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Under 18 and applying for a Chinese Government Scholarship: the guardian papers

Sources checked · Chinese Government Scholarship

An applicant under 18 who applies for a Chinese Government Scholarship must submit the legal documents of his or her legal guardian(s) in China. That requirement is item 11 of section VI, Application Documents, of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council. The Application Guide states conditions of that scholarship, so it is not a general admission rule for self-funded students.

Item 11 of the Application Guide

Section VI lists 13 items. Item 11 reads:

  1. An applicant under the age of 18 shall submit the legal documents of his/her legal guardian(s) in China;

Item 11 names no form for these legal documents.

Item 5 of the Silk Road scholarship notice

The Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship notice, published by the China Scholarship Council (Campus China), lists its application documents in section II, List of Application Documents. Item 5 reads:

  1. Valid documents of your legal guardians in China (only required for applicants under the age of 18).

Item 5 names no form for the documents. Its wording belongs to that programme's notice and applies to that programme.

Article 38, first paragraph, of Order No. 42

Order No. 42 is the Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools, issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. Its official text is in Chinese. The English below is this site's translation.

The first paragraph of Article 38 says that when a school enrols an international student under eighteen whose parents do not live permanently in China, the school must require the parents to formally entrust a foreigner or a Chinese person who lives permanently in China as the student's guardian, with relevant supporting documents.

The first paragraph is addressed to the school. It names no form for the supporting documents. The second paragraph of Article 38 concerns groups studying for short periods and is not quoted here.

How the three provisions differ

  • Item 11 of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship uses the phrase "legal documents" and applies to an applicant under the age of 18. It names no form.
  • Item 5 of the Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship notice uses the phrase "valid documents" and states in its own parenthesis that it applies to applicants under the age of 18. It names no form.
  • The first paragraph of Article 38 of Order No. 42 uses the phrase "relevant supporting documents" and is addressed to schools that enrol such students. It names no form.

Each provision uses its own wording. Read each one on its own terms.

A planning suggestion

This is a suggestion, not a rule from any of the three provisions. Since none of them names a form for the guardian documents, ask the office that receives your application which form it accepts before you prepare the documents.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, the National Immigration Administration, any embassy or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail if they differ.