CSC 2016 Applications

[Chris Two Times]

Greetings! Welcome to the CSC 2016 Applications thread!

 

I have been named as the moderator for this year's CSC (China Scholarship Council) thread and I look forward to another highly informative one for the 2016 campaign.

 

Do use this as a place to come to for information and to ask questions regarding applications for the Chinese Government Scholarships for 2016. I have found that in past years, people have been tremendously helpful in addressing questions and concerns and I expect that this year's thread shall be no different.

 

For this year, we have set up a whole subforum for CSC. Do peruse all of the topics and please try to keep pertinent questions and concerns under the appropriate topic.

 

While we do encourage you to ask questions about the process here, we also encourage you to check out the following websites first (and check them out again and again!). The CSC has gotten better over the years in producing more transparent information about the process and a lot of questions can be answered by simply checking out the following websites:

 

CSC main page: http://en.csc.edu.cn

Study in China page: http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/indexen.aspx

Intro to Chinese Government Scholarships (as of 8 Dec. 2015): http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/scholarshipdetailen.aspx?cid=97&id=2070

Universities that accept scholarship students and their programs: http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/universityen.aspx

Preparation of Application: http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/newsdetailen.aspx?cid=66&id=1145

Information about Scholarship Application: http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/newsdetailen.aspx?cid=66&id=3074

 

Also, DO email representatives at your desired universities as well as representatives of the Chinese Embassy in your home country with your questions. They have answers and they are willing to help you.

 

The application process is now open. The application deadlines should be in early April, but do check the specific application deadline for your home country (e.g., April 1st for U.S. citizens).

 

To apply, contact and send your application to a Chinese embassy/consulate located in your home country. For example, Australians must apply at the Chinese embassy in Australia, and Americans must apply at the Chinese embassy in America. People currently in China can also apply, but they still have to mail their applications to a Chinese embassy in their home country!

 

For people that are only applying for Chinese Language (as opposed to a degree), you can choose between 1 or 2 years. For people who are pursuing a degree, you can request 1 or 2 years of Chinese Language study BEFORE taking your classes if you either can't speak Chinese or need it improved.

WE DO NOT KNOW THE CHANCES OF GETTING THIS SCHOLARSHIP FOR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE CHOICES. We don't know if we have a better chance of getting a partial or full scholarship, or if it's easier to get it if you request 1 or 2 years. Nor do we know how much your GPA matters, or if already having Chinese language skills hurts/helps you, or if having been to China before means you get extra points. Whatever it is, we don't know.

Programs generally start in September, but there are also a few that start in March.... and SUMMER CLASSES are NOT included in the scholarship.

If you already received the scholarship and wish to extend it you will need to apply again. First talk to your school or any contact to see what your options are.

This is where your application will be going:

Steps for Embassy application
1. You send your application to a third party representative of CSC (maybe your school).
2. The third party (OR you can apply directly) sends application to your native country's China Embassy.
3. Your native country's China Embassy sends your application to the Beijing CSC office.
4. The Beijing CSC office sends your application to your selected schools.
5. If and when a school accepts you, your acceptance is sent to the Beijing CSC office.
6. The Beijing CSC office sends your acceptance to your native country's China Embassy.
7. The China Embassy sends your acceptance and all needed documentation to you.

 

Steps for direct application to universities for Post graduate applicants

1) Send your application to your preferred school

2) If admitted, school notifies you.

3) School sends it to CSC

4) CSC approves

5) School notifies you.

6) You get yourself into China

At any step of this process your application may be rejected. Again we don't know why, how, or when the decision is made. In the end, the school gets a final say on whether you receive the scholarship or not.

The Application
1. Proposed Study in China: e.g., Chinese Language Student
2. Duration of the Major Study: For people learning Chinese - you can study for either one or two years, starting in September.
3. Study or Research Plan: In the previous years, they required all applicants to write something like a personal statement that was no less than 400 words (THIS IS STILL TRUE FOR EU APPLICANTS and probably for "degree" applicants), but now, you can just write in a few sentences that you would like to learn Chinese. Feel free to write a full "study plan" if you'd like.
4. Organization/Person Recommending You: I say go for anything that sounds official: Use your university, your professor, the company you work for, this forum, whatever.
5. The Guarantor: Anyone you know in China.
6. Letters of Recommendation: It seems that letters of recommendations are NOT required for those studying Chinese and not pursuing a degree. This is also written on the website. Include them if you wish. Those who are pursuing a degree will need TWO letters of recommendation from professors/employers.
7. You need a notarized copy of your most recent transcript, and your high school diploma (for those who are still in university) or degree (if you already graduated from college). If it is not in English or Chinese, you need to get it translated into one of those two languages.
8. They want TWO copies of the application: send two of everything.
 

