CSC Scholarship - 2012 American/EU Applicants

[Brian US]

@bagpipes1000

Unfortunately in recent years the application process for UK citizens is rather grim. You will have the best luck applying through the Confucious Institute through your university in the UK. If your school doesn't have a Confucious Institute, then try contacting schools directly in China.

[bagpipes1000]

Hmm ok. I think I will send the documents to the Mission of P.R China to the European Union. Perhaps I will apply to some universities to secure a place beforehand, but as it seems from reading the forums, nobody has any idea if this helps secure a scholarship or not.

[Ellie22]

So as a UK citizen applying to the EU or general scholarship do you have less chance than other EU citizens? I am from the UK and currently studying at a University in the UK that does not have its own Conficus Institute. I'm wondering how much point there is applying? Particularly if I have to pay £300 odd for the medical examination!?

Could anyone clear up for me, is there actually a separate EU scholarship fund you can apply for? The last post regarding this on the CSC website is from 2009, i'm wondering if it still exists? I guess just apply to the general scholarship and see...?? So very confusing!

[Keown]

Why do people think that the EU Window scholarship will be announced this year? As far as I know it was for 5 years x 100 scholarships, and the 5th year was 2011/12, so probably it won't be any opportunity this year.

[Brian US]

@Keown

Where did you hear it was only for five years? They haven't updated the website since 2009, but they still gave out scholarships last year.

@UK applicants

I don't recall hearing about anyone from the UK getting the scholarship by applying directly to the EU. The list of those that were awarded the scholarship mostly have very Eastern European names. They don't list what country they are from and I'm no detective, but it does seem to give you less of a chance.

[bagpipes1000]

@Ellie22: It seems UK scholarships are harder to get than EU. Search the other forums for more info on this. My university now also does not have a Confucius institute so I will just apply to the EU. 'Point'...well you must have SOME chance of receiving a scholarship. Lots of British people have in the past. Medical Examination is required AFTER confirmation of scholarship for UK/EU applicants (again..read the other forums/use the search bar at the top right for more specificity on this point). And yes there is an EU scholarship stream. EU Agency number is 00006. Agency name 'Mission of PR China to the EU'.

@Keown: Quite a bold assertion. With profound implications for potential applicants. Any evidence to support your claim. URL link?

http://www.chinamiss...ojw/t784326.htm = source of some confusion: 'The programme will provide 100 full scholarships per academic year from 2007 to 2011.'

[Keown]

I don't think that's confusion, the chinamission.be website clearly says that starting from 2007, for 5 years, they giving out 100 scholarships each year in the framework of this scheme. If 2007 was the first year, the last date of (fifth) call of applicants was 2011 January for the 2011/12 academic year.

Since now already 2012 February, and compared to last years, there is no call of applicants (for 2009/10 it was 2009 Jan 02, for 2010/11, it was 2009 Dec 29, for 2011/12 it was 2010 Jan 07), there is the assumption.

BTW, better to always check both the English & Chinese version of this website, because they are not identical.

[Ellie22]

@bagpipes1000 and CSC Esquire: Thanks for your replies. Sorry, I've had a look through the forums and I'm still uncertain about the Medical Examination? On the CSC website it states that all sections must be filled in. My doctor said I will be charged £75 just for him filling in the sections he can from my medical records. If I do that and the HIV testing will that be sufficient?

[cnel144]

I am finished my application except for the "Gaurantor" field. On this forum people have said that this you can essentially make this up, as it isn't checked. I am still hesitant to make up a person... What do people typically do for this if they do not know anyone who lives in China?

[LeahP]

Hey!

I'm currently studying at BLCU and really want to carry on studying next year but I just can't afford it... Hence why I am applying for the scholarship. I'm just worried I'm going ti find it difficult because I'm already in china and I've finding it really difficult to contact the Chinese embassy in the uk. Has anyone had this problem before? Do I even need to contact them or can I just submit my application online?

Thanks!

[Saxondale]

UK

From my past experience, i'd say forget about applying to the EU for a scholarship and just go directly to the universities own scholarship (if they have one). I think a few people from the UK have managed to secure scholarships through the EU CSC but it depends if you're willing to spend £300+ to complete the application. I did and i didn't get the scholarship. Tried calling about it but it was pretty useless; i'd consider myself a perfect candidate (if that even exists) and actually thought i had a good chance, but i ended up wasting a lot of money.

The Chinese embassy in the UK can't help you with the scholarship, so don't bother. Unless you're in one of the very few universities that have some sort of relationship with CSC or other scholarship programs, it's very difficult for us brits.

I also noticed a lot of eastern european names in the results last year...

Ellie22:

People have even submitted applications without even doing a medical. It's odd, since you'll have to take a medical in China. Anyway, if you're serious about the application, i'd say do the full medical and cover everything they ask for (HIV, EKG, chest x-ray etc).

LeahP:

One guy (a brit) here managed to apply from China to the EU CSC and i think he actually got the scholarship. His username is Tianjin42, so maybe you can ask him. So maybe it helps that you're already out there. I'm pretty sure the application procedure is the same for you, but make sure you send it off early and do it through some sort of recorded delivery, DHL perhaps. You might have some issues buying the return stamps out there, but it's possible.

