Huayu Enrichment Scholarship: A Comprehensive Guide
The Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) Program, established by the Ministry of Education, is designed to encourage international students and individuals to undertake Mandarin Chinese language study in Taiwan. This program offers an excellent opportunity for international students to enhance their language skills and gain cultural experiences by being immersed in a Chinese-speaking environment. The scholarship is also designated to encourage promising students from foreign countries to pursue degree studies in Taiwan and to enhance educational and academic exchange. For those students interested in studying in Taiwan, they may choose to pursue their degree with English as the primary language of instruction or in Chinese.
Scholarship Overview
The HES program provides financial assistance to students who want to study Mandarin at a university- or college-affiliated Mandarin training center in Taiwan. Unlike some scholarships, the HES program is not tied to any one particular center. Instead, students are responsible for selecting and applying to a Mandarin training center separately.
Financial Support
The scholarship provides a monthly allowance to assist with the cost of living and studying in Taiwan. The exact amount varies slightly depending on the specific scholarship and year.
- Monthly Stipend: Huayu Scholars receive a monthly maintenance stipend. In 2017, this was approximately $789 USD (NT$25,000). Currently, the HES scholarship provides a monthly allowance of NT$28,000 (approximately USD$849, subject to exchange rate). This amount should be used to cover the entire cost of tuition, as well as accommodation, board, insurance, and miscellaneous fees.
Award Periods
Recipients can choose from several award periods, ranging from a few months to a full year.
- The award periods typically range from 3 to 12 months. For those who are awarded 3 to 12 months, their award period is between September 1st, 2025, and August 31st, 2026. If recipients fail to undertake their study in Taiwan during this period, their award status will be canceled and cannot be deferred for the next award period. Recipients should be matriculated for the study term/quarter at the individual Mandarin training center as specified in the award.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the HES, applicants must meet certain criteria, which may vary slightly depending on the specific administering office (e.g., TECO in Los Angeles, TECO in San Francisco).
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- As an example, to be eligible for the HES, applicants must be a US citizen and currently studying in UCLA.
Application Process
The application process involves several steps, including applying to a Mandarin training center and submitting the required documents to the appropriate TECO office.
Apply to a Mandarin Training Center: Applicants are responsible for applying to the language centers that they would like to attend. Applicants who are granted scholarships are not guaranteed admission to any language center. Applicants must make note of the different deadlines for scholarships and school admission.
Submit Application Materials: Required documents typically include:
- Completed application forms for the language centers applied to in Taiwan, or other documents which can prove applicant’s admission status.
- One photocopy of the TOCFL certificate (optional). Participants of the TOCFL (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) held by the Education Division, TECO office, will also be considered with priority.
Deadlines: For summer 2-month program applicants, an admission acceptance letter from a certified language center should be enclosed right in the application material package and sent to US for processing before March 31st. For those who apply for 3 to 12 months, applicants need to submit a copy of the admission letter to TECO in order to secure their scholarship by no later than June 30th. Late submission of these documents will be deemed as a waiver for accepting the scholarship.
Please note that scholarship applications and language center admission applications are separate.
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Important Considerations
- Separate Applications: Scholarship applications and language center admission applications are separate.
- Deadlines: Applicants must make note of the different deadlines for scholarships and school admission.
- Admission Guarantee: Applicants who are granted scholarships are not guaranteed admission to any language center.
- Waiver: Late submission of required documents will be deemed as a waiver for accepting the scholarship.
- Non-Deferrable: If recipients fail to undertake their study in Taiwan during the specified period, their award status will be canceled and cannot be deferred for the next award period.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
While the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship focuses on Mandarin language studies, other scholarships are available for students pursuing degree programs in Taiwan.
ASUS Scholarship Program
The ASUS Scholarship Program targets applicants for master’s programs in electronics, information technology, or management-related disciplines.
- Benefits:
- Waiver of tuition fees for a maximum of two years of study.
- A subsidy for a return ticket (economy class) to Taiwan (maximum NTD 60,000).
- Living allowance: Scholarship awardees will receive a living allowance of NTD 12,000 per month for a maximum of two years of study.
- Subsidy for Chinese language courses (maximum NTD 20,000) upon proof of course registration and a minimum of 80% course attendance.
- Eligibility: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students - all majors - with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply. Basic survival Chinese language proficiency is required.
- Restrictions: The scholarship is not open to Republic of China (Taiwan) nationals, overseas Chinese students, or students currently studying in Taiwan, or current recipients of this or other scholarships awarded by the government or educational system of Taiwan. Applicants selected for the scholarship must undergo a medical examination.
- The scholarship includes a living stipend and opportunities to join internships and job training programs by ASUS during the two-year master’s program.
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