The Foreigner Physical Examination Form
You can get it filled out by your family doctor, internist, or a doctor from a clinic. As for the "photo section" - it requires either a signature or stamp on the photo and paper (half on/half off at the same time) so that it can act as a seal to prove that it is your photo and has not been tampered with.

DO NOT send the ORIGINAL Foreign Physical Examination Form with either the CSC application or your visa application. Send copies. You keep the ORIGINAL with you - treat it like your passport (even though you'll never use it again).

Post-Scholarship/In China
Notification: If you get the scholarship (notification is sent to you sometime around May/June - some people were notified as late as August), CSC will send you a package filled with information on the selected school, an admission letter from that school, a letter reminding you that you must register at the school between certain dates, and the Visa Application Form for Study in China (JW201) already filled out by CSC. All you need to do is get the visa, book your flight, and come to China.

Stipend: All fees are taken care of. The only thing you need to manage is your stipend. Some universities will give you an ATM card that gets money deposited in it every month, while others will require you to pick up cash from a certain office. The stipend is generally handed out at the end of the month. The stipend starts at 2500 RMB a month for bachelor's degree students, and then moves up to 3000 RMB a month for language students and master's degree students, and then tops out at 3500 RMB a month for doctorate students.

Housing: The housing provided is the cheapest international students' accommodations the school offers. Usually, it's a tiny room with two desks, two closets, and two beds - without a private bathroom (you use a shared one with the rest of the floor). At some schools you can move to a nicer dorm, even to a single - as long as you pay the difference. If you consider moving off campus, check with your university to see if they will give you a monthly allotment to assist with paying rent. Some universities give CSC students a minimal amount to cover off-campus rent, some don't. This is a new thing.

Insurance: The scholarship pays for crap insurance. If you have health issues or would like to have comprehensive insurance, pay for your own plan before you get to China. You don't want to be on this insurance if something serious happens to you. You're going to get third-world country treatment and nothing more.

 

ENGLISH-TAUGHT COURSES

If you are applying for courses taught in English, be aware that these are often new and designed to attract high-fee paying foreign students. Check your scholarship will cover the fees. Also be aware that levels of English among teaching and administrative staff might not be as high as you want, and that new courses could be very disorganised - or sometimes just not exist. If possible try and find people who've already done the course. 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION - SAY HELLO

Hello. Where are you applying from? Just studying Chinese or pursuing a degree? What did your local Chinese embassy say? Where and how did you get your papers notarized? Did you apply for your school of choice beforehand? Where did you get your Physical Exam done? Anything else you learned or would like to share?

There is a lot of information you may find around these forums. If you find the application process to be too overbearing, we are here for you. Please be patient with the whole process and do put your best foot forward in the application process--this is an excellent opportunity for those of us who will get the scholarship so cherish it and do your best with it.

 

Let the banter and camaraderie ensue! The thread is now open!

 

Warmest regards,

Chris Two Times

Edited February 11, 2016 at 07:20 AM by Chris Two Times

[Mr. Brightside]

So I want to begin studying in China in the spring semester of 2016.  Is it possible to even apply for a government scholarship that begins in the Spring semester?  If I go for half a semester in a university in country, can I then apply for a scholarship in country to begin in the fall semester?  

 

Thanks!

[Ampicillin]

Some points I'd like to mention: I am a CSC Student Studying in TMU 

 

1) Till now we haven't received our Scholarship money. We are getting 3 months stipend all together including Visa and PE fees that comes around 10500 RMB and from December onward we will get it regularly. 

 

2) I called Medical Insurance their number is 400-810-5119. They answer 24 hours and I cleared some things with them. You need to give them your Passport number and they will run scan to verify that you're a CSC Student. I have got some information that CSC Student gets 650 RMB per day in Outpatient treatment and 400,000 RMB for Inpatient treatment per year and NOTE: Treatment should be done in a Public hospital and one should keep all the receipts. The lady said that you collect receipts for outpatient cost and no need to send them to till your bill comes to 650 RMB and then you can send them all the receipts at once and they will reimburse your money. 

 

3) We cannot get holidays like normal students. We only get maximum stay out of China 28 days 

 

Thank you guys

[LaszloBalogh]

Hi!

 

I plan to apply for a master's degree taught in English starting next September. I'm from an EU member country, does it mean that I have to apply for the EU-Program or I can still apply through the Chinese embassy in my country?

