US universities increase scholarships for Vietnamese people as other countries tighten policies

American University Representative Advises Vietnamese Students

Vietnamese people prefer universities more than before

On September 29, Capstone Vietnam Company organized the Fall 2024 Study Abroad Fair in Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of dozens of American universities. Talking to Thanh Nien on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Mark A. Ashwill, CEO of Capstone Vietnam Company, commented that in the context of many countries changing their study abroad policies, the US has remained stable at the national level and at the school level, it is offering more scholarships than before.

“Programs range from merit-based to need-based scholarships, with values ​​ranging up to full tuition. On the other hand, many parents and students are paying more attention to universities instead of community colleges, because the total cost is not much different in some cases. This is a big change in more than a decade,” Dr. Ashwill commented.

Regarding Australia or Canada cutting the number of international students, Mr. Ashwill noted that it is not yet possible to assess the impact of policy changes on the concerns of Vietnamese parents and students. However, one thing is certain: Vietnamese people are having more choices than before and schools around the world are increasingly competing with each other to recruit students. "This is the time when the market belongs to parents and students," the doctor emphasized.

In the US, Mr. Ashwill noted that some top universities are requiring SAT scores again in the admissions process. Because these schools are highly selective, with tens of thousands of applications each year. "They are global brands, they don't need to go anywhere to recruit, so applicants have to be excellent, even lucky. But most US schools are not or only moderately selective, except for some majors," Mr. Ashwill said.

Students learn about opportunities to study abroad in the US at the high school level

In the United States, private universities tend to be expensive, but they are also generous with scholarships. This is in contrast to public universities, which typically charge lower tuition. However, this school year, some public universities have decided to be more generous with scholarships, including the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, according to Kerryn Johnson, the school’s international admissions counselor.

Specifically, UW is offering a scholarship package of 3,000 - 8,000 USD/year for international students, based on their academic scores. If they pass the highest threshold, students only need to pay 11,750 USD (289 million VND) per year, not including housing, meals, and health insurance. However, students also need to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher (maximum 4.0 scale) to be considered for a scholarship for the following year.

"After admission, we also have many other types of scholarships based on different criteria and the scholarships can be combined to help students focus on studying instead of worrying about financial issues. Regarding admission policy, we evaluate candidates comprehensively from academic ability to extracurricular activities, such as participating in clubs, working part-time or doing internships, along with a 500-word essay," Ms. Johnson shared.

Actively recruiting, providing full scholarships

Ms. Cathy Knudson, Director of Admissions and International Cooperation at East Carolina University (ECU), said that Vietnam is the only country in Southeast Asia that the school is actively recruiting. This opens up many opportunities, such as since last year, ECU has opened a scholarship program for students from Southeast Asian countries, especially Vietnam, with a value of 2,000 USD/year. This level is equivalent to 10% of tuition and will be maintained for 4 years.

Ms. Cathy Knudson, Director of Admissions and International Cooperation at ECU, said the school is focusing on recruiting students in Vietnam with many scholarships despite being a public school.

In addition, ECU also has 20 full scholarships, covering 100% of tuition, living expenses and many other fees, for both domestic and international students. To be considered, you need to apply before December, pass the application round and then the interview round. "In addition, ECU has more than 900 scholarships with an average value of 20% of tuition fees," Ms. Knudson emphasized.

The director added that in recent years, the number of applications to the school has increased significantly, up to 40%. According to Ms. Knudson, the biggest difficulty for international students is still financial issues and student visas. "In general, you should apply as early as possible to take advantage of as many scholarship opportunities as possible. Vietnamese students can also talk directly with school representatives for the most detailed instructions," Ms. Knudson advised.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thao, Southeast Asia admissions coordinator at Cottey College, said the school started enrolling students in Vietnam this year. This is a rather special school that only recruits female students with the goal of supporting students to have leadership opportunities and freely express themselves. "Therefore, the school does not have strict requirements, students only need to have a high school transcript score of 7 or higher, and an IELTS English level of 5.5 or equivalent," Ms. Thao shared.

Regarding scholarship opportunities, Ms. Thao said that the school will evaluate based on the candidate's academic score, with a value ranging from 10,000 to 14,000 USD (for students with scores from 9 to 10). In addition, students can also receive many other scholarships after enrolling. "We also have a program that covers airfare, hotel and sightseeing fees for students to go to any country for exchange, as long as they meet some credit requirements," Ms. Thao informed.

As a private school for women under the PEO Sisterhood charity, Cottey College has many programs to support female students in conquering their leadership dreams, according to Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thao.

The enrollment push is similar at the high school level, according to Chip Audett, director of enrollment and financial aid at Cardigan Mountain School, a boarding school for boys. Audett said that in the past, the school had accepted Vietnamese students, but since Covid-19, there have been no more students from Vietnam. That is why the school is recruiting again this year.

"Similar to high schools, we also require young applicants to provide a number of documents such as transcripts, English proficiency, letters of recommendation from former teachers, commitments from guardians and students, and have conversations with each child. We also have scholarships based on the financial capacity of the family, worth up to 50% of tuition fees and can increase based on the overall profile of the candidate," Mr. Audett noted.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dh-my-tang-manh-hoc-bong-cho-nguoi-viet-trong-boi-canh-cac-nuoc-siet-chinh-sach-185240929220954178.htm