More and more Vietnamese people are choosing to study in France due to its internationalized education system and abundant job opportunities. What should you know about the application and scholarship timelines, according to experts?
Teachers and students explore opportunities to study in France at a public university.
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Easier visa policies for international students.
On September 30th, the French Embassy, together with Campus France Vietnam (the office specializing in studying in France in Vietnam), organized a French Higher Education Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, with the participation of 36 French and French-Vietnamese higher education institutions. At the event, Ms. Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that there are currently 5,000 Vietnamese students studying in France, with 1,600 new students arriving in the "City of Lights" each year.
"According to 2023 statistics, France ranks 6th in the world and 2nd in Europe in welcoming Vietnamese students. Choosing to study in France will open up more job opportunities because there are expected to be 500 million French speakers by 2050. Furthermore, in the trend of internationalization, universities are also offering English-language programs from bachelor's to doctoral levels, providing an opportunity for those who don't speak French to study in France," said the French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking to a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper about France's student visa policy in 2024, Ms. Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser stated that there will be no changes compared to the previous year. "In the field of education, we always create favorable conditions and always give priority to students. As long as you have a strong and good application, obtaining a student visa is easy," Ms. Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser shared.
Ms. Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, delivered the opening remarks at the French Higher Education Exhibition on September 30.
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2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France. On this occasion, the French government is organizing various cultural activities to promote the image of the country and its people. "In addition, we are also researching and cooperating with various organizations to develop attractive educational programs for Vietnamese students," stated the French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung, a study abroad specialist at Campus France Vietnam, further noted the important dates for the 2024 admissions period. Specifically, if you wish to apply for the first year of a Bachelor's program and National Architecture, the Études en France system opens for applications today (October 1st). Students are required to complete the process on this system to apply for a student visa, with the deadline for submitting applications being December 15th, and the deadline for interviews with Campus France Vietnam being March 15th, 2024.
For applicants applying to other programs such as BUT (Bachelor of Technology), engineering, etc., the application opening date and interview deadline are similar to the above, but the deadline for submitting applications will be extended to February 2024. "However, this schedule may be adjusted, so please remember to check regularly with Campus France Vietnam to avoid missing out on study abroad opportunities," Ms. Nhung noted.
The 2024 "season" for studying in France is expected to end in March.
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Have there been any changes to government scholarships?
Ms. Phan Hoang Kim Thanh, scholarship specialist at Campus France Vietnam, told a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper that this year, the application deadline for the "France Excellence" scholarship, an exclusive scholarship program of the French Embassy in Vietnam, will close earlier than usual. Applicants will receive their scholarship results in February, instead of having to wait until April as in previous years.
"This aims to better support Vietnamese students, as they previously often confused the application process with the scholarship application process. Furthermore, there have been many unfortunate cases where students won scholarships but were rejected by universities. Having the results released earlier gives them more 'strengths' in their applications to convince universities, as well as allowing them more time to focus on the application process," Ms. Thanh explained.
Although it's not possible to provide information on the exact number of scholarships available in 2024, as the number depends on the French government's budget, according to Ms. Thanh, there were a total of 40 scholarships awarded last year for master's and doctoral programs.
Study abroad experts provide information on various types of scholarships in France.
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Besides "France Excellence," Vietnamese students can also apply for several other prestigious scholarships that offer more resources, such as the "Excellence Eiffel" scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (a new feature this year is the extended duration of 36 months for first-time PhD candidates in France), or the "Erasmus+" scholarship from the European Union. In addition, there are many co-funded scholarships as well as scholarships from universities, ministries, local authorities, organizations, and businesses in France, according to Ms. Thanh.
Mr. Thomas Nguyen, CEO of Franco-Viet Edu (Ho Chi Minh City), added that all Vietnamese students admitted to public universities in France receive scholarships. This is because the majority of tuition fees at public universities are covered by the French government, so students only need to pay a modest amount of approximately 2,700-3,500 euros per year (68-88 million VND). Another positive development is that the French government recently announced it will increase the scholarship budget for Vietnamese students to 1.5 million euros in 2024.
"Upon arriving in France, the government will treat you like a local citizen. Therefore, international students can apply to local or government authorities for financial assistance such as social insurance, rent, train tickets, etc., if they are facing financial difficulties. They will review your application and provide support. However, you must provide clear and transparent evidence, as well as demonstrate diligence in your studies, such as regular school attendance," a French study abroad expert explained.
The event attracted a considerable number of foreigners seeking information from French universities.
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According to Thomas Nguyen, the trend of studying in France has been "on the rise" in the last two years. From a temporary choice when unable to go to the US or the UK, Vietnamese people are now proactively researching, setting goals, and building systematic plans for studying in France. The reason for this is the increasing amount of information available about the environment, education, and costs in France, as well as the French government's efforts to internationalize its education system, Thomas Nguyen noted.
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