King’s College London and the China Scholarship Council (CSC) hold an agreement to jointly fund Chinese students to pursue research degrees (PhDs) at King’s College London. Jointly funded scholarships from King’s College London and the China Scholarship Council for Chinese students to pursue full-time PhDs at King’s College London. K-CSC scholarship awards are available for the 2026-27 competition. Please be aware that students funded through this scheme must abide by any additional terms and conditions set by the CSC.
They are holding an online K-CSC information drop-in session via Zoom for prospective candidates who would like to find out more about the scholarship opportunity and process. This session offers the opportunity to ask questions.
As part of an agreement between the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and King’s College London, successful applicants will have their full international tuition fees waived by the university. In addition, the CSC provides an annual living allowance (currently set at £1,200–£1,350 per month*), overseas student health cover, return airfare to London, and visa application fees.
K-CSC scholarship awards are available for the 2026-27 competition. The scholarship is valid for up to four years.
You will not be required to pay any ‘bench fees’. These should be waived or covered by your supervisor, department, or faculty at King’s.
*Please be aware that the cost of living in capital cities is usually higher than the rest of the country. This is true of London. Whilst funders may recognize this with their stipend levels, many CSC students choose to supplement their stipend in some way with additional funds. We encourage you to consult the Money Advice webpages for guidance on budgeting while living in London.
Please be aware that students funded through this scheme must abide by any additional terms and conditions set by the CSC. Scholars will be required to enter into a legally binding agreement with the CSC before they are able to take up the scholarship. If there are any significant developments that could affect/hamper a scholar’s expected completion of the PhD, scholars are advised to get in touch with the Education Section in the Chinese Embassy.
some programmes will require two references, and some will only require one reference. Your online admissions application will indicate the correct number of references needed for your programme, and the admissions system will automatically submit a request to your given referee(s) once you have submitted your admissions application. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that your referee(s) submit the reference(s) on time.
Location:
EnglandBenefits
- As part of an agreement between the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and King’s College London, successful applicants will have their full international tuition fees waived by the university. In addition, the CSC provides an annual living allowance (currently set at £1,200–£1,350 per month*), overseas student health cover, return airfare to London, and visa application fees.
- The scholarship is valid for up to four years.
- You will not be required to pay any ‘bench fees’. These should be waived or covered by your supervisor, department, or faculty at King’s.
- *Please be aware that the cost of living in capital cities is usually higher than the rest of the country. This is true of London. Whilst funders may recognise this with their stipend levels, many CSC students choose to supplement their stipend in some way with additional funds. We encourage you to consult the Money Advice webpages for guidance on budgeting while living in London.
Eligibilities
- Be citizens and permanent residents of the People’s Republic of China (holding a valid Chinese passport);
- Be due to commence a full-time MPhil/PhD research degree programme at King’s College London in the 2026-27 academic year (i.e., from October 2026 and by no later than June 2027), with the intention to complete a PhD.
- Satisfy criteria set out by the CSC, e.g., relating to age, education, and employment.
- Agree to return to China upon completion of your studies/research.
- Apply to King’s College London for the scholarship by the deadline of 1 January 2026, 23:59 UK time, following the instructions in the ‘Application Process’ section).
- By the deadline of 14 January 2026, 23:59 UK time:
- Submit all required documentation to support your King’s admissions application.
- Meet the English language requirements for your chosen research programme.
- Ensure that your referees have submitted their references to support your application.
- Complete the separate CSC application process and submit the required documentation to the CSC by its stated deadlines. NB: CSC application rules differ slightly between domestic applicants (those applying in China) and overseas applicants (those applying from abroad) – further guidance is provided below, under ‘CSC guidance’.
- Applicants who have already commenced their doctoral degree at King’s are not eligible.
- These scholarships cannot be held on a part-time basis.
- Visiting / Non-award PhDs are not eligible.
- Distance learning programmes are not eligible.
- Professional doctorate degrees (such as the MD(Res) and DClinPsy) are not eligible.
- Joint PhD programmes are not eligible.
- Applicants who fail to apply to both King’s and the CSC will not be considered.
- These scholarships cannot commence prior to October 2026 or after June 2027.
- CSC Guidance: Depending on whether a candidate is applying from within China (domestic applicant), or from abroad (overseas Chinese applicant), the following CSC rules apply to King’s candidates:
- For domestic applicants, applicants must either:
- Be in the final year of an undergraduate degree at a Chinese university/institute in China and hold an MPhil/PhD offer to study at King’s for 2026-27. Or,
- Be completing a master’s degree at a Chinese university/institute in China and hold an MPhil/PhD offer to study at King’s for 2026-27. Or,
- Be an in-service staff (i.e., employed) in China and hold an MPhil/PhD offer to study at King’s for 2026-27.
- For overseas Chinese applicants, applicants must either:
- Be studying a master’s degree abroad (e.g., in the UK) and be due to complete in 2026 and hold an MPhil/PhD offer to study at King’s for 2026-27. Or,
- Be an overseas Chinese applicant (not including those who returned to China and then went abroad) who completed their master’s degree at an overseas university within one year and hold an MPhil/PhD offer to study at King’s for 2026-27.
- Important Note: Final-year undergraduate students studying abroad (i.e., outside of China) are not eligible to apply to the CSC.
- The above CSC guidance is correct at the time of publishing but may be subject to change. Please refer to the CSC website for the most up-to-date information. For clarity on individual situations, please contact the CSC directly.
Application Process
- STEP 1: By the deadline of 23:59 UK time on 1 January 2026, you MUST: Submit an application, Contact a potential supervisor, Enter the correct funding code
- STEP 2: By the deadline of 23:59 UK time on 14 January 2026, you MUST- Ensure that you have submitted all the required supporting documentation as part of your online Admissions application, to include: Official degree transcripts and certificates, Proof of English language proficiency, References, Additional documents (if applicable), English Language Requirements
- STEP 3: Submit a separate application to the CSC:
Application Deadline: January 18, 2026 (91 Days Remaining)
Apply nowOfficial link
