Generation UK - China Scholarships

All scholarships cover tuition fees, accommodation, and a basic monthly living allowance. All you need to pay for are return flights (£500-700), travel and medical insurance and visa costs (less than £100).

You can decide in which amazing location you want to be based and what subjects (at a non-degree level) you wish to study. With over 150 places available, we strongly encourage you to apply!

1. Why should I go?

With 1.4 billion speakers worldwide, Chinese truly is a global language. Graduates who speak more than one language are highly sought-after, and with China’s increasing role in the world market, Mandarin is becoming a favourite among employers. Chinese universities attract many international students for their high quality teaching and offer various scholarships.

This isn’t a gap year. It’s not your chance to get a cheap holiday. Yes, you’ll have a great time, and yes, you will get to experience life in a completely different culture, but it’s about gaining new skills to make you more employable in the future. You will:

Truly experience China, which is increasingly valued by employers. Studying in China will give you an insight into Chinese culture, and make you more aware of cultural differences and similarities. Gain knowledge of Mandarin and develop a connection with China, which will enhance your employability. Remember, China may soon overtake the USA as the world’s largest economy. Make your CV stand out from the crowd, which is necessary as the job-market becomes more and more competitive due to globalisation.

2. Am I eligible?

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then you need to make sure you’re eligible to apply. Generation UK-China academic scholarships are available to anyone who is:

A British passport holder (for NI domiciled only, British or Irish passport holder) A full-time student enrolled at a UK university or a recent graduate (applying within one year of your graduation date). Aged 18 and above.

1. I am not a British passport holder. Am I still eligible?
Unfortunately not, candidates must be a British passport holder (including Irish or NI domiciled). Please note that this means we are also unable to accept those with permanent residency status in the UK if they are not British citizens.

2. I am currently in my first year of university and do not yet have a grade transcript from university. Am I still eligible?
Unfortunately not, and we are unable to accept A-Level or GCSE results as sufficient evidence. Please wait until you have finished your first year and obtained a grade transcript before making your application.

3. I previously took part in a Generation UK internship programme. Am I still eligible?
Yes, previous Generation UK interns can take part in this programme. However, Generation UK scholars are unable to apply for a Generation UK internship after they have completed their scholarship programme.

4. I am currently studying for a Masters. Am I still eligible?
Yes, Masters students are eligible for our programmes, provided you are currently studying or have graduated in the past year.

5. What do you suggest if I am not eligible for the programme?
There are still many options to come to China, even if you are not eligible for one of our Generation UK China scholarships. Please sign up to our newsletter, which we also use to advertise other opportunities, or email us at [email protected]ouncil.org.cn for recommendations to come to China outside of our programme.

3. How long does it last?

Programmes are flexible and vary, with courses lasting from a single semester to a whole year. It really just depends on where you want to go. You can choose to start your programme in either September or February, within the same academic year.

4. When will I find out term dates for my scholarship?

If accepted onto a programme, your university will provide you with detailed term dates but we expect terms to run from late February-late June or early September-late January.

5. What courses are available?

We have six different joint provincial scholarships on offer, partnering with a total of 36 universities across Shanghai, Fujian, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Shandong, and Chongqing. Many scholars choose to take an intensive course in Chinese language, while others prefer to learn about key disciplines such as Business, Economics and Law in China. The choice is yours!

We’ll have a new scholarship brochure coming out later this month detailing the universities and programmes available so stay tuned to the website and check back regularly.

We also offer the British Council China Scholarship in partnership with the China Scholarship Council to offer you a scholarship that can be used for any non-degree study of your own choice, at any mainland Chinese university, and with a tuition fee up to 30,000 RMB. The application process and deadline for this programme varies from our joint provincial scholarships so do double check the details listed below the programme.

6. How much will it cost?

The cost of living in China varies greatly depending on the province you choose to visit and your lifestyle choice. Each scholarship is jointly funded by the British Council and the individual Provincial Education Department, and should cover all your basic living needs. To get the full experience of all that China has to offer, it would be a good idea to have some extra cash handy to cover any additional costs during your time on the programme such as travel and leisure activities etc.

You will receive:

• accommodation at the university 
• tuition fees paid for a basic monthly allowance of 1000-1600 RMB depending on your province (1000RMB is currently approximately £100) 
• a settlement allowance of 1000RMB in your first month to assist you with set-up costs i.e. utilities, mobile sim card, internet, text books etc. (not applicable to all programmes - the settlement allowance will not be included in the Shanghai, Fujian, Tianjin and Zhejiang scholarship programme.)