 

Thank you!

[ling_ling24]

Hi there,

 

I'd like to apply for the CSC in January 2016. I've read the background info on the main page of this thread but I still have some questions. I'd like to read all of the pages on this thread as my questions may already have been answered but I don't have time to go through all 91 pages. If you can help me out, that'd be great. I'm planning to apply for the non-degree Chinese program at Qingdao's Ocean University of China (OUC) for 2 years. I'm already at OUC and only discovered there's a CSC this term.

 

1) Does the scholarship that covers 1 or 2 years mean that it will cover 2 or 4 terms respectively (as each term at OUC is 4 months long)? I'm planning to do 3 or 4 more terms at OUC

2) Does the scholarship cover living in a single room at OUC's international students' dorm? Or only for double rooms?

3) Should I apply for the "general scholarship" as my program is a non-degree Mandarin one?

 

Has anyone on here applied for a scholarship in the non-degree Chinese program at OUC? If so, your tips would be greatly appreciated! The CSC website has very vague info. Ugh

Thanks so much in advance!

 

Elaine

[Chris Two Times]

ling_ling24,

 

I'm speculating as I don't know for sure, but I presume getting a two-year scholarship for OUC would cover 4 terms (Fall and Spring, 2016-2018). Also, I shall presume that you would be given a place in a double room in a dorm free of charge under the scholarship.

 

Also, I believe applying under the "general scholar" category is the correct choice.

 

Again, I am just speculating as I have never applied for the CSC (have just been reading up about how to go about applying for it--I did read all 91 pages of this thread, oof  ) and I have no connection to OUC. Why not ask at the International Students Office of OUC? I am currently based at Beijing Normal University and intend to apply for a CSC to study at BNU so I'll head over to their International Students Office in January before the Spring Festival break to get some answers to the very questions that you have posed.

 

Good luck in the application process!

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[Torreno]

Hello everyone , really interested on starting studying in China in next year. Couple of questions to start with:

Will I be able to get HSK 4 for the year i will be studying Chinese and will i be able to study with it afterwards(exams and etc)?

Should I not bother myself going to Chinese embassy until January,cause i think they have no info currently?

I will be finishing my school in June , so what will I need to bring in January? ( I will have no diploma until June )

Thanks in advance and sorry for my english.

[ajkihn]

@LazloBalogh

 

You could apply for both programs if I'm not wrong, which country are you from?

 

@ling_ling 24

 

I'll answer to your questions, I'm currently studying my master's degree in China and I know many scholarship students here for the Chinese program and it only covers 1 year, just in case you are applying for a degree there's a chance that it would cover a second year of language learning.

 

The scholarship gives you certain amount of money for your accomodation, but it will depend on the university if you get a single or shared room, generally is shared and in case you want a better one you'll have to pay the difference.

 

I guess, you can apply to the Language program that is one year long.

[ling_ling24]

Hello Chris,

 

Thanks so much for your helpful and prompt response! It's a good idea to ask my school's international students' office for clarification. Thanks for the tip! But why do you have to wait until next year to ask? Can't you ask them now? Good luck with your application too! Hope we both get it!

Wow, you read all 91 pages of this thread?! That's impressive. Makes me want to do the same too as I'm an info sponge. 

 

Hey ahkihn,

 

Thanks for your helpful and prompt response too! It's unfortunate that the scholarship only covers 1 year (I'm just a non-degree language student). Do you know if I'd be able to apply again after the 1 year scholarship ends?

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

[Chris Two Times]

ling_ling,

 

Haha, I did read the whole thread. I too am an information sponge. 

 

I could ask now at BNU, but I will wait until the scholarship application opens in January to make it seem "more relevant" (whatever that means, I guess).

 

While most universities in 2015 that honored a CSC for language study only (general scholar) did so for one year, I have gathered that a handful of them actually honored a CSC for two years and it did seem that OUC was indeed one of these universities that could grant a two-year language study-only scholarship. There is a poster (named DongLian) in this 92-page thread who details going for the two-year scholarship and getting it. Scan the thread for her posts. Check out her post #59 on page 3 of this thread; she mentions going for the two-year scholarship there.

 

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/47670-csc-scholarship-applicationsresults-2015/page-3

 

Who knows if that will change for the 2016 application? It's something to keep an eye on. I have followed this because I have considered going for a two-year scholarship but in the end I want to stay in Beijing and the schools I am interested in only offer a one-year scholarship (and what?!? now BNU only offers a 0.5 year scholarship for language study only?).

 

Again, check with OUC to see if they would grant a two-year scholarship for language study only for 2016-2017.

