The Confucius Institute Scholarship (CIS) provides full or partial funding for international students to study Chinese language and culture at designated Chinese universities. It covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend, and comprehensive medical insurance.
What the Confucius Institute Scholarship covers, who can apply, HSK requirements and how to win a fully-funded year of Mandarin in China.
The Confucius Institute Scholarship — now often branded the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship — is one of the most generous awards for students of the Chinese language. It fully funds a year or more of Mandarin study, and can lead directly to a TCSOL (Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages) degree.
What it covers
- Full tuition
- On-campus accommodation
- Comprehensive medical insurance
- Monthly stipend: CNY 2,500 for language students, CNY 3,000 for TCSOL master's
Programs funded
- 4-week / 1-semester / 1-academic-year Chinese language study
- Bachelor in TCSOL (Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages)
- Master in TCSOL
- One-semester study + home-country teaching internship
Who can apply
- Non-Chinese citizens, generally aged 16–35 (45 for TCSOL master)
- HSK certificate required — typically HSK 3 (180+) for a language year, HSK 4 for TCSOL bachelor, HSK 5 for TCSOL master
- HSKK (speaking test) required at most levels
- Good academic record and health
How to apply
- Take the HSK and HSKK at a Confucius Institute or test center
- Apply through the cis.chinese.cn portal
- Choose your host university from the Confucius Institute partner list
- Upload transcripts, passport, HSK certificates, recommendation letter
- Apply between roughly February and April for the September intake
Why it is a smart move
- It is less competitive than the CSC for the same universities
- A funded language year lifts your HSK fast, unlocking Chinese-taught degrees
- TCSOL graduates are in high demand worldwide as Chinese-language teachers
- It can be combined with a later CSC scholarship for a full degree
For anyone serious about Mandarin — and especially for students who want to teach Chinese — the Confucius Institute Scholarship is one of the most accessible fully-funded routes into China.
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The StudyInChina Education Team is a group of admissions advisors, scholarship specialists and former international students who have guided thousands of applicants into Chinese universities. This article is reviewed for accuracy and updated regularly.
Last updated 9 Sept 2026
