Three partial packages can leave different bills
A tuition-only scholarship leaves living costs and usually housing to the student. Shanghai Category B covers tuition and medical insurance. Beijing Category B adds accommodation to tuition and insurance but does not include the Category A living allowance. These are materially different packages even though both cities use the letter B.
UCAS’s own 2026 partial scholarship names tuition, medical insurance and an application-fee waiver. It should not be expanded to include the full-award stipend. Comparing by the label partial would hide those differences; compare actual covered items instead.
Calculate the difference with the same assumed expenses
Illustration only: suppose accommodation costs CNY 1200 per month and other living expenses cost CNY 1800. A package covering accommodation but no living stipend leaves CNY 1800 each month in this simplified budget. A package covering neither leaves CNY 3000. These assumed prices are not official city averages.
The example leaves travel and deposits outside the monthly calculation. It also assumes the offered housing actually meets the accommodation benefit. An approved dormitory place cannot automatically be converted into rent for any private apartment.
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 Add the relevant notice or document beside each item; leave unpublished details marked “to confirm”.
- Covered costs and costs you still have to pay
- Cost you must cover if funding is delayed or not awarded
- Actual course duration and enrolment category
Your next step
Three preparation tasks, with useful guides. No account or email; this is not an eligibility assessment or scholarship prediction.
Build my free preparation planA one-year offer does not automatically cover a whole degree
Funding duration belongs in the comparison beside the covered expenses. UCAS’s cited own scholarship limits degree support to no more than 36 months without extension. Municipal frameworks also use renewal or annual review. The degree duration and funding duration therefore need not be interchangeable.
If a degree is longer than the confirmed support, calculate the unfunded period before accepting. Do not include future merit awards as certain income. For two simultaneous offers, check each scheme’s combination rules rather than adding their maximum amounts.
Compare partial support by its actual items
| Named scheme | Tuition | Housing | Living allowance | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing B, 2026 framework | Covered | Covered | Not listed for B | Covered |
| Beijing C, 2026 framework | Covered | Not listed for C | Not listed for C | Covered |
| Shanghai B, current framework | Covered | Not included | Not included | Covered |
| UCAS partial, 2026 own scholarship | Covered | Not included in partial coverage | Not included in partial coverage | Covered |
This is a coverage comparison, not a promise that every university offers each category to every programme.
Read the actual benefit breakdown
Under the current full CGS baseline, four core benefits are listed. Other programmes use their own definitions. A tuition scholarship may waive the full tuition charge or only a stated portion, while a room benefit may cover campus accommodation only. The label “full” should always lead to a written benefit breakdown, not an assumption about every expense.
Funding duration and renewal change the comparison
Eligibility and funding continuity are separate issues. An award may be limited to new students, certain majors, one academic year or renewal after an annual review. Check whether a preparatory language period is included and what happens if the degree takes longer. Admission eligibility alone does not prove that funding covers your chosen study duration.
FAQ
Is a full tuition waiver the same as a full scholarship?
No. Tuition-only support can leave accommodation, living expenses and insurance unpaid. Compare the written benefits and duration, rather than using the word full without checking which expense it describes.
Your next step
Three preparation tasks, with useful guides. No account or email; this is not an eligibility assessment or scholarship prediction.
Build my free preparation plan