 

I also figured this out by looking at this website. After clicking on a particular university I then clicked on "All Programs" (in small print about 2/3 down the page on the right side), then the "Non-degree" box. For OUC it reads "Chinese Language and Literature" and for "duration" it reads "no limit" so it appears that they may offer more than one-year scholarships for language study only.

 

http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/universityen.aspx

 

I went through this list and found 15 programs that read "no limit" or "0.5 years to 2 years". Some even read "1 to 3 years" but I don't think one can get the language study-only scholarship for more than 2 years. A red star was next to these programs which indicates that it does offer CSC scholarships for these language study programs.

 

Here are the ones that I found:

 

1. Guangxi Normal University (no limit/1 year)

2. Beijing Foreign Studies University (no limit--March start)

3. Capital University of Economics and Business (no limit)

4. Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (no limit)

5. Anshan Normal University (no limit)

6. University of Science and Technology Liaoning (no limit)

7. Ocean University of China (no limit)

8. Xinjiang University (no limit)

9. Zhejiang University of Science and Technology (no limit)

10. Tsinghua University (0.5-2 years)

11. Renmin University of China (0.5-2 years)

12. China University of Petroleum Huadong (0.5-2 years)

13. Fujian Normal University (1-2 years)

14. Dalian University of Foreign Languages (1-3 years???)

15. Ningxia University (0.5-3 years???)

 

Additionally, these five listed 4 years for non-degree Chinese Language and Literature programs, so does that mean one can get a two-year scholarship for language study at these institutions? Again, check directly with that institution:

 

1. South China Normal University (0.5 years/4 years)

2. Minzu University of China (4 years)

3. Beijing University (4 years)

4. Yanshan University (4 years)

5. Xi'an International Studies University (4 years)

 

Again, I would contact the university directly to confirm whether or not they would offer a two-year language study-only scholarship. It seems possible to apply for such a thing, and at OUC.

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[LaszloBalogh]

@ajkihn

 

I'm from Hungary.

[Paggos]

Just a few questions

 

Will i need to get the foreigner examination form before i go to China, or can i get it right off the plane? I'm planning on going 2016 semester for the 4 year degree in economics, at zhengzhou university. 

 

Do the recommendation letters matter? I have big name contacts from henan university, along with the leaders in the Confucius institute. 

 

My level is around hsk 3-4, would it matter if i had 3 vs 4? The requirement for my program is 3, and my girlfriend is in China so she can help me with my work. 

 

Is it common to get denied for the bilateral scholarship? Or are most people good to go with programs particularly in poorer provinces like Henan, thanks for your input!

[yangyizhi]

hello my I want to ask about the duration of scholarship for CSC Master's university program,

 

according to csc website http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina/scholarshipdetailen.aspx?cid=97&id=3056

it says :

 

1. This scholarship only supports master’s students for no more than 3 years or doctoral students for no more than 4 years.

2. Duration of the scholarship, which covers both major study and Chinese language/preparatory study, as specified in the Admission Letter, cannot be extended in general.

 

my question : it is maximum only 3 years, but I want to take 1 year chinese language course before my master .

so it can extend to 4 year (1 year chinese language and 3 years master ) ?

or it will remain the same as maximum 3 year (1 year chinese language and 2 (years master ) ?

what do you think? thanks 

[ling_ling24]

Hello Chris,

 

So sorry for the super late reply. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to research and share such detailed information. That was exactly what I needed! I called the scholarship rep of Ocean University but he's only in charge of the Confucius scholarship so he couldn't help me out. I don't know if anyone else can help answer my questions at OUC but I'll try to email them instead.

 

Thank you also for pointing out that DongLian in this thread has gone through the CSC two year study-only scholarship. I'll definitely read this entire thread after my grammar mid-term is over. 

 

Thank you again for all your help, Chris! YOU ROCK!

 

Hope you're enjoying yourself in Beijing (if you're living there right now). I saw from a friend's post that it's snowing there right now...

[ling_ling24]

@Chris: I realized that you are also in the OUC thread. Nice to talk to you again!

[jobm]

Guys, I also have a question. How do you get admission from a Chinese university? Do I need to take entrance examinations? Also, if I am going to apply for the CSC scholarship, am I exempted from those examinations and interviews or not?

[Torreno]

Is there anyone who applied from school? What was your final diploma score?

[musty]

please i want to apply for the csc scholarship i am a Nigerian

[Chris Two Times]

Apply!

[mazi]

@Musty, you can apply....

 

Are you planning to apply for the Bachelor or master programme?