Apply Chinese Government Undergraduate & Masters or PhD Scholarship 2025/26 (Fully Funded)

Chinese Government Undergraduate & Masters or PhD Scholarship 2025

The Chinese Government Undergraduate & Masters or PhD Scholarship 2025/26 portal are now open, The Chinese Government is offering scholarships for South African students to study at Chinese institutions starting in the 2025/26 academic year. The Department of Higher Education and Training (the Department) is responsible for nominations for the Chinese Government scholarship programme. Read through

Steps to Graduate as a First Class Student

Application Deadline: 24 January 2025

The scholarship is offered for undergraduate (Bachelors) and postgraduate (Masters or PhD) programmes in the identified scarce skills, as well as non-degree Chinese language studies. Bachelor’s degree scholarships are taught in Chinese and will only be awarded to applicants who already have the required level of Chinese proficiency (HSK 3 or above).

List of Participating Universities:

China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Location: Beijing-Beijing
Anhul Agriculture University, Location: Anhul-Hefei
Anhul Medical University, Location: Anhul-Hefei
Anhul Normal University , Location: Anhul- wuhu
Anhul University, Location, Anhul -Hefei
Anshan Normal University, Location: Liaoning -Anshan
Beihang University, Location: Beijing-Beijing
Beihua University , Location: Jilin -Jilin

Field of study:

Applications in all fields of study except medicine will be considered.

Scholarship offers:

The Chinese Government provides the following:

STUDY PROGRAMME	Tuition (RMB per year)*	Accommodation (RMB per year)	Stipend (RMB per year)	Medical Insurance (RMB per year)
Chinese language studies	20000-27000	8400	30000	800
Bachelor’s degree	20000-27000	8400	30000	800
Master’s degree	25000-34000	8400	36000	800
Doctoral degree	33000-45000	12000	42000	800

*Should tuition fees for the identified programme exceed the above stated amounts, the Scholarship Recipient will be responsible for paying the difference.

The Department of Higher Education and Training provides the following:

One return economy airfare;
Monthly top-up stipend;
Once-off settlement allowance;
Research funding (postgraduate only)
Visa costs;
Compulsory orientation programme before departure.

Successful scholarship applicants will be required to sign a contract and return to South Africa upon completion of studies.

Duration (years) of scholarships:

STUDY PROGRAMME	DURATION OF PROGRAMME	DURATION OF PREPARATORY CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSE	DURATION OF SCHOLARSHIP
Chinese language studies	1	None	Up to 2
Bachelor’s degree	4-5	1-2	4-7
Master’s degree	2-3	1-2	2-5
Doctoral degree	3-4	1-2	3-6

Studies must be completed within the duration of the scholarship, as specified in the Admission Notice.

What are the Requirements for Student Visa to Canada

Criteria and Eligibility:

South African citizens in good health (medical check will be required for successful applicants);
Strong academic record with a minimum 60% average in previous studies;
Availability to study in China from September 2025;
Demonstrated interest in China and commitment to the development of South Africa;
Applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements for entry into the programme of choice.
Bachelor’s applicants must have HSK 3 level language certificate and be willing to study in Chinese, applications without a HSK level 3 language certificate will be automatically disqualified.
Master’s and doctoral applicants must have HSK 4 level language certificate and be willing to study in Chinese, applications without a HSK level 4 language certificate will be automatically disqualified.

Important: The scholarship does not support any medical degrees and preference will be given to applications for postgraduate studies.

Education requirements and age limits:

STUDY PROGRAMME	EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS	AGE (AS OF SEPTEMBER 2025)
Chinese language studies (non-degree)	National Senior Certificate (or equivalent) with a university entrance pass (a minimum of 60% average is recommended). Applicants with a post school qualification will be given priority.	Under 25
Bachelor’s degree	National Senior Certificate (or equivalent) with a university entrance pass (a minimum of 60% average is recommended) HSK 3 (or higher ) certificate	Under 25
Master’s degree	Bachelor’s degree (honours) or NQF 8 qualification (a minimum of 60% average is recommended). HSK 4 is required when applying for Chinese taught programmes	Under 35
Doctoral degree	Master’s degree (a minimum of 60% average is recommended) HSK 4 is required when applying for Chinese taught programmes	Under 40

Language of Instruction

According to the regulations of the Chinese Ministry of Education, all undergraduate programmes for scholarship students are taught in the Chinese language. Bachelor’s degree applicants interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s degree must have at least an HSK Level 3 certificate.
At Master’s and PhD level, programmes taught in both English and Chinese are eligible for the scholarship. Check the language of instruction available for the identified programme, as not all courses are available in English. The HSK 4 is required when applying for Chinese taught programmes.