What costs will I need to cover?
You will need to cover costs including:

• return flights
• visa
• vaccinations
• travel
• medical insurances
• other living and travel expenses. These might include registration fees, utilities, textbooks and a refundable accommodation deposit. 

Costs vary depending on your standard of living, and you should also factor in whether you would wish to travel and explore China in your free time.

What costs does Generation UK cover?
Generation UK-China covers your tuition fees, basic shared accommodation and a monthly living stipend. This stipend varies according to which province you study in but will be between 1000-1600RMB/month. For some programmes, there will also be an initial settlement allowance of approx. 1000RMB for your first month. All payments will be transferred to a Chinese bank account which you will be required to set up upon arrival.

7. Do I need to speak Mandarin?

No, all scholarship courses are suitable for complete beginners in Mandarin. However, there is also the opportunity to be placed in classes for intermediate and advanced learners. In this case, you can expect an informal language test upon arrival to make sure you get put in the right class. If this is your first experience with the Mandarin language, we’d strongly recommend you learn a few of the basics before you go so that you can hit the ground running.

8. What is the application process?

Applications open at various points in the year depending on the programme you are applying for and the availability. To find out more about each scholarship, please view the programme headers below and complete the online application form. Application instructions are available to download at the bottom. You can apply for more than one programme and places are limited so we’d advise you to apply as early as possible.

Applications for September 2016/17 scholarships will open on 15th January 2016.

1. How do I make an application?
Please check out our 'Study in China' page on the Study Work Create portal for more information, the all-important deadline dates and the online application forms listed below each scholarship. Do also sign up to our newsletter to be alerted when applications open.

2. Do any of these scholarships fund Bachelor’s/Master’s degrees?
No- these scholarships are designed for students to take between five months and one year of non-degree primarily Chinese language, study in mainland China.

3. What exactly is ‘non-degree’ study?
Non-degree means that you do not obtain an academic degree at the end of the course, and your studies in China cannot be used as part of your course in the UK. However, some of the Chinese universities are open to, after you finish your first year, let you stream into the second year of a relevant degree programme. However, the second year will not be funded by Generation UK-China, and such options would need to be discussed with the universities individually.

4. I am going to China to study for a year as part of my degree in the UK. Can I use one of the Generation UK-China Scholarships to fund this?
No - these scholarships are for students who wish to undertake between five and twelve months of independent, non-degree study.

5. Can I apply to multiple scholarships?
Yes - students are welcome to apply to as many scholarships as they like, which will all be assessed at one time. Once a student is accepted onto one scholarship programme, their application will not progress any further with others.

6. Do I need to apply to the universities separately after obtaining a scholarship?
No. Your application to one of the scholarships means you are applying to a place at the university at the same time. If you are successful in obtaining a scholarship, this means you have a funded place at the university and we will be in touch to guide you with the next steps.

7. How do I find out more about the particular scholarship programme I am interested in?
Please consult the programme brochure on the ‘Study in China’ page on our Study Work Create portal.

8. What does an academic reference need to include?
An academic reference needs to be typed on university letterhead paper and signed by the author. They should include information such as their academic relationship to you, your academic profile, and why they would recommend you for the programme. We require scanned copies of a printed and signed reference to be uploaded along with your application.

9. I do not speak Mandarin - will this affect my application?
No - your proficiency in Mandarin does not form part of the assessment process.

10. Once I’ve submitted my application, how do I know you have received it?
An automatic response will be sent to all received applications. It is with regret that we are unable to comment on unsuccessful applications and if you have not heard from us within 8 weeks you should consider your application unsuccessful.

11. When will I find out if I have been awarded a place?
Candidates can expect to be informed if they have been awarded a place or not around six weeks after the application closing date. We also shortlist candidates for a waiting list in case further places open up due to drop outs.

12. I completed a Generation UK-China Scholarship last year. Can I reapply?
Unfortunately not, we want to offer as many different students as we can the chance to gain this amazing international experience!

9. Can you tell me more information about the course I will be studying on?

Course information is provided by your university and they will get back to us by the end of December regarding your university place, should you be accepted. Please consult the programme brochure for further information about what to expect from a non-degree, primarily Chinese language, course at one of our universities.

10. Can I extend my scholarship after it has been completed?

Unfortunately we have limited funding, and at current do not have any availability to extend scholarships beyond the agreed programmes. However, a number of students have gone on to fund themselves or receive support from their universities and other funding bodies in order to continue for another semester – or longer!

11. When’s the deadline?

The next round of scholarship applications will open on 15th January 2016 and the deadline to apply to programmes vary between the British Council China Scholarship and the joint provincial scholarship. For information on each of the provinces, and to apply, please click here.