Instructions for Scholarship Applicants

The Philip David Gray Memorial Trust Vietnamese University Fees Scholarship is a grant to cover university fees for Vietnamese students who are studying in areas that can contribute to the development of Vietnam, such as rural development, urban planning or social care.

How much is it for?

The scholarship covers annual University fees during a student’s undergraduate degree programme. The award will normally be made for the duration of a programme of study, subject to the recipient continuing to meet the award criteria.

Who is it for?

The scholarship is open to Vietnamese nationals who are currently enrolled in a full time programme at a Vietnamese University. From the academic year of 2016-2017, candidates nominated by The Orchid Scholarship Foundation are exempted from Stage 1 of the screening process and are automatically shortlisted for Stage 2.

Decisions on the award of scholarships will, in addition, consider the potential of the award to contribute to Vietnamese development with respect to the alleviation of poverty, such as the improvement of:

  •  the delivery of health and social care,
  • the national infrastructure in terms of provision of housing, water, power and transport,
  • the Vietnamese natural environment.

What is this trust?

The Philip David Gray Memorial Trust for Vietnam was established in memory of Philip David Gray, who tragically died in May 2005 while working for the World Bank at its Hanoi Office. The Trust is dedicated to furthering the goals that Philip Gray was pursuing at the time of his death – the alleviation of poverty in Vietnam.

The Trust is a registered Scottish charity. Further information about the Trust and its activities may be found at: www.pdgtrust.org

What is the application process?

The application process consists of two stages:

Stage 1: Candidates fill in an online application form available on the Trust website.

A shortlist of applications will be established. Candidates will be informed of the status of their application at this point. Only a few applications will go forward to Stage 2.

Stage 2: If an application has been selected for stage 2, the candidate will be invited to submit notarised copies of documents (secondary school baccalaureate, university entrance announcement, university academic record if any). Candidates may be asked to participate in an interview, either in person or via telephone. At the end of stage 2, applicants will be informed of the final result of the process. Scholarship awards may be conditional on examination results and/or acceptance at a given university.

How is an application assessed?

Applications are assessed based on the following criteria, in addition to the eligibility criteria described above:

  1. Financial needs. Priority may be given to candidates of families approaching or under the poverty threshold.
  2. Academic promise and performance (School transcripts, entrance examinations and university results plus letters of reference, academic prizes shall be relevant here.) Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 (out of 4.0) or 8.0 (out of 10) in each year of their undergraduate programme up to the time of their application.
  3. Suitability of the programme of study given the aims of the scholarship programme (Note: A student’s choice of subject for study and future career plans shall be relevant here. In stage 1, applicants will be invited to write a case for support that explains how their application meets these criteria.)

Existing scholarships will be reviewed annually to ensure that the recipient continues to meet these criteria.

Important Dates and Deadlines

This year’s round of scholarships will be awarded for payment of fees starting from the academic year of 2023-24.