All the students of China must attend schooling for a minimum of nine years. It is freely accessible to all and is completely funded by the public welfare or government department. The pace at which the country is growing, possesses huge scope and responsibilities, for growth and educational sectors trends of higher or college-level studies. Because of these reasons, China is one of the most important and opportunistic countries in terms of international education. Apart from accepting student admissions from Abroad, the students are also being sent to foreign universities, to get hold of the best education possible. It is one of the countries with the largest migrators for foreign education according to the statistics of a recent survey, by UNESCO. Three times the number of students of Indian origin are being enrolled for higher education in Foreign universities.

The major share of the economy is moving by the expenditures, living expenses and tuition fees of the students residing for future education in the country. And also by the students of China in different countries like the United States, Canada, and the UK. With proper modernization and expansion in the knowledge and education factors, China is present in the race of world education.

China is even remarked as the highest admissions country for PhDs. This itself is worthy of the importance of education in the economy. The research and development departments produce scientific, technical, and medical research papers, of world-recognized quality and are one of the many specialities of the country.

Some of the top universities of the country are counted in the top 200 universities of the world according to the rankings of Times Higher Education (THE). Tsinghua University and Peking University are to name a few. Several students from countries flock to China for international university exposure like Asian countries, Africa, and elsewhere.

Since China is still struggling with the economic disparity in the region, it has huge gaps in the financial markets, and the middle class is the highest growing class in the country. Many universities are offering educational programmes for the same economic imbalance in the population, thus reaching the saturation point of giving basic education and literacy for everybody. This helps in creating opportunities for all the international as well as national students at affordable prices. The Chinese government is investing massively with resources and ways of course knowledge imparting to the masses, and pedalling the wheel of modernization. This is impacting the economy of the country and flying colours in the world.

The country has an extremely complicated, challenging and combative assessment for the university entrance test. It is called Gaokao or China’s “examination hell.” Only a few of the students get selected on the limited seats of the top universities of China, hence the leftover student population is forced to take up education in an overseas university.

• The growing economy of China offers lucrative job opportunities and career-making profiles. The skills and training, from the same country from which one has attained education, is a benefit for the cultural, lingual, societal and traditional values of the candidate. Also, it provides a sense of belongingness to the area, after spending some years in the same.
• China’s booming tech sector gives challenges and learning prospects to the students. The country dominates the market of next-gen technologies, like machine learning, robotics, artificial intelligence, power generation, hydroelectric resources and other newer and emerging networks. Thus leading in the cost-effective ways of holding on to the practices of current societal needs and wants.
• Better finances available in the country, to fund for education programmes,
• Best plethora and pool of start-up and entrepreneurial culture of the world. The assistance of such products are also allowing greater demands and thus skill and knowledge is a must.
• Plenty and variety of course and subject options available in all deemed and recognized universities for higher education, Bachelor’s or PhD.
• Added advantages for those who are not so fluent in the English language, as one gets an added advantage of learning a new language altogether.
• Universities in China come under the Ministry of Education and are divided into 3 segregations.
  • Research universities
  • Comprehensive universities
  • Colleges of professional training and higher vocational education
• Some facts about the Chinese Universities and colleges represent them in the QS World University Rankings. 21 universities are elaborated in the top 500 of the world and 6 in the top 100.
• Tsinghua University is ranked 25th in the world universities and gives qualitative competition to the sector of education.
• With its ranking of the universities called the C9, like America’s Ivy league, education is given huge importance in the country.

There are plenty of disciplines one can pick from to study in English at Chinese universities. Few of the most popular and demanding options to consider:

• Finance (Actuarial Science and Risk Management)
• Marketing
• Computer Science.
• Nursing
• Software Engineering.
• Civil Engineering.
• Dentistry.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Pharmacy
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
• General Engineering
• International Business
• Economics
• Languages
• China Studies
• Medical fields and subjects
• Design
• Web Development and designing
• Arts and Application
• Photogevelopment
• Machine Learning
• Robotics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Food Science and Engineering
• International Relations
• Petroleum Engineering
• Law
• Architecture
• Industrial Management
• Environmental management
• Education Department
• Content Platforms
• Administrative and Managing the country resources
• Creative and literature
• Army, Navy and Airforce and many more

Every year, the enrollment circulars and important documents are published by the Ministry of Education, which can be checked and gained information about from their websites or contact forms. Documents required to study in Chinese Universities are

