When their child goes to university, parents can borrow 333 million VND at a low interest rate.

Borrowing over 300 million VND to support my child's university education.

Less than a week after completing the procedures, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huong and her husband (Anh Son Dong commune, Nghe An province ) were present at the Anh Son branch of the Vietnam Social Policy Bank (NHCSXH) to finalize the disbursement of their loan.

Having received 74 million VND from the special credit support package for STEM students, Ms. Huong said she will use the money to pay tuition for the first semester, purchase some equipment for her son's studies, and cover his monthly living expenses.

When her son, Nguyen Viet Quang Huy (born in 2006), received his acceptance letter to Vinh University, Mrs. Huong was both happy and worried.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Duong, Mrs. Huong's husband, lost his ability to work after an accident. Mrs. Huong is the sole breadwinner for the family. Their main source of income comes from a few acres of rice paddies and pig farming. Therefore, just the tuition fees, supplies, household expenses, rent, etc., totaling over 20 million VND, are enough to make Mrs. Huong break out in a sweat.

Intending to borrow under the student loan program, Ms. Huong was informed by the Savings and Loan Group about the Special Credit Support Program for STEM students. Because Quang Huy was admitted to the economics and engineering major, had a good academic record throughout his three years of high school, and achieved an average score of 8 or higher in mathematics, physics, and chemistry in 12th grade, he was eligible for the preferential loan.

"According to calculations, for my child's 4.5 years of study, I can borrow 333 million VND, disbursed annually or per semester, at an interest rate of 4.8% per year, which is lower than the interest rate for student loans or the interest rate for loans to poor households."

"After completing the procedures, I received a disbursement of 74 million VND, and the monthly interest payment was less than 300,000 VND. Calculated quarterly, the interest was equivalent to the money earned from selling a suckling pig," Ms. Huong said.

A loan of 74 million VND helped Mr. Dinh Van Tuan (Anh Son Dong commune) ease the pressure when his son, Dinh Van Vy, received an acceptance letter to the Electrical and Electronic Engineering department of a major university in the province.

Mr. and Mrs. Tuan have three children, Vy being their youngest son. Raising their two daughters through university, managing their careers, and getting them married... has consumed a large sum of money from Mr. and Mrs. Tuan. Therefore, when Vy started university, they had to borrow 15 million dong from their neighbors to pay his tuition.

Today, having received the disbursement from the Anh Son branch of the Vietnam Social Policy Bank, Mr. Tuan repaid part of the high-interest loan he had taken out, using the remaining amount to cover living expenses and other school fees for his children.

"Without this capital, my wife and I would have had to try harder and borrow more money for our child's education. We have to repay the bank loan, but the interest rate is low, and the amount borrowed is enough to cover tuition for all four years of university and living expenses for our child. If we only have to repay the loan after Vy graduates and starts working, it will ease the pressure on us a lot," Mr. Tuan shared.

It is possible to borrow money to pursue a master's degree or doctoral research.

According to Mr. Hoang Son Lam, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) branch in Nghe An, the special credit support package for STEM learners is a preferential loan program implemented according to Government Decision 29/2025/QD-TTg issued on August 28.

The loan is used to cover tuition fees, living expenses, and other study costs during the student's time studying at higher education institutions and vocational training institutions within the national education system.

Notably, in addition to being applicable to students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, this preferential loan package expands its eligibility to include master's and doctoral students in those fields.

"If the student loan program had a maximum loan amount of 4 million VND/month/person, under this new preferential credit package, the loan amount is much higher."

Specifically, the maximum loan amount covers the student's entire tuition fee as confirmed by the school, plus living expenses and study costs up to a maximum of 5 million VND per month. Naturally, the academic requirements for those eligible for this preferential loan package are also higher,” Mr. Lam informed.

To provide maximum convenience for borrowers, funds are disbursed annually or semesterly. The repayment period is double the loan term, plus a one-year period for job searching after graduation. The interest rate under this program is lower than the interest rate of the previous student loan package and the interest rate of the poverty alleviation loan program.

This is a new preferential credit program, therefore, the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) branch in Nghe An has promptly disseminated information about the new features and eligibility requirements to each entrusted unit in the communes and village savings and loan groups.

Less than half a month after launching this credit package, the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) branch in Nghe An has processed loan applications for 7 customers, totaling over 1.12 billion VND, and promptly disbursed 302 million VND to help borrowers pay their initial school year contributions.

Conditions for eligibility for preferential credit packages under Decision 29/2025/QD-TTg:

For first-year high school students: Applicants must have achieved a "good" or higher academic performance rating in all three years of high school, as stipulated by law; or have achieved an average grade of 8 or higher in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology in their 12th grade year.

For students from the second year onwards: They must have achieved an average academic performance of "excellent" or higher in all subjects as stipulated by law in the year immediately preceding the year of application for a loan from the Social Policy Bank.

Master's students and doctoral candidates are recognized as such by higher education institutions in accordance with the law.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/con-hoc-dai-hoc-bo-me-duoc-vay-333-trieu-dong-lai-suat-thap-20250913115100003.htm