Why the programme is important

Children at the 15 May School do not pay school fees but their families still need help with meeting the costs of uniforms, books and other equipment. The poorest families also often need their children to work to help support them. The School, with help from donors and sponsors, gives scholarships to try to prevent children dropping out of school by compensating the families for what the child might have earned and to help meet other costs. In addition there are scholarships to help with the cost of extra tuition where children show particular aptitudes or talents.

The School also gives help through the scholarship programme to those going on to high schools, intermediate schools, university or to vocational training. At the moment we have a gap as 15/5 can only accommodate students up to grade 9. The percentage of students continuing their education up to grade 12 is very low as at this age, students are more susceptible to working instead of studying. 15/5 offers scholarships for graduates of year 9 wishing to continue studying at a local high school and will continue to support them up to university level. Support is also given to graduates who wishes to undertake a vocational training course in any chosen field they wish to pursue. 15/5 hopes that after completing the course the student will have better prospects of long-term employment.

Eligibility

Assistance is given both to those who live at the school and to day students from poor families in the form of help with fees and other educational costs.

All scholarships are made on the recommendations of teachers and require the agreement of the parents and the local authority. The School monitors those in receipt of scholarships and continued support will be dependent on the student’s continued progress and attendance.

Costs

At present we are able to provide basic help through the scholarship programme to around 100 students per year. We would like to expand that programme and increase the level of individual support we can provide. $30 US will support a child from a poor family for one year at primary school. $125 US will meet the fees to allow a young person to attend a vocational training course. Below is the list of scholarship categories and how much each scholarship costs.

1) Elementary Elementary educational scholarships USD

1.1. Talent development scholarship $37.50

1.2. Scholarship for poor students $25.00

1.3 Stay in school and illiteracy prevention $18.75

2) Secondary Education Scholarships

2.1 Grade 6-9 $43.75

3) High School Education Scholarships

3.1 Grade 9-12 $56.25

4) Scholarships for intermediate schools, colleges and university Scholarships

4.1 Intermediate School $62.50

4.2 College $125

4.3 University $187.50

5) Vocational Training Scholarship

5.1 Standard course $125

Awarding of Scholarships

There are two rounds of scholarship awarding per year, with the 1^st round of scholarship awarding on Teacher’s Day (November 2007). The 2^nd round is due in May 2008.

Making a contribution

If you would like to make a contribution, please contact Mr Nguyen Van Chinh for further details on how to do so. We generally accept bank transfers however please contact us to discuss payment options.

Please Note:

The above calculations of scholarship value is based on the standard cost of education in Vietnam. The conversion rate at the time of this article is US$1.00= VND 16,000. If you wish to make a donation through Bank Transfer, please check with your bank regarding bank charges/fees for overseas transactions.