Approval is required before the accommodation benefit becomes an allowance
CLEC’s 2026 rules generally provide a dormitory, normally a shared room. After a recipient requests and receives the university’s approval for off-campus residence, the stated allowance is CNY 1000 per month for doctoral students and CNY 700 for other covered categories. The university pays monthly or quarterly.
A private lease alone does not establish the approval. Before declining a dormitory, obtain the allowed arrangement and understand whether the student must first pay rent. The benefit is not a promise to reimburse whatever apartment price is chosen.
Calculate the rent gap and the upfront payment separately
Illustration only: rent of CNY 1500 against an approved CNY 700 allowance leaves CNY 800 per month to fund personally. The assumed rent is not a surveyed city price. A deposit and rent due before the allowance arrive would be additional cash-flow needs.
Quarterly payment can also create a timing difference even where the total allowance is sufficient for part of the cost. Keep the written approval and the actual benefit category beside the lease. Do not apply these CLEC amounts to CSC, Beijing or Shanghai simply because each scheme supports housing.
Put this guide into practice
Create a short record for your intended programme. Add the relevant notice or document beside each item; leave unpublished details marked “to confirm”.
- Written off-campus approval and actual allowance rule
- Payments due before enrolment or the first stipend
- Payment dates, payee and refund conditions
Housing does not replace attendance or residence obligations
Changing accommodation does not remove scholarship registration, course participation or local accommodation-registration duties. The CLEC notice also has consequences for personal absence, suspension and withdrawal. A housing payment must remain within the approved study and funding period.
For a short course or an early departure, clarify how the approved support ends rather than assuming a twelve-month rent subsidy. This question is separate from whether private renting is permitted. The useful decision is both where the student may live and how much of that actual arrangement the scholarship covers.
Off-campus housing support requires approval
This is an approved alternative under the scheme, not an automatic payment for anyone who rents privately. Ask the host how permission, eligibility and disbursement work before signing a lease or declining a dormitory place.
An allowance is not the same as your actual rent
An allowance may not cover the entire rent or deposit. Accommodation-registration obligations still apply. These amounts belong to this scholarship’s rules and should not be presented as the universal housing rate for CSC or city awards.
FAQ
Can I rent privately and automatically receive the scholarship’s housing allowance?
No. The cited alternative requires the host’s approval and the relevant eligibility and payment procedure. Obtain confirmation before relying on the allowance or giving up a dormitory place.