Provincial and city scholarships in China provide financial aid for international students, covering tuition, accommodation, and stipends. Applications are typically processed through local education bureaus or host universities, often running parallel to national CSC scholarship cycles.
A full list of Chinese provincial and city government scholarships, what they cover, deadlines and how to stack them with the CSC.
Beyond the CSC, China has dozens of provincial and municipal scholarship schemes — often less competitive and with their own quotas. Stacking them is one of the smartest ways to fund a full degree.
Major provincial scholarships
- Jiangsu Government Scholarship — for study at Jiangsu universities (Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi)
- Beijing Government Scholarship — for study in Beijing
- Shanghai Government Scholarship — for study in Shanghai
- Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship — Hangzhou and Ningbo
- Fujian Government Scholarship — Xiamen and Fuzhou
- Guangdong Government Scholarship — Guangzhou and Shenzhen
- Sichuan Government Scholarship — Chengdu
- Shandong Government Scholarship — Qingdao and Jinan
- Hubei Government Scholarship — Wuhan
- Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning — Northeast China scholarships
How provincial scholarships differ from CSC
- Separate application — usually via the university's international office
- Separate quotas — do not count against CSC
- Varied coverage — some are full (tuition + dorm + stipend), others are partial tuition
- Often less competitive than CSC for the same university
- Region-specific — you must study in that province
How to stack scholarships
You generally cannot hold two full scholarships at the same time. But you can:
- Apply to CSC and a provincial scholarship in parallel and choose the better offer
- Combine a partial provincial scholarship with a university scholarship
- Use a Confucius Institute Scholarship for a language year, then CSC for the degree
Documents and deadlines
Most provincial scholarships use the same documents as CSC (passport, transcripts, study plan, recommendation letters, language proof). Deadlines are typically February–April for the September intake — earlier than CSC in some cases.
How to apply
- Identify the province where your target university is located
- Check the university's international office page for the provincial scholarship
- Apply through the university portal (some via a provincial portal)
- Apply to CSC in parallel as a backup
Provincial scholarships are one of the most underused funding routes for international students in China — apply and you may be surprised how accessible they are.
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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