CSCSE Reaffirms: Foreign Degrees Obtained Through Cross-Border Distance Learning Are Not Eligible for Certification

2026-10-04 · Guides

On May 18, 2026, the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) issued a reminder: foreign academic degrees and diplomas obtained through cross-border distance learning have never been eligible for certification. This article explains which situations qualify for certification and which do not, why the claim of 'getting certified without going abroad' is misleading, and how to verify programs through official channels before selecting a university.

Let's start with the conclusion: foreign degrees obtained through online courses taken domestically without leaving the country will not be certified by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (hereinafter referred to as "CSCSE"). This is not a new rule. The "Solemn Reminder on Cross-Border Remote Diplomas Not Being Within the Scope of Certification" issued by the CSCSE on May 18, 2026, states it directly: foreign academic degrees and higher education diplomas obtained through cross-border remote learning "have never been within the scope of certification by our center."

The CSCSE issued this reminder because some unscrupulous agencies and overseas institutions are still promoting "certification without leaving the country" online. Some even fabricate study experiences and forge application materials, which constitutes fraud in serious cases. For families currently choosing schools, understanding the rules is more important than believing any "guides."

What Does the Announcement Say

The CSCSE's reminder mainly covers three points:

Foreign academic degrees and higher education diplomas obtained through cross-border remote learning have never been within the scope of certification. The special certification rules during the pandemic only applied to students who were forced to switch from in-person to online learning due to the pandemic's impact, and cross-border remote learning was never included in the certification scope.
Some unscrupulous agencies confuse the special circumstances during the pandemic with cross-border remote learning. The CSCSE reminds students applying to universities to carefully distinguish between them and not blindly trust "interpretations" and "guides" on various platforms.
If you encounter suspicious situations or have already been scammed, preserve the evidence and seek help from public security organs and market regulation departments in a timely manner.

The announcement also recommends that when choosing a program for university applications, refer more to information from the competent educational authorities and the official websites of the schools.

Why Were Online Courses During the Pandemic Certified, but Not Now

Many misunderstandings stem from the pandemic years. At that time, many students could not go abroad and had to take online courses domestically. The CSCSE adopted a special approach: for students who were forced to take some or all of their courses online, their degrees could be certified normally as long as they met the school's degree conferral requirements.

However, this was a temporary arrangement for emergencies, with two prerequisites: first, the students were originally enrolled in in-person courses, and second, the switch to online courses was forced by the impact of the pandemic.

In January 2023, the CSCSE issued an announcement canceling the special practices during the pandemic, restoring the original certification rules, and reminding students who were still taking online courses at the time to return to school on schedule in the accompanying Q&A. Therefore, using "online courses during the pandemic could also be certified" to promote remote programs now is mixing up two different things.

What Can and Cannot Be Certified

According to the "Guide to Certification of Foreign Academic Degrees" by the CSCSE, the scope of certification covers formal and legal higher education academic degree certificates obtained by studying at the following institutions:

Foreign universities or higher education institutions
Universities or higher education institutions in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan
Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions (programs) legally established in China

At the same time, three conditions must be met: the institution is a legal and regular higher education institution recognized by the competent government department in the country or region; the study experience meets the local statutory academic system requirements; and the issued certificate is recognized by the government department of the country.

The following are not within the scope of acceptance:

Certificates at non-higher education levels, such as high school diplomas
Graduation or completion certificates for foreign language training or other non-degree education courses
Research experience certificates for researchers and visiting scholars, and postdoctoral research certificates
Foundation certificates issued by foreign universities
Honorary titles from overseas, as well as honorary degree certificates without corresponding study or research experience

Adding to the theme of this article: certificates and diplomas obtained through cross-border remote learning are also not within the scope of certification.

