'Support to go to school' for students overcoming difficulties

Photo caption — Ho Chi Minh City leaders awarded scholarships to students who overcame difficulties at the ceremony.

The organizing committee awarded 197 scholarships, including 187 scholarships worth 15 million VND each for new students in difficult circumstances and 10 special scholarships worth 50 million VND/4 years for new students in especially difficult circumstances. The total value of the scholarships is more than 3.3 billion VND.

Receiving the scholarship, Pham Quoc Dung, a student at Van Hien University, shared that it was not only a reward for his personal efforts but also a gift for his grandparents, who have always taken care of him.

Quoc Dung's story also touched many people because it was a journey full of loss but also full of love and faith. Growing up in a simple house in Can Gio commune, his father died early, his mother remarried, Dung followed his grandparents to earn a living, doing many jobs to support the family and nurture his dream of going to university. Before the graduation exam, his grandmother passed away due to a serious illness, leaving behind a great loss.

Overcoming the pain, Dung continued to go to school, doing many jobs such as serving in restaurants, selling rice, and being a hair model to make ends meet. Every day, he woke up at 4am and traveled dozens of kilometers to school. Quoc Dung shared: "I just hope to study well and work hard so that my grandfather can rest assured."

Similarly, Le Bach Hop, a new student at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, was moved when she received the scholarship. She wanted to share this joy with her mother - the one who instilled in her the will to live and an optimistic spirit. Hop grew up in a family with a father who was paralyzed on one side and a mother with thyroid cancer. In the midst of adversity, Hop still stood firm. Throughout 12 years of school, the little student always maintained the title of excellent student. For her, despite her illness, her mother was always positive and smiling. Her optimistic personality, always striving to overcome adversity, was built from her mother's personality. That is also the motivation for her to continue to strive to study and make efforts in life.

At the ceremony, Journalist Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, said that many new students not only come from poor families, but also have experienced natural disasters and losses in their hometowns. Some of them thought they would have to stop at the university gate. Therefore, each scholarship is not only a material support, but also gives them more confidence on the path to conquering knowledge.

Journalist Nguyen Hoang Nguyen shared: "What moves us most is that more and more of the students who received scholarships in the past have now grown up and returned to the program, continuing to support the next generation. These are the sweet fruits from the seeds of kindness that society has planted together."

Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong said that the "Support to School" scholarship is not only a companionship and material support but also a belief and expectation of society. He hopes that students will continuously strive to study, practice and live responsibly.

Ho Chi Minh City is the 10th awarding point in the 2025 "Support to School" scholarship program for new students under the 620th "For Tomorrow's Development" program of Tuoi Tre Newspaper. In 2025, the Program awarded scholarships to 1,066 new students in difficult circumstances in many localities with a total cost of about 20 billion VND.

Established in 2003 with 27 scholarships, up to now, the "Support to School" scholarship program has helped 26,854 disadvantaged new students to achieve their dreams of attending university and college, with a total value of more than 252 billion VND.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/giao-duc/tiep-suc-den-truongcho-sinh-vien-vuot-kho-20251111224403784.htm