Viet Nam Scholarship Foundation

The Viet Nam Scholarship Foundation (VNSF) focuses its activities on providing direct support to impoverished elementary school (Level I), middle school (Level II), high school (Level III) and university students from rural areas of Vietnam to allow them to complete their education. This is primarily done by providing scholarship grants to selected students.

In Vietnam, schooling is not free at any level. In rural areas it is often a severe financial hardship for families to find the resources to pay for their children's education; many children who are eager to learn are forced to leave school. Without an education, these children must help support their families by working at menial jobs with no hope for advancement, perpetuating a cycle of poverty. The per capita GDP in Viet Nam is $2,250 (compared to $37,000 in the US) while tuition ranges from $40 to $200 per year. Thus there are millions of school-age children eligible.