• Passport photo
• Photocopy of a valid passport
• Photocopy of a valid visa, which must be applied for with due diligence and responsible behaviour. It also has a fee.
• Personal ID card
• Citizenship documents
• Health certificate
• Certification of no criminal record
• Chinese/English language proficiency certificate can be attained after tests of the same as IELTS for English.
• Letter of guarantee, to abide by rules and regulations of country and college premises. With no harm to any of it.
• Proof to support studies in China, financial statements
• Certificate/diploma/mark sheets from the last qualifying paper.
• Academic transcript from last graduated school

Step to follow to get admissions are

Step 1. Decide and make relevant choices for the universities to apply to, especially the ones considered for someone’s studies according to the segregations, the interest and desires, so the vision is clear as to what one needs to study. After the choice of subjects, look for countries offering the best education in that sector. If one specifically wants to go to China, or for the best courses in China, look in the area which suits. Deep studying and analysis are important, but first, get it confirmed. Look for colleges in the same department and streams. Do not make decisions in haste and take the legitimate time to procure information for any of it.

Step 2. Look for the eligibility criteria, and other requirements of the course in terms of qualifications, interests, Physical abilities(especially for administrative and armed forces)

Step 3. China is particular about age, language, cultural background, scores and percentages of previous qualifying exams, look if one matches and falls under the criteria for the same. Certain other requirements are

• HSK Elementary – Science, Engineering and Medicine degrees
• HSK Intermediate – Liberal Arts, Economics, Management and more

Step 4. Collect all the information regarding the country, college ranking, courses offered, cultural duties, faculties, quality of courses, any alumni or someone related to the college. For information, one can seek advice and help from their websites or contact the academic advising centre, or the Chinese embassy.

Step 5. Contact the Office of relevant and shortlisted universities for their admission process before time, and request for their prospectus, also since these are different for different colleges, one has to take extra efforts in looking for this information.

Step 6. Start arranging for the above-mentioned documents, and building up financial scores with bank statements in case one wants to arrange finances and funds to have an education.

Step 7. With the wait and research time, write the entrance tests and exams for all universities separately, and a common test of National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), commonly known as the Gaokao, as per requirements. For courses or streams of English language of communication, qualifying exams of IELTS and TOEFL are required.

Step 8. Subsequently, complete all the details and documents required for the application of the school and university one decides to pursue. Then finally collect all the records. Marksheets, statements, documents and submit them before the deadline of the particular secession. (Please refer to the dates and schedules in advance)

Step 9. Then send in the applications forms and the relevant application fees as per the school or university chose. Instructions for the same can be checked from forms or if one is taking any coaching for tests or tuition for preparation. This must be done under the appropriate time schedules and dates mentioned. Early bird offerings are also present in some Chinese colleges and institutions. To submit the forms and documents one must apply online to their web pages.

Step 10. CUCAS is a self-application platform for all communication between the candidate and the university of the country. Every college and institution is managed on the portal with perfect guidance and advice. Thus decisions can be taken faster.

Step 11. Now is the time for some patience. The application and procedures for university admission, is going on where every candidate is screened and verified, with all the other applicants. So the university and college might take some time. One must wait until the universities finally make their decisions about selection or rejection of the application. Till that time prepare mentally, about how to adjust in a new country and new people.

Step 12. Now the application of a Visa is the final stage to get clear admissions in Chinese universities. Chinese embassy of the home country will be the place of contact. It is situated in New Delhi, the capital of India. Start the procedure to procure a study visa( X1-visa). In case the documents from the universities are not received duly, one can have a tourist visa (L-visa) which must be converted to X1-visa on departure to the country.

Step 13. For Visa, the documents mentioned above are required. With that the same procedure of having a consular interview and then an authentic document, before having tickets booked for transportation.

• Some requirements in terms of documents are
• Original passport with at least 6 months validity
• Remaining and blank visa pages
• Completed visa application form
• Recent colour passport size photo
• Original and photocopy of the admissions letter of the school offering admissions.
• Original and photocopy of the Visa Application form

Tuition fees, Educational expenses of the universities.

