A Hmong female student receives full financial support to study at Hanoi Medical University.

A studious Hmong female student

Among the more than 200 12th-grade students from Ethnic Boarding High School No. 2 participating in this year's graduation exam, Tho Y Cu is a special student. Although she is not a student in the gifted class and her entrance exam scores are quite modest, she is a student with great determination.

After learning that Ý Cu had been accepted into Hanoi Medical University, Mr. Nguyễn Cao Quân – Ý Cu's biology teacher at Ethnic Boarding High School No. 2 – shared the news on his personal page, calling it a "miracle."

In his story, teacher Nguyen Cao Quan also shared that three years ago, after watching a short documentary about a Hmong student from Nghe An who passed the entrance exam for the Medical Laboratory Technology Department at Hanoi Medical University, he set a goal to teach a Hmong student to conquer General Medicine at this prestigious university. Therefore, from the 10th grade, teaching Y Cu and knowing that her older sister, Tho Y Sinh, had to put aside her dream of attending university to work due to difficult family circumstances, his determination became even stronger.

However, during nearly three years of studying at the school, the teacher repeatedly asked Ý Cu in class if she wanted to be the first Hmong student from her village to be admitted to Hanoi University's General Medicine program. Ý Cu always replied that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to impress him. Later, the teacher admitted that Ý Cu's refusal was because "I wasn't perceptive enough to understand that the reason she didn't pursue her studies was because she thought it would cost money for tuition, adding difficulties and a burden to her family."

It wasn't until April 2024, after losing the opportunity to attend military schools, that Ý Cu decided to switch to the science stream (Block B). Upon learning of his student's intention and after his homeroom teacher requested assistance, Mr. Quân was delighted and encouraged Ý Cu to pursue his studies. He himself offered to "provide support and teach without charging tuition fees."

After a three-month sprint and despite starting behind their classmates, with their perseverance, hard work, and unwavering determination, teacher Nguyen Cao Quan and his student Tho Y Cu finally reached the finish line successfully.

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Perhaps you don't know how happy I am. Happy because I've achieved my goal, but the greatest joy is that I've contributed to empowering you – my shy, timid Hmong student, who once had a bashful smile, and who has now been accepted into a highly sought-after major at a top university in the country. For me, this can be summed up in just two words: "A MIRACLE".

Teacher Nguyen Cao Quan wrote on the day he received the news that Ý Cu had been accepted into Hanoi Medical University.

The biggest concern for the teachers and the school administration is that Ý Cu's family lacks the financial means to send her to school. When introducing this exemplary student, Ms. Trương Thị Thanh Thủy, the school's Vice Principal, also expressed her concern: "I am very worried about Ý Cu's situation and also feel sorry for her older sister's circumstances in the past. Therefore, I sincerely hope for support so that she can fulfill her dream."

The family's longing

Two days before Thò Ý Cu officially enrolled at Hanoi Medical University (Thanh Hóa branch), laughter filled her small house in Na Niếng village. At nearly 50 years old, after many sleepless nights, her father, Thò Vả Da, said he could finally rest easy, no longer having to worry so much about the financial burden of his daughter's education.

This wasn't the first time he'd worried about his daughter's university education. Just two years ago, Thò Ý Sinh, Ý Cu's older sister, also scored nearly 29 points (including bonus points) on the university entrance exam and was even commended by the Provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee as a high-scoring student in the 2022 High School Graduation Exam. However, despite having many opportunities to attend university, Ý Sinh decided to go to Taiwan to study and work part-time, giving up her chance to go to university to her youngest sister.

Having lived in Taiwan for over a year, earlier this year, Yi Sheng decided to return home to retake the university entrance exam on her own. However, her dream was shattered due to a small mistake during the registration process.

Elaborating further on this, Ý Cu's father said: "This year, both of my children took the university entrance exam. Ý Cu applied to Hanoi Medical University, while Ý Sinh applied to the Military Medical Academy and the Teacher Training College, as these two fields offer tuition support. She scored high and was confident she would be admitted. However, on the day the cutoff scores were announced, she realized that her application hadn't included the priority category for ethnic minority students. Therefore, even though she scored nearly 25 points, she didn't have enough to be admitted."

