If you are planning to study in China with financial support, the Central South University Scholarship is one of the best opportunities available for international students. This scholarship provides fully funded programs across a wide range of fields. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the Central South University Scholarship, including its benefits, eligibility criteria, required documents, and a detailed step-by-step application process to help you apply successfully.
The Central South University Scholarship 2026-2027 is available for master’s and PhD students. These scholarships will cover tuition, on-campus accommodation, medical insurance fees, and a monthly stipend.
CSU values moral education and high-quality cultivation, so it has been improving its talent training model. It has over 55,000 full-time students, including over 34,000 undergraduates, over 20,000 graduate students, and nearly 1,647 overseas degree students. The university has 57 nationally excellent courses, 8 national teaching teams, and 8 national experimental teaching demonstration centers.
CSU is an open university. It has established long-term cooperation with more than 200 universities and research institutes in over 30 countries and regions, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Russia, and has been extensively engaged in industry-university-research cooperation with a large number of multinational enterprises. Overseas students from more than 100 countries and regions study here.
Scholarship Summary
- Level of Study: Master’s, PhD
- Institution: Central South University (CSU)
- Study Destination: China
- Opportunity Focus Areas: Click here to check all the available courses.
- Program Period: Master: 3 years, Doctorate: 4 years
Central South University Scholarship Application Deadline
The application deadline for the Central South University Scholarship is May 31, 2026.
Scholarship Coverage
The Central South University Scholarship will provide the following:
- Full scholarship: Coverage of tuition, on-campus accommodation, medical insurance fees, and a monthly stipend (CNY 3000 per master’s student and CNY 3500 per doctoral student).
- Partial scholarship: Coverage of tuition, on-campus accommodation, and medical insurance fees
Eligibility Criteria for the Central South University Scholarship
To qualify for the Central South University Scholarship, a candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements:
- Required Language: Students who apply for Chinese-taught programs should obtain a minimum score of 220 in HSK4 for science and engineering programs and 260 in HSK4 for arts, social science, and medical programs (for bachelor of Chinese language and literature, a minimum score of 200 in HSK5); Students who cannot meet the requirement of Chinese competence shall take a one-year preparatory course of the Chinese language and meet the above HSK requirement before embarking on their programs. Students who apply for English-taught programs should obtain a minimum score of 6 in IELTS or 85 in TOEFL.
Those who meet one of the following conditions are exempt from proving their linguistic competence:
a) Applicants whose first language or the official language of the country is Chinese or English.
b) Applicants who have taken a degree program whose teaching language is in Chinese or English. - Eligible Countries: All countries in the world
- Excellent non-Chinese citizens with no criminal records and in good health.
- For a master’s degree, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and should be 18 to 35 years old; for a doctoral degree, applicants should have a master’s degree or its equivalent and should be 18 to 40 years old. Applicants who are under the age of 18 shall be no younger than 16 years old with an eligible guardian living in China.
- Applicants to postgraduate programs are required to have a strong academic background and innovative research capabilities.
How to Apply for the Central South University Scholarship?
Please follow the application instructions below to apply for the Central South University Scholarship:
(1) Create an account on the university website and start filling out the application.
(2) Submit the following required application materials to the university:
- Photocopy of the passport (Over one year of availability)
- Photocopy of Physical Examination Record. Applicants should strictly be examined in accordance with the requirements of the Physical Examination Record for Foreigners. An incomplete form is regarded as invalid. The examination date shall be after October 1, 2025.
- Photocopy of the highest graduation certificate or notarized Chinese/English-translated certificate. If the applicant is currently a student, the pre-graduation certificate issued by the school is required.
- Stamped Transcript of the highest diploma or notarized Chinese/English-translated transcript.
- Non-criminal record or Chinese/English-translated document with an official stamp. The issue date shall be after October 1, 2025
- HSK transcript for Chinese-taught programs and IELTS/TOEFL for English-taught programs, or other documents to prove your linguistic competence.
- Two different recommendation letters from professors/associate professors with detailed contacts. The signature date shall be after October 1, 2025. (only for graduate applicants)
- Study Plan of no less than 800 words. Please clarify your research background, method, content, significance, etc. (only for graduate applicants)
- Published essays or any other supporting materials, e.g., Acceptance Letter Format.doc (only for graduate applicants)
(3) The School of International Education will have an initial review for the applicant’s identity, language ability, physical and mental conditions, etc. When the applicants pass the initial review, pay the application fee of RMB 500 on the unified payment platform of CSU according to the email (WeChat, Alipay, and UnionPay are available).
Please complete the application fee payment within two weeks; otherwise, the application cannot continue. If you fail to pass the initial review, there is NO NEED to pay the application fee.
(4) Academic Review: Relevant schools will conduct an academic review for applicants to comprehensively examine their academic background, scientific research ability, or innovation potential.
(5) Result Release: Based on the application and review situation, the final admission result will be released via admission email. THE FINAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS SUBJECT TO THE ADMISSION EMAIL RECEIVED! Besides, the admission notice and visa application form will be sent accordingly. The application status will be informed in the CSU China International Student Service System. Please check the application system inbox and your email on time.
(6) Annual Review: All scholarship students shall have the scholarship annual review based on academic and daily performance during the previous academic year, and students will continue to enjoy the scholarship after passing the review. Otherwise, the scholarship will be suspended.
Note:
(a) The materials mentioned above shall be provided in English or Chinese. Materials in any other languages should be notarized in Chinese or English.
(b) An applicant (whose one parent or both are Chinese citizens settling abroad) born with a foreign nationality applying for admission as a foreign student must hold a valid foreign passport or nationality certificate for more than 4 years, and within the last 4 years (up to April 30 in the year of admission), one shall have a record of living abroad for more than 2 years (the actual residence for 9 months in a year can be calculated as 1 year). The calculation is based on entry and exit stamps. Proof of the renunciation of Chinese nationality is required.
(c) The application fees will not be refunded, and materials will not be returned, regardless of admission results, and most prospective candidates will be enrolled according to the application materials. The final financial support is subject to the admission email, NOT THE SYSTEM INTERFACE OR THE ONE YOU APPLIED TO. Please check the email you received.
Contacts
Admission Office, School of International Education, CSU
Non-medical major consultation:
Tel: +86-731-88836410 (bachelor’s programs), 88576284 (graduate programs)
Address: Library 211, Main Campus of Central South University, 932 Lushan South Road, Changsha City, Hunan Province
Medical major consultation:
Tel: +86-731-82650391
Address: Office 708, Xiaoqian Building, Xiangya New Campus, Tongzipo Road, Changsha City, Hunan Province
Fax: +86-731-88836737
Email: admissions@csu.edu.cn
Website
To know more about the Central South University Scholarship, please visit the official website: