Yale-China Fellowship — Fellowship

The Yale-China Fellowship places recent Yale University graduates at partner schools in Xiuning, Changsha, or Hong Kong for two years. Fellows teach English, lead projects, study Mandarin or Cantonese, and participate in the local school community.

Yale-China Association runs the program with Xiuning High School, Yali High School, and New Asia College at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Applications for the 2026–2028 cohort are closed, and the official page asks prospective applicants to return in early October for the 2027–2029 cohort.

Benefits & funding

Fellows receive paychecks; the official pages do not publish the amount.
Fellows live with co-Fellows in shared housing on their school campus, with private bedrooms described for each placement.
All Fellows receive first-year Chinese-language training and may continue with a tutor at their site.
Fellows earn TEFL certification, receive year-round professional guidance, attend three conferences per year, and are paired with a mentor.

Eligibility

Applicants must be Yale University graduates or rising graduates from the past five years, including graduates of Yale College and Yale professional schools.
International students with native-speaker-level English may apply; the official pages state no nationality or residency restriction.
Previous study of China, Hong Kong, Mandarin, or Cantonese is not required.

Can you apply?

Open to all applicants

No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.

Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

1
Complete the online application form and submit a one-page resume and transcript; an unofficial transcript is accepted.
2
Arrange three recommendation letters, including one from a Yale faculty member and one from a language instructor, plus a Dean’s Form completed by the appropriate dean, academic mentor, or professional supervisor.
3
Second-round applicants also apply to the CET Beijing summer session by March 1 so documents can be processed in time if they receive a mainland placement.
4
Complete a group interview and then an individual interview if invited.

Program timeline

Early application deadline for the closed 2026–2028 cohort.
Dec 1, 2025
Early-round group and individual interviews.
Late January 2026
Early-round offers.
Mid-February 2026
Final application deadline for the closed 2026–2028 cohort.
Feb 26, 2026
CET Beijing deadline for second-round applicants.
Mar 1, 2026
Second-round recommendation letters and Dean’s Forms due.
Mar 13, 2026
Final-round offers.
Mid-April 2026
Early October 2026
Official page asks applicants to return for the 2027–2029 cohort; no exact opening date is published.
Next two-year fellowship cohort; exact start and end dates are not published.
2027–2029