Students from eight provinces and municipalities on the Chinese mainland can now apply for places at colleges and universities in Taiwan.

Students from Beijing and Shanghai municipalities, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces have been allowed to apply for such places since 2011.

Another two provinces, Hubei and Liaoning, have been added to the pilot project list this year, said Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.

Students from these pilot regions can apply for bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees at Taiwan colleges and universities, Yang said on Wednesday.

Grade-three high school students scheduled to take the national college entrance exam in early June, can apply for bachelor's degree places in Taiwan, he said.