Preferential credit expansion for STEM students
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc signed Decision 29/2025/QD-TTg dated August 28, 2025 of the Prime Minister on credit for students, master's students, and biology researchers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to cover tuition fees, living expenses, and other study expenses during their studies in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Borrowers and loan purposes
According to the provisions of the Decision, students, master's students, and researchers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are eligible to borrow program capital to support tuition fees, living expenses, and other study expenses during their studies at universities and vocational training institutions in the national education system established and operating in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law.
The science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors stipulated in this Decision include the following specific training sectors and fields: Life sciences, natural sciences, computers and information technology, engineering technology, engineering, architecture and construction, production and processing, mathematics and statistics, financial technology according to the Prime Minister's regulations on promulgating the List of education and training of the national education system and related guiding legal documents; other key technology training sectors according to the provisions of law.
Students must graduate from high school according to the provisions of law and meet the following conditions at the time the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) considers and decides to approve the loan according to the provisions of this decision:
For first-year students: All three years of high school are assessed as having good or higher academic results according to the provisions of law; or achieving an average score of 8 points or higher in grade 12 in Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology.
For students from the second year onwards: Have average academic results of subjects of good grade or higher according to the provisions of law in the year preceding the year of requesting the People's Credit Fund for loan.
Master's and doctoral students are recognized by higher education institutions as master's and doctoral students according to the provisions of law.
At the time of requesting a loan from the Social Policy Bank, the learner must fill out the Information Declaration according to the form specified in Appendix I of this Decision, request confirmation from the university or vocational training institution, and provide complete relevant records and documents to the Social Policy Bank.
Every year, learners must fill out the Information Declaration according to the form prescribed in Appendix II of this Decision, request confirmation from the university or vocational training institution and provide it to the People's Credit Fund as a basis for loan disbursement.
Loan amount and term
The maximum loan amount for 01 student to support tuition, living expenses and other study expenses for the remaining duration of the course, including: The total tuition fee payable by the student (after deducting scholarships and other financial support from the school, if any) as confirmed by the school; Living expenses and other study expenses up to 5 million VND/month.
Pursuant to the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article, the People's Credit Fund shall reach an agreement with the borrower to consider and decide on the specific loan amount for each student.
The loan interest rate is 4.8%/year.
Overdue interest is calculated at 130% of the lending interest rate.
Loan term includes: Loan disbursement period, time from the date the learner finishes the course until the first loan repayment begins and repayment period.
The loan disbursement period is the period from the date the borrower receives the first loan until the date the student finishes the course, including the time the student is allowed by the school to temporarily leave school and reserve the study results (if any).
The loan disbursement period is divided into loan disbursement periods as stipulated by the VBSP or agreed upon with the borrower; the VBSP does not disburse loans during the period when the student is allowed by the school to temporarily leave school and reserve his/her study results (if any). During the loan disbursement period, the borrower does not have to pay the principal and interest.
From the date the student finishes the 12-month course as prescribed, the borrower must repay the principal and interest of the loan for the first time. The borrower can repay the loan early without incurring a penalty for early repayment.
The repayment period is decided by the Social Policy Bank, and is equal to the maximum loan disbursement period minus the time the student is allowed to temporarily leave school and reserve his/her study results (if any). The repayment period is divided into repayment periods with the repayment amount for each period decided by the Social Policy Bank.
Guarantee of loan repayment obligation
The People's Credit Fund provides loans through households. The representative of the student's household is the person who takes out the loan and transacts with the People's Credit Fund.
In case the household has no members aged 18 or older or the remaining members are unable to work or do not have full civil capacity as prescribed by law, the student will directly borrow capital from the Social Policy Bank.
Customers borrowing up to 500 million VND/student do not have to guarantee the repayment obligation.
Customers borrowing capital of over 500 million VND/student must secure loan repayment obligations with assets according to the provisions of law on securing performance of obligations and regulations of the People's Credit Fund.
Decision 29/2025/QD-TTg dated August 28, 2025 of the Prime Minister has a preferential credit policy, superior to that of students, students, trainees, and researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to support the full payment of tuition fees and main living expenses during the study period at higher education institutions, vocational education institutions in the national education system established and operating in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law.
Thereby supporting students, students, trainees, and biological researchers in STEM fields to study and contribute with peace of mind, meeting the requirements for training high-quality human resources in STEM fields to contribute to the breakthrough goals of developing science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, as well as the goals of rapid and sustainable economic development according to the policies of the Party and State in recent times.Mr. Tran Khac Hung - Director of the People's Credit Fund of Nghe An province
