Xiamen University New International Students Scholarships 2026

There’s a specific kind of scholarship that unusually rewards patience: apply months ahead of the deadline, then wait even longer to hear back, with the payoff being full tuition and, for the strongest candidates, a living stipend on top at one of China’s most consistently ranked “Double First-Class” universities.

That’s exactly how Xiamen University’s own scholarship scheme works, and it’s worth knowing upfront that results land in mid-July, which means if you applied for this cycle, you’re likely checking your inbox around now rather than facing a long wait ahead. This guide covers what actually separates Xiamen’s First-Class and Second-Class awards, the age limits that catch applicants out at every degree level, how this scholarship interacts with the separate Chinese Government Scholarship, and the full two-stage process you’ll need to follow for the next intake if this one’s already closed to you.

What the Xiamen University Scholarship Involves

Xiamen University, founded in 1921 by overseas Chinese entrepreneur Tan Kah Kee, set up this scholarship scheme itself in 2006, funding it independently rather than relying solely on the central Chinese Government Scholarship system that many other Chinese universities depend on.

That distinction matters practically: XMU’s own scholarship runs on its own separate timeline and selection process, judged entirely by the university rather than by China’s national Scholarship Council. XMU sits among China’s leading institutions under the 211 Project, 985 Project, and Double First-Class Initiative, spans four campuses including one in Malaysia, and offers both Chinese-medium and English-medium instruction across the majority of its degree programmes, which opens the door to applicants without existing Chinese language proficiency for many courses.

Xiamen University New International Students Scholarships Summary

What Makes You Eligible for This Scholarship

• You need to meet the specific academic admission requirements for whichever programme you’re applying to. The scholarship is only considered after your admission application succeeds, not alongside it
• For Bachelor’s programmes, you need a senior high school diploma or equivalent, and you need to be under 25 years old by 1 September of your intended start year
• For Master’s programmes, you need a Bachelor’s degree or above, and you need to be under 40 years old by the same date
• For Doctoral programmes, you need a Master’s degree or above, and you need to be under 45 years old by the same date
• You need to be a non-Chinese citizen in good physical and mental health, holding a valid regular passport
• If your intended programme isn’t taught in English, or you don’t hold prior education conducted entirely in English, you’ll typically need an HSK certificate at the level your programme requires
• If you’re applying to an Art or Architecture programme specifically, you’ll need to submit a digital portfolio of your work as part of your application

What First-Class and Second-Class Actually Mean

This is a distinction that trips up a lot of applicants reading only the headline “fully funded” framing. XMU splits its scholarship into two tiers:

• First-Class covers full tuition and adds a monthly living stipend of RMB 3,000 per month for Master’s recipients and RMB 3,500 per month for Doctoral recipients, aligned with Chinese Government Scholarship benchmark rates
• Second-Class generally covers tuition fees only, with no stipend attached

Which tier you’re offered, if any, depends on how the university’s evaluation committee ranks your overall application, academic record, language proficiency, research potential, and supervisor recommendations, where relevant, all of which factor in, and this isn’t something you select yourself when applying.

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How This Interacts With the Chinese Government Scholarship

Xiamen University separately runs applications for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) University Program, a nationally funded scheme distinct from XMU’s own scholarship. You’re free to apply for both in parallel, but you’ll only ever be awarded one if you’re selected for the CSC Scholarship, you become ineligible for the university-level XMU award, and vice versa. Worth knowing if you’re weighing both: the CSC Scholarship generally runs a slightly different deadline (historically mid-February for XMU’s Type B track) and different age limits from XMU’s own scheme, so treat them as two separate applications with two separate timelines rather than one combined process.

What This Scholarship Doesn’t Cover

• Any application fee XMU charges to process your admission is typically a separate, non-refundable cost that applicants bear themselves
• HSK or other language proficiency test fees, which students pay independently
• Any costs beyond tuition and, for First-Class postgraduate awardees, the monthly stipend, accommodation, insurance, and other living costs beyond the stipend amount are generally the student’s own responsibility unless you separately qualify for CSC-level support instead

What Documents You Need to Prepare

• A completed online admission application through XMU’s application portal
• The signed Xiamen University Scholarship Application Form, downloaded from the official admissions site and completed in Chinese or English
• Academic certificates and transcripts
• A digital portfolio, if you’re applying to Art or Architecture
• Any additional supporting documents your specific programme requires

Every document is submitted digitally through the online system — XMU is explicit that no paper submission is required, so there’s no need to courier physical copies alongside your online application.

What the Application Process Requires

1. Apply for admission to Xiamen University first, through the official application portal, since scholarship consideration only begins once your admission application is underway
2. Complete the online admission application in full, choosing the correct guide for your intended level: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral
3. Download the Xiamen University Scholarship Application Form from the official admissions site
4. Complete the form in Chinese or English and sign it
5. Upload the signed scholarship form, alongside all other required documents, to the online application system
6. Submit your complete application before the deadline. No hard copies are needed
7. Monitor your email and the application portal regularly, since XMU’s evaluation runs on academic record, language proficiency, research potential, and overall merit, and updates come through these channels rather than by phone
8. Wait for final results, published on XMU’s admissions website for this cycle, expected in mid-July 2026

Application Timeline

• Application period: 1 December 2025 to 10 April 2026, now closed
• Evaluation: XMU reviews applications on academic record, language proficiency, research achievements, and supervisor comments where relevant
• Results: Published on the XMU admissions website in mid-July 2026, this is imminent or already underway as you’re reading this, so checking the portal directly is worth doing now rather than waiting
• Next expected cycle: XMU has run this application window consistently from 1 December through 10 April in recent cycles. Based on that pattern, expect the 2027 cycle to open around 1 December 2026, with a deadline likely falling around 10 April 2027 — confirm exact dates on XMU’s official admissions site as the period approaches

What to Do While You Wait, or While Planning Ahead

• If you’ve already applied, keep checking both your email and the XMU application portal directly through mid-July, since results are published there first
• If you’re planning for the next cycle, start your admission application as early into the December opening as possible, since scholarship consideration depends entirely on having an active admission application already in motion
• Decide early whether you’re also pursuing the separate CSC Scholarship, and track its distinct deadline and age limits independently rather than assuming they align with XMU’s own scheme
• If your programme isn’t English-medium, begin HSK preparation well ahead of the application window, since language proficiency evidence needs to be ready to submit alongside your other documents
• Art and Architecture applicants should start building their digital portfolio early, given the additional preparation this requires beyond the standard document set

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Xiamen University Scholarship still accepting 2026 applications?

No. The application window ran from 1 December 2025 to 10 April 2026 and is now closed. Results are expected in mid-July 2026, so if you applied, you’re close to hearing back.

Can I apply for both the XMU Scholarship and the Chinese Government Scholarship?

Yes, but you can only be awarded one. If you’re selected for the CSC Scholarship, you become ineligible for the university-level XMU award.

What’s the difference between First-Class and Second-Class awards?

First-Class covers tuition plus a monthly stipend for Master’s and Doctoral recipients. Second-Class generally covers tuition fees only, with no stipend.

Do I need to already speak Chinese to apply?

Not necessarily. Many programmes are taught in English, and if your prior education was conducted entirely in English, you may not need a separate language test — but Chinese-medium programmes will require HSK proficiency at the required level.

Is there an application fee?

Yes. XMU typically charges a non-refundable application fee to process international admissions, separate from the scholarship itself.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details and figures in this post are verified from official Xiamen University admissions sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official Xiamen University Admissions website (admissions.xmu.edu.cn) before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Xiamen University.

Official Application Portal