She went to Taiwan to study and work, but after more than a year, Ý Sinh only saved over 100 million VND, half of which she sent back to pay off her overseas expenses. After deducting living expenses, airfare, and tuition, Ý Sinh only had about 30 million VND left. Knowing she no longer had a chance to attend university, she was willing to share this money with her younger sister, but it was only enough to cover one semester's tuition. Ý Sinh's older brother, Ý Cu, who recently graduated from the Army Officer School 1 and has just started working in Nghĩa Đàn district, has also contributed a portion of his salary to support her.

However, for a near-poverty family with parents working in agriculture, the estimated tuition cost of nearly 10 million VND per month is still a huge burden.

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My family has always been determined to do our best to ensure our children receive an education and escape poverty, no matter how difficult things get. However, when I received my child's acceptance letter, I realized that medical school tuition is much higher than other schools, and it will be even higher each year. After considering all options, it seems unlikely we can afford to pursue all six years of study.

Answering the question of why he suggested his child "transfer to another school," Mr. Tho Va Da confided.

Supporting new students at Hanoi Medical University.

"A Hmong girl who passed the entrance exam to Hanoi Medical University risks missing her chance to attend university" was an article published on the Nghe An online newspaper on August 28th. At that time, Ý Cu only had 4 days left to confirm her enrollment. Meanwhile, her family was still undecided about whether she would attend or not.

Immediately after the article was published, several philanthropists and organizations contacted the author directly and shared Thò Ý Cu's story on social media. Simultaneously, many meaningful gifts were given to Ý Cu and her family, hoping to support her in realizing her dream. A philanthropist in Vinh City, after donating 10 million VND, said: "I feel deeply for Ý Cu's situation and hope that my small gift will provide timely support, helping her family cover her educational expenses."

On the afternoon of August 30th, the Que Phong District Association for the Promotion of Learning, in coordination with the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Tri Le Commune People's Committee, promptly visited and presented gifts to Tho Y Cu, totaling nearly 10 million VND.

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Tri Le is one of the 60 poorest communes in the country. The commune has 2,200 households, of which 1,332 are poor and 522 are near-poor, facing many difficulties. Y Cu's family is a near-poor household, but they have a tradition of valuing education, and their children are all well-behaved and excellent students.

Her admission to Hanoi Medical University is not only a source of pride for her family but also a joy for the villagers. I hope that her example of studiousness will inspire other students in the commune to strive for success so that they can return to develop and build their homeland in the future.

Mr. Lu Van Cuong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tri Le Commune

Wishing for Thò Ý Cu to be able to study for six years at Hanoi Medical University without worry, on the afternoon of September 4th, Dr. Trần Doãn Lâm – the owner of a cosmetic clinic in Hanoi and representative of the "Supporting Doctors to School" scholarship fund – personally visited the family to work with the local authorities, understand their circumstances, and listen to their wishes.

Here, in addition to providing the student with the first two months' tuition fees, Dr. Tran Doan Lam also committed to supporting a 100% tuition scholarship for six years at Hanoi Medical University, Thanh Hoa branch; and a 100% living allowance scholarship for six years at Hanoi Medical University, Thanh Hoa branch, with a support amount of 4 million VND per month.

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I grew up in Tuyen Quang province and was once a poor student. In 2008, I passed the university entrance exam and received the "Supporting Students to School" scholarship, which helped me fulfill my dream of going to university and becoming a doctor. Therefore, when we established the "Supporting Doctors to School" Fund, we hoped to accompany underprivileged students so that they could have the opportunity to become doctors, do the work of saving lives, and spread the example of studiousness to many others.

Doctor Tran Doan Lam

With this support, coupled with the efforts of her family, today (September 5th), Tho Y Cu confidently enrolled at Hanoi Medical University. Her journey not only carries her dreams but also the hopes and love of her family, teachers, and many kind and charitable hearts.

This school year, Tho Y Cu became the first Hmong female student from Nghe An to be a student at Hanoi Medical University!