Introduction

You can apply for multiple scholarships in China, but there are important restrictions on holding more than one scholarship at the same time, particularly if they are provided by the Chinese government. For international student recruiters, university admissions teams, agency partners, and HR/marketing professionals in education, understanding these restrictions is essential to protect students, preserve institutional compliance, and maintain the integrity of scholarship programs.

This guide translates official rules into operational processes you can apply today. It clarifies application limits, the prohibition on dual awards, what can and cannot be combined with government funding, institutional review expectations, and practical steps your team should take to manage risk. Wherever relevant, we show how Study in China (and our regional partner Study in Russia) supports recruitment, scholarship advisory and automation to simplify compliance and improve outcomes.

You can apply for multiple scholarships in China, but there are important restrictions on holding more than one scholarship at the same time, particularly if they are provided by the Chinese government

At the core of scholarship governance in China—especially for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS/CSC)—are two principles:

• Applicants may submit multiple applications within very specific limits; and
• Awardees may not concurrently hold overlapping Chinese government-funded scholarships.

Below are the clear rules your recruitment and admissions teams must adopt as policy.

Key rules (summary)

• Application limits for CGS/CSC:
  • Each applicant may submit up to three CGS/CSC applications per enrollment year: a maximum of two Type A applications (via embassies/consulates) and one Type B application (direct to a university).
  • Multiple Type A applications must not be submitted to the same agency.
  • For Type B, an applicant may apply to only one university per year.
• Prohibition on dual awards:
  • If a candidate is awarded a CGS/CSC, they cannot concurrently hold another Chinese government-funded scholarship for the same study period.
  • Discovery of dual awards can lead to cancellation of one or both scholarships.
• Combining scholarships:
  • CGS/CSC generally cannot be combined with other major scholarships or financial aid for the same period.
  • Only single, non-recurring awards (for example, a one-time admission prize or small grant) may be allowed alongside CGS/CSC—subject to program rules.
• Institutional review and fairness:
  • Applications must meet each scholarship’s criteria and pass institutional reviews that safeguard openness, fairness, and impartiality.
• After completion:
  • Past recipients who have completed their program can still apply for a new scholarship for a subsequent program—provided there is no overlap in funding for the same academic period.

Why this matters for institutions and recruiters

• Compliance risk: Accepting or failing to detect overlapping awards can expose universities and agencies to sanctions from funding bodies.
• Reputation risk: Scholarship cancellations and eligibility disputes create negative student experiences and harm institutional credibility.
• Operational burden: Without clear processes, verifying awards and reporting to government agencies becomes resource-intensive and error-prone.

Practical implications and actions for recruiters, admissions teams, and agencies

Before application — advise and screen

• Build scholarship awareness into pre-application counseling:
  • Educate applicants about CGS/CSC limits and differences between Type A and Type B pathways.
  • Emphasize the prohibition on holding multiple Chinese government-funded awards simultaneously.
• Screen documents early:
  • Require applicants to disclose all current and pending scholarships in application forms.
  • Ask for award letters, scholarship contracts, and issuing agency contact details.
• Use explicit declarations:
  • Add a mandatory funding declaration checkbox and signature to applications confirming the applicant is not and will not be a concurrent recipient of government-funded scholarships.

During selection — verify and document

• Verify awards before offer:
  • Verify scholarship offers and grant conditions prior to issuing admission or scholarship offers.
  • Check whether any award conflicts with CGS/CSC rules (for example, a multi-year government grant covering the same program).
• Maintain audit trails:
  • Store scanned award letters, verification emails, and decision notes in student records.
• Add conditional admission clauses:
  • Where necessary, make admission conditional on the student relinquishing conflicting awards or on written confirmation from the funding agency.

After offer and before enrollment — final checks

• Confirm acceptance details:
  • Require students to sign a funding acceptance form that confirms they will not hold conflicting government scholarships during the study period.
• Coordinate with scholarship agencies:
  • If the student is a CGS/CSC awardee, verify the status with the embassy/CSC representative or the awarding university.
• Complete compliance log:
  • Create a final pre-enrollment checklist item to certify funding compliance before issuing enrollment documentation or visa support.

Common scenarios and recommended responses

Scenario 1 — Multiple applications, single award

The applicant applied to two Type A channels and one Type B. They are awarded a Type A CGS scholarship.

Recommended response:

• Inform the student that they must decline any other government-funded awards for the same period.
• Confirm in writing that the student understands the prohibition on concurrent awards.
• Update institutional records to remove any other pending grant offers that would conflict.

Scenario 2 — Two awards discovered after enrollment

A student enrolled with a university scholarship later receives a CGS/CSC award.

Recommended response:

• Immediately contact the awarding agencies and the student.
• Clarify whether the university scholarship can legally coexist with CGS/CSC (rarely allowed).
• If required, arrange the relinquishment of one award and document the process; notify CSC or the relevant embassy if cancellations occur.

Scenario 3 — One-time prize with government scholarship

A student with CGS/CSC receives a one-time admission prize from the university.

Recommended response:

• Validate the prize is non-recurring and small in scale.
• Confirm the CGS/CSC allows combining with one-time awards.
• Document approval from both the university and the CSC where prudent.

Practical templates and sample wording (use in offers and declarations)

Funding declaration (application form)

“I declare that I am not currently receiving, and will not concurrently receive, any Chinese government-funded scholarship (including CGS/CSC) that covers the same academic period for which I am applying. I will immediately inform the admissions office if my funding status changes.”

Conditional offer clause (offer letter)

“This offer of admission is conditional upon the applicant not holding, or accepting, any other Chinese government-funded scholarship that overlaps with the program period. The university reserves the right to rescind the offer if a conflicting scholarship is confirmed.”

Scholarship acceptance (pre-enrolment)

“By accepting this scholarship, the student confirms they will not concurrently accept other Chinese government-funded scholarships during the relevant academic period. The student agrees to provide evidence and withdraw conflicting awards if required.”

Collaboration with Study in Russia and global partners

Study in China works closely with regional partners, including Study in Russia, to support cross-border scholarship management and recruitment workflows. This partnership provides:

• Local regulatory expertise in Eurasia to advise applicants who move between programs or apply to multiple countries.
• Joint training programs for recruiters on scholarship governance across jurisdictions.
• Shared automation best practices to align verification workflows, minimize duplication, and safeguard students’ funding eligibility.

For institutions that run multi-country recruitment campaigns, our combined expertise helps ensure applicants understand restrictions in each jurisdiction and prevents inadvertent overlap that could jeopardize awards.

Final checklist — what your team should do this month

• Update application forms with mandatory scholarship declaration and upload fields.
• Train all staff involved in admissions and scholarship processing on CGS/CSC limits.
• Implement a verification workflow and assign a scholarship compliance lead.
• Add funding-compliance clauses to offer letters and scholarship contracts.
• Pilot a small automation workflow to flag potential funding conflicts.
• Communicate clear pre-enrolment instructions to applicants about scholarship conflicts.

Conclusion — protect students and safeguard outcomes

You can apply for multiple scholarships in China, but there are important restrictions on holding more than one scholarship at the same time, particularly if they are provided by the Chinese government. For recruiters, admissions teams, and partners, the solution is a mix of clear policy, robust verification, contractual safeguards, and automation. These measures protect students’ awards, reduce institutional risk, and preserve the credibility of scholarship programs.

Study in China supports universities, agencies, and international recruitment teams with scholarship advisory, process automation, and training—helping you operationalize the rules and scale compliance. If your organization wants a policy review, automation pilot, or partner training to manage scholarship overlap risk, contact us to discuss a tailored solution.

Take the Next Step with Study in China

Ready to reduce scholarship risk and streamline compliance? Contact Study in China to book a consultation, request a demo of our automation tools, or discuss partnership options.