Scholarships for Vietnamese Students: The Complete Guide

Vietnamese students are winning fully funded scholarships abroad in growing numbers — but most applicants only know one or two awards, and miss the embassy-track deadlines that come once a year. This guide maps the scholarships worth your time, and how to apply from Vietnam.

Government-funded full scholarships

• MEXT Scholarship (Japan) — tuition, examination fees, round-trip airfare, a monthly stipend of roughly ¥117,000, and a one-year Japanese language preparatory course. Vietnam is one of the largest MEXT sending countries in Southeast Asia; undergraduate awards are applied for through the Japanese embassy in Hanoi / consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) — Undergraduate — full tuition, monthly allowance of roughly ₩1,000,000–1,500,000, airfare, one year of Korean language training, settlement allowance and medical insurance. Vietnam has an allocated embassy-track quota.
• KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (Korea) — 100% tuition plus ~₩1,000,000/month for four semesters, for top applicants with strong maths and science results — a natural fit for students from specialised schools (Chuyên classes)
• Thailand International Postgraduate Programme (TIPP) — Thai government full scholarship (tuition, allowance, accommodation, airfare, insurance) in development-related fields, for students from eligible Asian countries
• Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) — fully funded postgraduate study at Malaysian public universities, prioritising science, engineering and technology

University merit awards

• Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) — tiered tuition reduction of 30–100% based on entry results; roughly 80% of entering international students receive one
• SUSTech Undergraduate Scholarship (China) — a full-ride award for top applicants with very strong maths and science results; SUSTech sits next door in Shenzhen, with strong Vietnamese applicant pipelines
• Wenzhou-Kean University International Scholarship — tuition awards at an English-medium, US-style campus
• Ewha Global Partnership Program (EGPP) — a fully funded bachelor's award for women from partner developing countries

What committees look for in Vietnamese applicants

• Contextualise your results — give your class rank and school tier (Chuyên / gifted school background is a genuine signal)
• English evidence — Vietnam's English-medium international schools are growing; if your schooling was Vietnamese-medium, an IELTS/TOEFL score is worth the investment — it unlocks almost every award on this list
• Olympiad and competition results — VMO, regional olympiads and science-competition medals carry real weight, especially for KAIST and SUSTech
• Start Japanese/Korean later — MEXT and GKS both include a funded year of language training; you do not need Japanese or Korean to apply

How to apply from Vietnam

1. Prepare documents early — notarised transcripts, birth certificate, passport; certified translations take longer than you think
2. Watch the embassy windows — MEXT and GKS application windows typically open once a year (often with document deadlines months before selection)
3. Draft one strong personal statement and adapt it per award — why this country, why this field, what you'll bring back
4. Get two teacher references early, while teachers have time to write properly

Your next step

• Filter ScholarPath by country and level, and save the awards that fit — deadline reminders alert you before each window closes
• Take our free assessment — tell us your grades, school type and target countries, and we'll tell you which scholarships you realistically qualify for

The gap between Vietnamese applicants who win scholarships and those who don't is usually not grades — it's knowing the list and hitting the deadlines.