Studying in China costs far less but is still more expensive than in some of the European countries. There are differences in the fees depending on various factors like

• The institution, As per the division of the types of Universities of The States,
• The subject, types of courses and subject streams like Engineering, Medical schools and sciences, Management, Media, Law and others. Generally, subjects of humanities, arts and social sciences are cheaper than the more elaborated and popular subjects of sciences like medicine and engineering. Medical and engineering courses are the most expensive out of all in the country.
• All courses have separate fees structure, with programmes filling in for admissions like Full time, distance, degree, diploma, certificate, evening schools, or others. The financial liability of every of these is different. Generally, postgraduate level education has more tuition fees than the rest of the other types.
• The ranking of the university also plays a major role. The more popular the school is, the more is the affordability of the same.
• History, no. of years it has completed in its establishment etc. than that of a private institution.

The average fee and cost of Tuition and educational fee ranges from 11,480 to 20,880 yuan per academic year (£1,320 to £2,400).

Tuition fees for the public universities in the country

It ranges between 2,500 and 10,000 USD/academic year.

Tuition fees of private universities of China

Most courses are under 30,000 USD/year, while MBA programmes charge close to 40,000 USD/year.

While if the university is located in the main cities of Shanghai and Beijing, then it is the most expensive of every cost.

Living costs in China

Living costs majorly include the cost of accommodation, food, travel, insurance, basic amenities, social and security factors etc. Though the cost of living in China is relatively low, various other factors are responsible for increase or decrease in the same like

• The lifestyle of the individual.
• Social and shopping habits
• Food Consumption
• Size of the city
• Travelling and the proximity of the place to stay from the university. The amount of travel is different from person to person.
• The area or region. As the disparity in urban and rural data is far from one another, living in Beijing and Shanghai is twice as expensive as the other smaller cities like Qingdao, Jinan.
• Basic amenities as per usage in
  • Electricity
  • Internet
  • Water usage
  • Tenant’s insurance (in some areas of housing)

The attributes to be considered in the living costs are the

• Cost of Visa Procurement and other immigration processes
• Books and other study material, stationeries cost 30 – 50 USD/semester
• Important necessary items for the home, like cooking essentials or basic sleep essentials
• Clothes and accessories.

• Accommodation

  • Student Residence Halls, which is highly popular with the students of China, ranging from 150 and 400 USD/month.
  • To Rent a flat, 300 and 1,000 USD/month is enough for a single individual for a one-bedroom apartment
  • Living with a Chinese family requires between 350 and 550 USD/month.
  • Living in Beijing requires 1,000 and 1,200 USD/month, while in Shanghai and Shenzhen one has to manage in approximately 850 and 1,200 USD/month, which includes all costs. While in other cities of China 600 – 1,000 USD/month can be easily used for sustaining well.
• Food for which China is famous as it offers diverse, interesting, and affordable cuisine and healthy choices. It will cost approx to 170 – 200 USD/month.
• Travelling expenses, as per public transports and private cabs are as follows
  • Metro ride: 0.5 USD
  • Taxi rate per km: 0.33 USD
  • 20-min taxi ride across town: 4 USD
  • City bus: 0.3 USD
  • Student transit passes costs 15 - 20 USD/month.
• Extras in case of emergency
• Medical insurance, which is necessary and mandatory for Visa also costs around 60 USD for six months.

• Bursaries
• Feenix
• Fundi
• Study loans, private locals and interest-free loans
• Various websites with Multiple Scholarship Resources, independent sources
  • Abroad Planet Scholarship Resources
  • College Board
  • FastWeb
  • Free online scholarship search service.
  • International Education Financial Aid
  • Mobility International USA
  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA), a State Government grant for permanent residents.
• Personal resources, Family incomes
• Supporting with relevant employment side by side with studies
• Institutional Aid
• Scholarships and fellowship programs

Generally, the universities of the US, be it public and private, offer financial assistance in the ways of incentives and grants to students. Via these programmes, the students can attend their institution and colleges and study prosperously and also work for assistantships and fellowships under the faculty members or researchers. These aids are reserved for graduates, with extraordinary skills and great scope for any subject matter, which is solely dependent on the standards of that particular university or college. Generally, the universities of the U.S. do not offer grants in any regards and thus, this becomes a combative and competitive exercise. For more details, one needs to regularly be updated on the circulars and notices of that particular college and university, via their websites or social media pages if any.

