Chengdu Sister City Scholarship 2027 Opens With Tuition, Housing and Living Support
China’s western innovation hub is quietly offering one of the more geographically targeted international student funding schemes for 2027 applicants. The Chengdu Sister City Scholarship, backed by the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and hosted at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), is designed specifically for students connected to Chengdu’s international sister cities and cooperative partner cities.
The scholarship supports international students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or long-term non-degree study in Chengdu, China. Applicants must come from one of Chengdu’s officially recognized sister or friendly cooperative cities and provide proof of that connection through local government documentation. For graduate students, the award can function almost like a fully funded university scholarship package, covering tuition, accommodation, insurance, and a living allowance.
A city-level scholarship with broader geopolitical ambitions
Unlike many Chinese government scholarships that are managed at the national level, the Chengdu Sister City Scholarship is part of Chengdu’s municipal diplomacy strategy. Established in 2014, the programme was created to deepen academic and cultural ties between Chengdu and its international partner cities through education exchange.
That structure makes the award unusually specific. Eligibility is not determined only by grades or nationality, but also by whether the applicant has a documented connection to one of Chengdu’s officially recognized sister cities. Students may qualify if they were born, currently studying, working, or residing in one of those cities and can obtain confirmation letters from relevant local authorities.
For applicants who already have academic or municipal exchange links with China, this requirement may actually narrow competition compared to globally open scholarship schemes that attract tens of thousands of applicants each year.
What the scholarship actually covers?
Funding differs between undergraduate and graduate applicants, and the distinction matters financially.
For undergraduate students, the Chengdu government scholarship covers:
- Tuition fees
- On-campus accommodation
- Medical insurance in China
The support period can extend up to four years depending on programme duration.
Graduate students receive a more comprehensive package. According to UESTC, graduate awardees receive tuition coverage, campus housing, medical insurance, and a living allowance aligned with the university’s full scholarship standard.
What is notably absent from the published funding details is international airfare coverage or visa fee reimbursement. Applicants should therefore budget separately for travel and pre-arrival costs.
Why UESTC attracts international STEM applicants?
UESTC has become increasingly visible among international applicants seeking engineering, electronics, AI, telecommunications, and computer science programmes in China. Located in Chengdu — one of China’s fastest-growing technology and startup ecosystems — the university has developed strong research links in electronic engineering and information sciences.
For graduate applicants in particular, the scholarship may be strategically useful because UESTC is one of the Chinese institutions where international students can enter research-intensive programmes without the extremely high competition associated with Beijing or Shanghai universities.
The scholarship’s focus on municipal international cooperation also suggests that applicants with academic, civic, or cultural engagement histories may be viewed more favorably than candidates relying solely on grades.
The application process is document-heavy and timing matters
Applicants first submit materials through the university’s online admission system before arriving at UESTC. After preliminary screening by the university scholarship committee, shortlisted students complete additional verification with the School of International Education before final approval by the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government.
Graduate applicants must provide two recommendation letters signed by professors or associate professors. The application also requires:
- Admission letter or admission notice from UESTC
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- Physical examination form
- Study plan of at least 800 words
- Published papers or academic articles for graduate applicants
Students already receiving another scholarship are not eligible for this programme.
The last date to apply for undergraduate admissions under the Chengdu Sister City Scholarship is June 30, 2027, while graduate applications close on March 1, 2027.
For students already linked to one of Chengdu’s sister cities, this scholarship sits in a rare category: less globally crowded than major Chinese state scholarships, but still financially significant enough to offset most core study costs in China. The real challenge may not be academic eligibility, but proving the municipal connection clearly and early enough in the application cycle.