2,500 per person for undergraduates, one-year study program students and one-semester study program students. It is RMB 3,000 per person for master's students in International Chinese Language Education, and RMB 3,500 per person for doctoral students in International Chinese Language Education. Item 3 gives no monthly figure for four-week study program students.
Item 3 (registration): Recipients must register with the university within the period stipulated in the Letter of Admission. Otherwise, the scholarship will be revoked.
Item 3 (registration timing): Students registered before the 15th (inclusive) of the month receive the full allowance for that month. Students registered after the 15th receive half of the amount.
Item 3 (absence): If a recipient leaves China for more than 15 days for personal reasons during the study period (excluding summer and winter vacations), the living allowance is suspended for the period of absence.
Item 3 (suspension): If a recipient is suspended or withdrawn from school for personal reasons, or is subject to disciplinary action by the Host Institution, the living allowance is suspended from the date of suspension, withdrawal or notification of disciplinary action.
Item 3 (graduation): The living allowance for graduating students is paid until half a month after the graduation date set by the Host Institution.
Item 4 (medical insurance): The Host Institutions buy the comprehensive medical insurance in accordance with applicable regulations on overseas students stipulated by the Ministry of Education of China. The premium is RMB 100 per person for four-week study program students, RMB 400 CNY per person for one-semester study program students, and RMB 800 per person per year for students studying more than one year. Item 4 names no premium for the one-year study program by name.

Sources

Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)

Checked 10 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text differs from this page, the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail.