Eligibility determines whether an application can be considered. Coverage determines what an award actually pays for. Review these separately for every scholarship and intake.
Build an eligibility matrix
Copy the current official wording for each relevant condition:
- Applicant or nationality category
- Degree level and academic background
- Eligible field or program
- Teaching-language requirement
- Academic or language evidence
- Health or conduct declarations
- Other funding restrictions
- Age or date-based conditions, when stated
Do not generalize a condition from one scholarship to another. GoStudyCN does not publish universal age, score or nationality rules because they depend on the specific notice.
Break coverage into line items
Verify whether the award explicitly includes:
- Tuition
- Accommodation or housing allowance
- Living stipend
- Medical insurance
- Preparatory or language study
- Travel, residence-permit, application or registration costs
Also record the payment method and duration where stated. A benefit may be paid to the university, provided in kind or paid to the student.
The Campus China government-scholarship guide separates full and partial awards and describes coverage by component. Historic tables on that page should not be treated as current amounts without a current-cycle notice.
Check exclusions and first-month costs
Budget for anything the notice does not confirm. Even a broad award may leave upfront travel, deposits, document processing, local transportation or personal expenses. Payment timing can also create a temporary cash need after arrival.
Understand renewal
Look for annual review, academic performance, attendance, conduct and registration-status requirements. Confirm whether the stated duration is guaranteed or conditional, and what happens after a program change, suspension or extension.
Compare offers using the same worksheet
Convert every offer into confirmed coverage, excluded costs, expected personal contribution and renewal risk. This produces a more useful comparison than sorting awards by labels such as “full” or “partial.”