Continue your studies in China. Good news! The Confucius Institute Scholarship is now open. In this article, we will explain in detail the Confucius Institute Scholarship, its benefits and the application process step by step.

Confucius Institute Scholarship 2025-2026 is a fully-funded scholarship for international students. This scholarship is offered to study Chinese language and culture in more than 150 Chinese universities. The Confucius Institute Scholarship includes tuition, accommodation, medical insurance, and a monthly allowance for personal expenses.

These scholarships are very popular among students from all over the world. The Confucius Institute is a government entity that aims to promote knowledge of Chinese language and culture around the world.

Confucius Institute Scholarships are provided for postgraduate studies, research, participation in international conferences, and Chinese language and culture courses.

Confucius Institute Scholarship 2024 Benefits

The Confucius Institute Scholarship covers tuition fees, accommodation fees (in a dormitory, in a shared room with another person), basic medical insurance and a monthly allowance for personal expenses, divided as follows:

• 2,500 RMB per month for BTCSOL or Chinese Language and Culture Course students (about US$350/month).
• 3000 RMB per month for MTCSOL students (about US$420/month).

Recently, the possibility of scholarship holders living off-campus (refusing to stay in university dormitories) has been considered. In these cases, the Confucius Institute provides 700 yuan per month (in addition to the monthly allowance) to support rental expenses.

For scholarships of more than one year, the Confucius Institute annually reviews the qualifications obtained by the recipients, and requires outstanding results to renew the total funding for the following year. If the student’s results are not above average, the Confucius Institute will not renew the scholarship or, in some cases, provide partial funding (covering all expenses except the monthly allowance for personal expenses). Depending on your country of origin, the Confucius Institute will also cover the international flight expenses for arrival and departure to/from China.

Confucius Institute Scholarship Categories and Duration

Scholarships to study Chinese language and culture, there are three types:

• One-year scholarships: This is a total of 11 months and can start in September (until July of the following year) or in March (until January of the following year).
• One-semester scholarships: The actual duration of the scholarship is 5 months, and it can be a semester that extends from September to January (winter) or one that extends from March to July (summer).
• Four-week study scholarships: One-month courses are taught during the winter break in China (December-January) or during the summer break (July-August).

Scholarships for future Chinese language teachers. There are three ways:

• Master's Scholarship in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (MTCSOL): Duration: 2 academic years.
• One-year scholarship for Chinese language and culture + two years of MTCSOL: There are 3 academic courses in total.
• Scholarship for Bachelor of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (BTCSOL): Duration: 4 academic sessions.

The three Confucius Institute Scholarships for Chinese Language Teacher Training usually start in September or March. You must apply for these scholarships online. During the process, the system will offer you to choose two universities from the 150 universities offering this scholarship in order of priority across the country. Take a look at the universities offering the Confucius Institute Scholarship  (register first to access all the information, which is in both Chinese and English) and find the course of your choice (not all universities offer all the programs listed above).

How to apply for Confucius Institute Scholarship 2024?

To apply for a Confucius Institute Scholarship, please follow the procedure below:

1. Application deadline : Until the beginning of May (usually the first day) if you wish to apply for a scholarship to start in September, and until the beginning of November if you wish to start in March.
2. Application submission : If you are a Confucius Institute student (ideal for applying for this scholarship), contact the scholarship officer. The application must be submitted online at the official Confucius Institute Scholarship page (you must have all documents scanned, including your passport and a passport-sized photo).
   • Then you must submit all the required paper documents (preferably certified copies, as they will not be returned). Your Confucius Institute Scholarship Officer will be responsible for mailing them to Hanban Headquarters (the central offices of the Confucius Institute in China). If you are not a Confucius Institute student, you can apply online and submit the documents to your nearest Confucius Institute, a Chinese embassy or consulate in your country, or some examination centers or educational institutions in your country affiliated with Hanban.

1. Result Date  : The final result for scholarship students can be found on the official page of the Confucius Institute Scholarship  at the beginning of July (if you will start in September) or at the beginning of January (if you will start in March).
2. Sending the documents required for visa processing : The documents required for visa processing are sent by regular mail within 15 days of the publication of the result. At this stage of the procedure, I recommend patience, as you may have to wait more than a month to receive the letter.

Eligibility Requirements for Confucius Institute Scholarship 2024

Below are the documents and eligibility requirements for the Confucius Institute Scholarship:

1. You must not have Chinese nationality and be in good health. If you intend to study for longer than six months, you must prove that you are in good physical and mental condition to process your residence permit in China. To do this, you must submit a completed copy of the official Chinese Medical Form or Foreigner Physical Examination Form upon arrival at the university you intend to study at (it is not a required document during the application period).
2. Applicants must be between 16 and 35 years old (extended to 45 years old for those who prove that they are working as Chinese teachers at the time of applying for the scholarship). Applicants for undergraduate scholarships cannot be older than 20 years old.
3. It is necessary to have a Chinese language level score (HSK written and oral test, and in some cases, BCT and BCT oral test are also accepted). This requirement depends on the type of scholarship. For example, to get a scholarship to study an academic course in Chinese language and culture, you must have at least 180 points in the HSK3 written test and at least 60 points in the HSK oral test. To check the full language requirements, click here .
4. Minimum qualifications: For MTCSOL scholarship, it is necessary to submit the diploma and academic record of undergraduate studies. In the case of BTCSOL scholarship or Chinese language courses, you must prove that you have completed your secondary education. If you do not have these documents in English or Chinese, you will have to submit a certified translation into either language.
5. A letter of recommendation for scholarship applicants who wish to study Chinese language course or BTCSOL, and two letters for MTCSOL applicants. The letters must be signed by the official of the Confucius Institute through which you are applying for the scholarship.
6. In the case of MTCSOL scholarship, applicants who prove that they have a Chinese language teaching position after completing their master's studies in China will be preferred.
7. In case of obtaining scholarships for one semester or four weeks, you do not have to have studied in China before.

Note  : During the online application process, you will be asked to write a short motivation letter explaining your reasons and expectations before receiving the scholarship (about 300 words)