CIS Scholarship: Get Funded in China With Your HSK Score
By CSC Path Editorial, checked against official CSC and university sources.
It's the one Chinese scholarship where your HSK score IS the application: from 4-week summer programs to full PhDs, awarded through Confucius Institutes and test centers.
1.What is the CIS / International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship?
The scholarship formerly known as the Confucius Institute Scholarship, now run by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) under China's Ministry of Education, "for eligible Chinese language teachers outside of China"; in practice, it's for anyone building serious Chinese proficiency who can get a recommendation (BLCU official 2026 guide). Programs funded: DTCSOL PhD (up to 4 years), MTCSOL master's (2 years), BTCSOL bachelor's (4 years), one-year study (11 months), one-semester (5 months), and four-week group programs.
2.The HSK/HSKK score requirements (this IS the selection)
Per the 2026 guide: PhD requires HSK6 ≥200 + HSKK Advanced ≥60 (or HSK7 pass); master's, HSK5 ≥210 + HSKK Intermediate ≥60; bachelor's, HSK4 ≥210 + HSKK Intermediate ≥60 (plus CSCA); one-year programs, HSK3–4 thresholds by track; one-semester, HSK3 ≥180 + an HSKK score (BLCU guide). Selection weighs scores and geographic distribution; a strong HSK is worth more here than anywhere else. See our HSK guide.
3.What it covers
Tuition, accommodation, comprehensive medical insurance, and a living allowance (four-week students excluded). Allowance standards per the CLEC coverage schedule (as published in Sichuan University's guide): ¥2,500/month for bachelor's/one-year/one-semester students, ¥3,000 MTCSOL master's, ¥3,500 DTCSOL PhD; approved off-campus livers get a housing allowance instead (¥700–1,000/month). Register by the 15th of the month for the full month's allowance.
4.Eligibility and who recommends you
Non-Chinese citizens aged 16–35 (on September 1 of the enrollment year); in-service Chinese teachers up to 45; bachelor's applicants generally under 25. Applications go through a recommending institution: Confucius Institutes, independent Confucius Classrooms, selected HSK test centers, foreign universities' Chinese departments, professional Chinese-teaching associations, or Chinese embassies (BLCU guide). No Confucius Institute nearby? Your HSK test center is often the recommender, so ask where you took the exam.
5.Deadlines and how to apply
Register on the scholarship section of chinese.cn (system: cis.chinese.cn) from March 1 each year. 2026 deadlines (Beijing time): April 15 (July starts), May 15 (September starts), September 15 (December starts), October 31 (March 2027 starts); host universities sometimes set earlier internal dates (BLCU guide; NUIST page). Results ~3 months before program start.
6.Rules + who should use this route
One Chinese government scholarship at a time: "multiple applications for different scholarships will be considered invalid"; one-year/one-semester awards generally can't go to someone who held a similar award within 3 years (BLCU guide). Best fit: future Chinese teachers (MTCSOL is the flagship), students who missed CSC but hold strong HSK scores, and anyone wanting a funded language year. The one-semester and one-year tracks are the easiest funded entry to China and pair well with a later CSC degree application (foundation year guide). Not sure if your HSK score wins CIS, CSC or a provincial award? The $50 shortlisting session maps it in one call. *CSC Path is an independent educational resource, not affiliated with the China Scholarship Council. Always verify through official sources.*
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