If you want any more information, just let me know.

[LeahP]

Hey thrice12 thanks for the advice... I'll get in contact with Tianjin42 and see what they say.

The situation is looking pretty grim for me at the moment in terms of getting a scholarship... It's so frustrating because I'm already studying here so have met a lot of people who have been granted scholarships already. Don't get me wrong some of them work pretty hard... But some of them barely turn up. I have full attendance and am one of the top of my class yet there seems to be very little I can do to get funding to carry on studying.

My teacher also said that there would be very little point in me applying for scholarships actually from BLCU because they get so many people applying for them. I think I'll just apply to the EU and see how that goes... It shouldn't really cost me too much because I already have my medical results from when I first came.

[Saxondale]

LeahP: Since you already got your medical results (they can't be more than 6 months old...i think), you should go for it!

I think the best you can do is apply early. It's the same at my university, we have a few scholarship students that don't really show up, but that's going to affect them, which could see them losing their scholarship.

If money is an issue, have you thought about changing universities? Since i wouldn't put all your hope on the scholarship to fund your next term.

[Ellie22]

Would you be able to send me the details for the EU contact?

[Saxondale]

I know this guy was last years contact, so hopefully he is this year: kechangqing@moe.edu.cn

Hope he replies to you! I never got a reply but i know other people have done. I was actually given his mobile number by someone that worked in the same office...he didn't seem too happy when i called him!

Here's the EU website: http://www.chinamiss.../eng/lxzg/ofzz/ - looks like it hasn't been updated since last years application. You can also check out the list of names that got accepted: http://www.chinamission.be/eng/lxzg/ofzz/t840466.htm - as you can see, not many brits on there.

[LeahP]

Hey thrice,

Thanks again for the info I'll take a look. I actually met up with tianjin42 in Beijing yesterday because he's here working whilst on holiday and it was great to talk to him about everything and get some ideas about what I should do now. He mentioned the European scholarship so I'll take a look at that and my old university in the uk has a Confucius school so I've contacted them to see if they know anything.

Leah

[Saxondale]

Best of luck LeahP! Please keep us updated

[Ellie22]

EU

Sorry to be the bearer of It appears that the EU scholarship is not running this year This is an email I received on enquiring if the scholarship was open to applicants in the 2012/13 academic year.

Dear Ellie，

Glad to hear from you

The Chinese Governmen scholarship program for EU has been implemented for 5 years and ends from this year. So it is not availabe now for applicants. Please contact Office for Education and Culture, Mission of P.R.China in EU for detailes.

Their website is: www.chinamissions.com

Kind regards

Kind regards

- - - - - - - - - -

Mr. Qiao Dan （乔丹）

Project Officer

Divison of International Students Affairs

China Scholarship Council

Level 13, Building A3

No.9 Chegongzhuang Avenue

Beijing 100044

P.R.China

Tel:86-10-66093953

Fax:86-10-66093915

E-mail: dqiao@csc.edu.cn

Also makes sense with the fact that there has been no call for applicants this year. The website link he sent by the way does not appear to be anything to do with any scholarship programme - what an absolute joke! So now the option is to apply for the CSC scholarship through the Chinese embassy in your own country right?

@Trice12

You recommended for UK applicants to apply directly to universities for scholarships, are there any you could recommend in particular?

[Saxondale]

Ellie22

We (brits) can't apply through the Chinese embassy; here's an email i received from them regarding this matter:

Dear xxxxxx,

①Since the total number of the scholarship is very limited, Education

Section, Chinese Embassy cannot afford to accept the individual application

open to the public. We usually send notice letters to some of the VC of the

UK universities and ask the recommendation from the university. And also not

all UK universities have been involved. Most of the universities so far

involved are either have a very close cooperation relationship with Chinese

Universities or has established Confucius Institute. We will try to get more

UK universities to be involved in the future.

②Besides through the diplomatic channels like Chinese embassies and

consulates all over the world, some of the Chinese Government scholarship

have been allocated to Chinese universities directly, since CSC realize that

the professors at Chinese University are more eligible to make the decision

that which applicants is suitable to be granted the scholarship.

③Besides the Chinese Government scholarship, some local authorities as well

as some Chinese Universities also established some scholarship scheme for

international students to apply from, please contact them directly.

- - - - - -

The best thing for you to do is search through the universities website and see if they offer a scholarship - i didn't really look into this since i didn't have enough time.

Maybe they think all brits can afford it : /

[bagpipes1000]

Wow. OK some game changing information right there! Dammmm. Can't believe there is NO EU scholarship this year. Hope everyone on this forum reads that.

Applying to UK embassy seems redundant also then. Finding the scholarships for each university might be a bit of an effort! But I would only look into the Top 10/15 universities in the country. Are there any other UK applicants that want to search for those scholarships also?

On another note then. Is there a similar Taiwanese scholarship for learning mandarin?

Good luck everyone.