"Igniting the passion" for STEM students.

QTO - Although relatively new, the loan program under Decision No. 29/2025/QD-TTg, dated August 28, 2025, of the Prime Minister on credit for students, master's students, and doctoral candidates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has spread widely among the population due to its profound humanitarian significance. This not only fuels the passion of STEM students in pursuing their dreams but also contributes to improving the quality of human resources for the country in the new era.

A meaningful program

Mr. Hoang Van Lap (born in 1976), residing in Nam Dong Ha ward, dreams of seeing his three children have a bright future through their education. However, the unstable income from his freelance work has caused considerable hardship for him and his wife. Fortunately, during the most difficult times, preferential loans from the Social Policy Bank (SPB) have truly become a "lifesaver," helping Mr. Lap's family overcome challenges. He began borrowing from the SPB more than five years ago through the student loan program. Back then, thanks to this preferential loan, his eldest son was able to complete his university education and subsequently find a stable job. Most recently, upon learning that his youngest son had passed the entrance exam for Automotive Technology at the University of Technical Education, Da Nang University, Mr. Lap and his wife were introduced to the SPB Dong Ha program offering loans for STEM fields. “Since learning about this meaningful program, my whole family has been overjoyed. With a loan interest rate of 4.8% per year, our family will be able to borrow 301 million VND to cover our son's tuition and living expenses for 4.5 years of study. More importantly, principal and interest repayments are only calculated from 12 months after the end of the course. This helps my youngest son become more confident and assertive in his chosen field of study,” Mr. Lap shared.

STEM loan programs help many students alleviate the financial burden of their studies - Photo: TT

Unlike Mr. Lap, the recent disbursement of funds at the Dong Thuan ward branch was the first time Ms. Trinh Thi Hien (born in 1979) borrowed from the Social Policy Bank. With 84 million VND, her son, a first-year student atFPT University Da Nang, will have additional funds to purchase quality learning equipment to meet his academic needs in the coming period. Sharing with us, Ms. Hien said that thanks to regularly monitoring information, her family learned about the preferential credit policy for STEM students and quickly contacted the credit officer to inquire about procedures and receive guidance on completing the loan application. Within just a few weeks, Ms. Hien received the loan. “I received a total loan of 399 million VND. With this extra money, my son's years at university will be less difficult. I hope that without the financial burden, he will invest his time and effort in his studies to have a better future,” Ms. Hien confided.

Contributing to improving the quality of human resource training.

According to records at the Provincial Social Policy Bank headquarters, not only Ms. Hien but also approximately 15 other customers have received loans under the STEM program, with a total outstanding balance exceeding 1 billion VND. Over the past period, to ensure the effective implementation of the program, the unit has actively coordinated with local authorities, socio- political organizations, and savings and loan groups to disseminate information about the program. This ensures that not only students and their families understand the information, but also that the loan capital is used for the intended purpose and in accordance with regulations, thereby maximizing the program's effectiveness. Simultaneously, they have intensified efforts to identify eligible borrowers, coordinating with and guiding people to quickly complete their applications, ensuring that the capital needs for program implementation are met.

“More than just financial support, the STEM loan program is a passport that provides high school graduates, master's students, and doctoral candidates pursuing STEM fields with a solid financial foundation,” affirmed Tran Duc Xuan Huong, Director of the Provincial Social Policy Bank, when sharing about the STEM loan program. Based on a review of the loan needs of people throughout the province, the Provincial Social Policy Bank has proactively instructed its branches to continue coordinating with local authorities and entrusted socio-political organizations to widely disseminate information about the credit program for STEM students to the public.

At the same time, coordinate with higher education institutions and vocational education institutions to review and identify loan needs, compile loan lists, and guide borrowers in completing application documents for quick and timely disbursement; while also coordinating the inspection and monitoring of the loan utilization process by customers, ensuring that loans are used for the intended purpose and facilitating learning for students…

To date, the Provincial Social Policy Bank has disbursed 11,471 million VND to 168 customers. This has created equal learning opportunities, motivated high school and university students to pursue their passions, and contributed to the sustainable development of the country in the digital age. “In the future, the Provincial Social Policy Bank will continue to promote and review the disbursement of funds to high school and university students, master's students, and doctoral candidates in STEM fields, helping the younger generation have more opportunities to access knowledge,” Ms. Huong said.

Truc Phuong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202512/tiep-lua-cho-hoc-sinh-sinh-vien-nganh-stem-ec205f2/