Vietnamese Government Scholarship (Program) for international students: conditions and commitments

🔄 Last updated: October 8, 2026

Vietnamese Government scholarships for international students are scholarships granted or supported by the state budget, through the Ministry of Education and Training and training projects. This is a great opportunity to study abroad at a low cost, but comes with legal commitments that learners and families need to understand before accepting. This article summarizes scholarship types, conditions, rights and obligations.

Types of Vietnamese Government scholarships for studying abroad

The fact that Vietnamese citizens go abroad to study using the state budget is regulated by documents such as Decree 86/2021/ND-CP and guiding circulars. In fact, there are three main groups:

Some previous projects such as Project 911 and Project 599 have ended in stages. Therefore, when reading information online, check the year of issuance and validity status.

Accord Scholarship

The Agreement Scholarship is announced annually by the Ministry of Education and Training for many countries such as Hungary, China, Russia and other countries under educational cooperation agreements. Foreign parties often waive tuition fees, provide accommodation or subsidies according to their regulations; The Vietnamese side can provide additional support to a number of subjects.

For example, according to the Ministry of Education and Training's additional announcement on the Agreement scholarship to study in Hungary, the Vietnamese side's support includes one-way air tickets and one return flight, travel fees, passport and visa fees and allowance for living expenses according to the current regime. Subjects receiving support are specifically specified, for example, at the university level, priority can be given to students from ethnic minorities, poor households, mountainous areas and islands, and winning excellent student awards; With postgraduate degrees, people are usually working at state agencies, educational institutions or are sent by agencies. Details of the Hungarian program are in the article Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship; with China, see CSC scholarship.

Scholarships by Project (Project 89)

The project "Improving the capacity of lecturers and managers of higher education institutions to meet the requirements of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training for the period 2019–2030" (often called Project 89, according to Decision 89/QD-TTg) supports master's and doctoral training for lecturers and candidates for teaching positions, including full-time study abroad.

According to Circular 25/2021/TT-BGDDT guiding training under Project 89, learners have the following main obligations:

• Return to the sending facility immediately after graduation and work for a minimum period of time as prescribed by law.
• Report study progress periodically (6 months or every semester, school year).
• PhD students must publish research results as required (for example, at least 2 articles in WoS/Scopus journals with full-time study abroad).
• Pay yourself if you study beyond the maximum funding period (48 months for a doctorate, 24 months for a master's degree).

If you are considering a PhD, see more PhD scholarships and how to write a research proposal.

Commitment and indemnification obligations

This is the most important part. Students studying with state funds must sign a commitment and may have to reimburse funds in cases of violations, for example: voluntary dropping out of school, not completing the program, not returning home or not working enough time as assigned. The basis for compensation is specified in Decree 143/2013/ND-CP (for people who are not civil servants and public employees) and Decree 101/2017/ND-CP (for officials, civil servants and public employees) along with amending and supplementing documents. The sending institution is also responsible for receiving and arranging jobs for learners for after graduation.

Prepare documents and track notifications

1. Monitor enrollment announcements on the website of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Education and Training) and the online enrollment system; Many Accord scholarships expire at the end of the year or the beginning of the year.
2. Read carefully the Vietnamese side's supported subjects: not all successful candidates will be granted air tickets and living expenses.
3. Prepare documents: school records, transcripts, diplomas, health certificates, school attendance documents (if any); see Study abroad application checklist.
4. Prepare foreign languages ​​​​according to the requirements of the destination country; Many Agreement countries have five reserve languages.
5. Consider a long-term plan: if you plan to work abroad after graduation, a freelance scholarship or an unattached foreign scholarship may be more suitable. Reference return home or stay after studying abroad.

For candidates who are supported with air tickets according to the regime, the sending agency often requires valid documents for payment. VeDuHoc supports VAT invoice issuance, itinerary and luggage consulting for Agreement destinations such as Hungary, Russia, China, and Eastern Europe; With more than 30 Bookers hunting for multi-carrier tickets, if you find a better price after you have paid, HVSC will refund the difference. See air tickets to study abroad and Frequently asked questions about documents.

Frequently asked questions

Do Agreement Scholarships have to be returned home?

Depends on the subject. People who are sent by agencies or receive support from the Vietnamese budget often have to make commitments according to regulations. Please read the admission notice and commitment document carefully.

Is Project 599 still recruiting?

Project 599 (period 2013–2020) has ended. Currently, training lecturers abroad is mainly funded by Project 89 and other programs of the Ministry of Education and Training.

When must reimbursement be made?

When violating commitments such as voluntarily dropping out of school, not completing the program, not returning home or not working enough time as prescribed. Levels and calculation methods are according to current decrees.

Can independent students apply for the Agreement scholarship?

Yes, especially at the university level, depending on each country's announcement. However, Vietnamese support often prioritizes specifically specified subjects.

Vietnamese Government Scholarships are a valuable opportunity to study abroad at a low cost, but you need to carefully consider the accompanying commitment. Once you have decided to send to school, contact VeDuHoc via hotline/Zalo 090.1800.918 for support with air tickets and settlement documents.

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