Scholarships for International Students

International students who wish to go to foreign countries for international education, because of quality knowledge, unavailability of those particular streams and subjects, relevant exposure, certain alluring and distinct features of any country or subject often require grants and other benefits. As the studies in these distant lands are often regarded as expansive, which can lead to a liability or a burden of financial nature. Chinese scholarships award many types of grants and aids which cover partial or full costs of tutoring, Application and registration, extracurricular costs involving Lab experiment, Sports, scientific research and development, Accommodation and a safe place to stay, medical insurance, textbook and others. Every University offers some kinds of aids, and thus these need to be known before taking admissions for effective education.

These scholarships are open to candidates who wish to Study in bachelor, postgraduate and PhD courses or any further level of education.

• Beijing scholarship:- Beijing municipal is offering scholarships to international students from Asian countries who wish to study in foreign countries.
• Schezwan scholarship for Global affairs, offer for Tsinghua University. Courses covered under these programmes are economic, business etc.
• Biomedical scholarships are available to students pursuing a biomedical bachelor degree in science.
• Zhengzhou University President Scholarships for postgraduate students.
• Zhejiang A & F University, for various courses which can be learnt from the official websites of CUCAS pages, a government initiative to connect prospective candidates with universities. It helps in deleting the bridge of communication and allows no scope of intermediaries, to allow transparency and authentic information to the users.
• Civil Society Leadership awards are offered by open society for master’s degrees.
• UNU-INWEH Scholarships
• UNU-IIST for PhD level education for International Students.
• China Scholarship Council (CSC) Scholarships valid for 243 Chinese universities accepting CSC scholarships.
• Jiangsu Government Scholarship
• Hubei Provincial Scholarships

• Guanxi Government Scholarship for ASEAN Students

  Some Non-government funded scholarships

• Confucius Institute Scholarship

  Scholarships for students between the ages of 16 and 35.

To apply and reap benefits for any of these scholarships, grants, aids or fellowship programmes, the candidate must fill in the forms and details in an online application. And then duly submit it to the concerned authorities before the last dates. Some can conduct exams, some may choose to offer aid on seeing the records and qualifying status of the student or some may regard it through one’s ongoing performance in the institute.

While newer ways have also emerged to grant scholarships like writing an 800-word essay for master’s courses admissions and a 2000 word research paper or proposal for doctorates, research fellows or PhDs.

For fitting in the job market of some countries, other than our own, one must understand the importance of skills, cultural values, language, social factors, daily habits of the region. Several other information of Political, environmental and geographical location with laws and legislature of the concerned country improves the chances of hiring too. International students who are studying and graduating from Chinese universities have huge opportunities, in terms of getting hired in a foreign land. There are a few policies and bills regarding the same, accordingly. Many benefits can be reaped, in both personal and professional attires.

• Chances of increase in employability, because one knows the practices being followed in work fronts.
• Developing skills, with the right balance of experience and exposure into a new market.
• Learning about different cultures.

Overseas Chinese corporations and organizations prefer employees who have experience in the environment of China, those who know the details about logistics and management on a professional as well as personal level so that one can equip faster and belong to the region and proves to be the asset for the organization. These international or MNCs of China, choose candidates from international countries because they have already proved the efficiency as Chinese education might have already driven them to try out of the box things, with hardcore curriculums and discipline. This has already helped in the creation of confidence, and a combative attitude in all.

Though a few points must be kept in mind-

• Improved Contact Base and networks

  To diversify and have better and expanded prospects, in terms of contact increases the chances of getting employed. It can also help in starting from known environments.

• Developing peer relationships and friendships for life long

  Young professionals staying and meeting regularly, away from their residential countries, make several bonds and deep relationships with one another.

• A plethora of different cultures and backgrounds knowledge

  Since everyone out there is from a different part of the country, they bring in their cultures and traditions, different ways of doing the same things and so, it gives immense knowledge to learn from.

• Language and Culture, from a new country

  Perfecting a different language altogether from the very basic, and accessing the literature and texts from that language, gives scope of growth. Today's multinational and global world is thus a perfect place to have such knowledge.
• The Impression of Resumes of the Individual who studied in China, beams and reflects a developed impression of bravery. It shows that one is ready to break the walls of comfort zones, in any way possible and thus distant results are seen achievable, via this conduct.

Though sometimes it is difficult to procure jobs by foreign students, right after completion of any degree or diploma 1 year. And generally, to have a job, one must have an educational experience of 2 years. Traditionally during studies, it is not possible for Indian or any other foreign student to bag any work, because of certain policies of the area. The Chinese immigration department does not allow the Visa extension in such cases, and can also sometimes disallow the visa.