Here is a table summarizing common situations:

Situation	Can It Be Certified
Going abroad to study at a regular foreign university and completing the program according to the academic system	Within the scope of acceptance, reviewed according to the normal process
Studying at a Sino-foreign cooperative education institution or program legally established in China	Within the scope of acceptance
Originally in-person during the pandemic, forced to switch to online courses (handled according to the rules at the time)	Could be certified normally at the time; original rules restored from January 2023
Staying in China and enrolling in online or remote programs at foreign universities	Not within the scope of certification
Language training, foundation programs, honorary degrees	Not within the scope of acceptance

Note that "within the scope of acceptance" does not mean it will definitely be approved. Certifications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Incomplete materials or study experiences that do not meet the requirements may affect the result.

Why "Certification Without Going Abroad" Is Not Credible

The certification materials themselves determine that this path is a dead end. According to the CSCSE's certification guide, applicants need to submit online their academic degree certificates, travel documents used during the study period (passports or travel permits, visas, and endorsements), recent passport photos, authorization declarations, and other materials. If you take online courses while in China, you cannot provide entry and exit records and visas that match the study period.

To bypass this, some agencies fabricate study experiences and forge materials. The consequences of doing so go beyond just certification failure. The CSCSE explicitly mentioned in the announcement that fabricating study experiences and forging application materials constitutes fraud in serious cases.

If you encounter the following claims, it is recommended to be cautious:

"All online courses, no need to go abroad, CSCSE certification available upon return to China"
"Online courses during the pandemic were certified, they can be certified now too"
"We have internal channels to guarantee certification approval"

How to Check Before Choosing a School

When choosing a school, do not just look at the promotional materials provided by agencies. Verify them through official channels:

Check the CSCSE "Certified Institution Query". The CSCSE has compiled a list of foreign degree-issuing institutions involved in certification applications approved in recent years. The queryable data covers the last five years and is updated annually. Query address: yxcx.cscse.edu.cn/rzyxmd. This list reflects existing certification cases and can serve as an important reference, but not being on the list does not necessarily mean it cannot be certified, and being on the list does not mean a specific program is definitely problem-free.
Check the Ministry of Education's Foreign Education Supervision Information Network (jsj.moe.gov.cn). The website issues warnings for university applications and also has an information system for Sino-foreign cooperative education. For those studying in domestic Sino-foreign cooperative education programs, ensure the program is legally approved and established.
Check the program description on the school's official website. Focus on the mode of instruction (in-person, online, or hybrid), whether on-campus study is required, and the length of the program. If the school's official website states it is an online program, it should be treated as cross-border remote learning.
Contact the CSCSE directly. If you are unsure, consult through the CSCSE's official channels instead of just listening to agencies or social media platforms.

How to View the Rumored "2026 New Certification Rules"

Recently, some "2026 new certification rules" have been circulating online, such as "one-year master's programs must have at least 6 months of overseas study" and "270 institutions have been removed from the certification list." As of October 4, 2026, we have not found corresponding official announcements on the CSCSE's official website.

Please refer to the information published on the CSCSE's official website for such claims, and do not make school selection or withdrawal decisions based on them. The CSCSE also said in its May reminder: do not blindly trust "interpretations" and "guides" on various platforms.

A Few Tips for Parents

Include "certifiability" in the first round of school selection. For those planning to develop their careers in China, academic degree certification will be required in many situations.
Look at the specific mode of instruction of the program. At the same university, on-campus in-person programs and online programs are two different things. You cannot assume that all programs can be certified just because the school is famous.
Keep your entry/exit and study materials safe. Passports, visas, enrollment certificates, transcripts, etc., must be kept throughout the study period and will be needed for certification.
Be extra cautious with programs that are low-cost, short-duration, and require no overseas travel. When these characteristics appear together, verify them through official channels first.

This article only summarizes policy information and does not constitute legal advice. Certification rules are subject to the latest information published on the official website of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange under the Ministry of Education.

Need Help?

If you are choosing a school for your child and want to confirm the mode of instruction, program length, and certification status upon returning to China for the target program, you can first check out our University Admissions Planning Service, or directly Book a consultation with an advisor, and we will help you sort it out.