A two-year place at Harrow’s school on China’s tropical island of Hainan is open to teenagers from anywhere in the world. At current fees it is worth up to about RMB 776,000. Applications close at 11.59pm China time on 30 November 2026.
The AISL Harrow Scholarships 2027–29 opened for applications in October 2026, according to the AISL Foundation, which funds the awards. Scholars study a two-year pre-university course, A Levels at the Haikou campus, as full boarders. The foundation pays up to the whole of their tuition and boarding fees directly to the school.
Applicants must be new to the AISL Harrow network and born between 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2011. Schools may consider exceptions for applicants born marginally outside that window. They must be completing GCSE, IGCSE or equivalent studies.
Offers are conditional on at least eight grades at 7 or above. Candidates must be fluent in English and must board for the full two years where boarding is available, even if their family lives near the school.
At Haikou the award can be held at either of the two Harrow schools sharing one campus in the city’s Jiangdong New Area. Harrow International School Haikou is open to overseas applicants and residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Its bilingual sister school, Harrow LiDe School Haikou, is open to pupils of any nationality, according to the foundation’s eligibility guide.
Applicants must also meet the chosen school’s own admission requirements and any applicable study-visa conditions in the school’s country.
Under Harrow Haikou’s published 2026/27 fee schedule, senior-school tuition is RMB 143,000 a term in Year 12 and RMB 145,000 in Year 13. Full boarding for Grades 10 to 12 costs RMB 50,000 a term. Two years at those rates, four terms in all, come to roughly RMB 776,000.
The school notes that fees are subject to final government approval, and rates for 2027/28 have not been published. The award does not cover examination fees, uniforms, catering, trips, books or insurance.
Harrow Haikou opened in September 2020, three months after Beijing published a master plan to build the whole island into a free trade port. The school was part of a drive to bring international education brands to Hainan.
The competition is global and the numbers are small. The programme has supported 33 scholars since 2020, chosen from applicants of more than 40 nationalities, with total awards exceeding HK$28 million. No more than ten external pupils win the award in each cohort.
Selection weighs a school-run academic assessment at 60 per cent, the foundation’s application FAQ says. An online interview and personal statement account for 30 per cent, and the candidate’s wider contribution for 10 per cent. Candidates must also rank in the top quartile of their chosen school’s normal academic scholarship criteria. Two recommendation letters must reach the foundation by 8 January 2027, and interviews run from 1 to 19 February 2027. Late or incomplete applications are not considered.
For foreign families already in Hainan, or those weighing a move to the island, the award offers a Harrow education without leaving the province. Up to full fees and board are covered.
The winners are expected to be told in March 2027 and to take up their places that August.
The official application page for the AISL Harrow Scholarships 2027–29 is:
Apply here – AISL Harrow Scholarships 2027–29
Related article: China’s 2027 holidays: nine-day Spring Festival, five weekend workdays
