How to Apply for China’s Latest Scholarship: A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever thought of studying abroad? When it comes to pursuing a Master’s degree outside Nigeria, the top favourite countries of many Nigerians are usually the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Well, this has only led to an influx of Nigerians in these countries, leading to one restriction or the other.

But if there’s one thing we know how to do well as Nigerians, it’s finding new opportunities, and China is offering a fully funded scholarship opportunity for Masters degree programmes. This scholarship is being offered by the Central South University (CSU) for talented individuals with leadership qualities through the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Programme (YES China).

If you want to know more about China’s latest scholarship and how you can apply this 2024 (hurry before the window closes), then here’s a comprehensive guide for you:

What is the CSU Scholarship?

The Central South University Scholarship is designed for international students who want to pursue a Masters degree in China. Here are a few things to know about the scholarship:

• The CSU scholarship fully covers tuition fees.
• It is open to non-Chinese citizens.
• The programmes will be taught in English, so not knowing Chinese is not a restriction.
• The scholarship has three programmes:
  • English-taught master’s degree programme for mineral and metallurgical talented people.
  • Civil engineering infrastructure construction and maintenance programme.
  • English-taught master’s degree programme for traffic and transportation engineering talented people.
• The programmes will run for two years.
• In the second year of the programme, you will return to your home country to complete the dissertation based on your work and then come back to China to defend it.

Eligibility Criteria to Apply for the CSU Scholarship

To apply for China’s latest scholarship, you must meet the eligibility requirements. 

See what will be required of you below to know if you check the boxes:

1. You must be a non-Chinese citizen.
2. You must be less than 45 years old.
3. You should be in good health both physically and mentally.
4. As an applicant, you must have professional experience in any of the following four categories:
   • Public official of the government department of your host country at the division level or higher.
   • Senior management of institutions and enterprises.
   • Administrative staff of universities and research institutions.
   • You should be working with or have worked with an international organisation.
5. You should receive a pre-admission letter from Central South University before applying.

If you meet all the eligibility requirements, then the next step is to apply for the scholarship. You’ll see how to do so below.

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How to Apply for the CSU Scholarship

If you’re ready to apply for the CSU scholarship or you just want to know the steps ahead of time so you can start getting geared on, then here’s a step-by-step guide to help you out:

Step 1: Prepare Your Application Materials

The first step is to gather the documents that will be needed for the application. The documents you’ll need are:

• Homepage of your passport. This should be a valid passport that will expire after September 2025.

Note: If your passport does not meet the requirements, then you will need to apply for a new one before starting your CSU scholarship application.

• Notarised undergraduate degree certificate. These should be written in English or Chinese.
• Stamped academic transcripts.
• Proof of language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).
• A study plan for coming to China. This will contain a personal statement, your research proposal, and plans after graduation.
• Proof of employment.
• Your CV.
• Two recommendation letters from professors or senior professionals. These must be issued after October 1, 2024.
• A signed and stamped physical examination record be accompanied by a blood test report. 
• Non-criminal record with an official stamp. Issued after October 1, 2024.
• Statement of not receiving any scholarships or forms of funding.
• Other supporting documents, such as awards or published papers.

Pro Tip: Your application documents language must be either English or Chinese, and they should be clear, valid, and accurate.

Step 2: Submit your Documents Online to Start the Online Application

After gathering all the relevant documents, submit them online to csc@csu.edu.cn by 24:00 February 15, 2025.

Your application should be titled “Application for Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Program Chinese Government Scholarship.” 

A pre-admission letter will be sent by email if you meet the admission requirements.

Visit the Central South University International Student Portal to register and fill out the online application form. Ensure all details are accurate and complete.

Step 3: Complete the Online Application

Complete your online application by logging in to the Chinese Government Scholarship Management Information System before March 15, 2025, and submit application materials to the China Scholarship Council.

At this point, you should have received a pre-admission letter from the programme. On receiving the letter, choose ‘Type A’ for the type of scholarship. Use the agency code number 1563 and find the application programme “Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Program Chinese Government Scholarship.”.

Step 4: Wait for your Application to be Reviewed

After submitting your application, you will have to wait for it to be reviewed by the China Scholarship Council. This wait period will take place between April and May 2025.

See more details about the timeline of your application below:

CSU Scholarship Application Dates and Timeline

Pro Tip: The application timeline began this November. Take advantage of the time you have left to gather your documents and turn them in before the deadline. You don’t want to miss your chance.

Check more information about the CSU scholarship here.

Tips for a Successful Application

1. Highlight Your Achievements: Showcase your leadership and governance experiences upfront to stand out among applicants.
2. Write a Compelling Study Plan: Clearly outline your academic goals, reasons for choosing CSU, and how this scholarship will help you achieve them. You can hire a professional writer to help you out with this.
3. Proofread Your Application: Ensure all documents are free of errors and adhere to the scholarship guidelines. When scanning documents to upload, always confirm that they are clear enough before submitting them.
4. Apply Early: Start now to begin your application by getting all the required documents. Also, keep close tabs on the application timeline at all times to stay on track with the progress of your application so you don’t miss a deadline. 

What Next?

Simple: start your application today! The earlier you latch on to the CSU Scholarship 2024, the better your chances of getting success in your application. 

Ensure that you meet all the requirements, and don’t think you can proceed and manoeuvre your way without complete documents. So be thorough in your application and don’t leave any box unticked.

When you do all this, then you might just get an email in June 2025 to resume in September. 

Elsie Udoh

SEO Content Writer | Website | + posts

Elsie Udoh is an SEO content writer who specialises in writing engaging stories that resonates with diverse audiences. She studied mass communication at the Lagos State University.

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