DECREE

ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT AND USE OF NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization No. 63/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on State Budget No. 89/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Education No. 43/2019/QH14 amended by the Law No. 123/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Higher Education No. 125/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Vocational Education No. 124/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation No. 93/2025/QH15;

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The Government promulgates Decree on organization, management and use of National Scholarship Fund.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope and regulated entities

1. This Decree elaborates clause 4a, Article 85 of the 2019 Law on Education, amended by point b, clause 23, Article 1 of the Law No. 123/2025/QH15, on establishment, organization, management, and use of the National Scholarship Fund.

2. This Decree applies to the National Scholarship Fund; agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in governance, administration, organization, management, and use of the National Scholarship Fund; and scholarship programs, students, and applicants within the scope of the Fund's operation.

Article 2. Legal status of the National Scholarship Fund

1. The Government shall establish the National Scholarship Fund (hereinafter referred to as “the Fund”), which is a State off-budget financial fund under the Ministry of Education and Training, operates according to the model of a public service provider within the scope stipulated in this Decree, in accordance with clause 4a, Article 85 of the 2019 Law on Education, amended by point b, clause 23, Article 1 of the Law No. 123/2025/QH15. The Fund shall operate on a non-profit basis, have juridical person, prepare its own financial statements, have its own seal, and be permitted to open an account at the State Treasury and a commercial bank legally operating in Viet Nam in accordance with regulations of law.

2. The international transaction name of the National Scholarship Fund is Viet Nam National Scholarship Fund, abbreviated as VNSF.

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Article 3. Operation objectives of the Fund

1. Implement the State's policies to detect, encourage, retain, attract, and develop high-quality human resources; and expand opportunities for learning, research, development of vocational skills, and increase in personal capacity for students in accordance with the State's priority orientations in each period.

2. Reduce the gap among regions and groups of students in terms of study opportunities; prioritize students living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, extremely disadvantaged areas, and students in fields and sectors that are prioritized or have the high demand for human resources and target groups requiring encouragement and support as prescribed.

3. Give support to students for learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, development of vocational skills, and increase in digital capacity, international academic integration capacity, and labor market participation capability.

4. Raise, receive, manage, and effectively use state budget and non-state budget funding sources to implement national scholarship policies.

Article 4. Functions, tasks and powers of the Fund

1. The Fund has functions which are raising, receipt, management and use of state budget and non-state budget funding sources to award scholarships, execute scholarship programs, and perform student support tasks in accordance with regulations of the Law on Education, this Decree, and other relevant laws.

2. The Fund has the following tasks:

a) Formulate strategies, operational plans, financial plans, list of scholarship programs, and plans to use the Fund's resources, and submit them to competent authorities for consideration and decision;

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c) Organize the implementation of scholarship programs and performance of student support tasks approved or assigned by competent authorities;

d) Monitor, assess, report and publicly announce results of operation, management and use of the Fund’s resources as prescribed;

dd) Perform other tasks assigned by the Minister of Education and Training in accordance with regulations of law.

3. The Fund has the following powers:

a) Enter into contracts, documents, and agreements, and conduct transactions within the scope of the Fund's operations in accordance with its jurisdiction and regulations of law;

b) Request applicants for and  recipients of scholarships to provide, confirm, and verify information, applications, and documents; and request relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals to cooperate, provide, confirm, and verify information to serve the Fund's operations;

c) Hire services, experts, and consultation organizations, and use necessary professional tools to perform the tasks of the Fund within the scope of lawful funding sources;

d) Exercise the rights prescribed in this Decree to the receipt of non-state budget funding sources, organization of scholarship programs, financial management, suspension of support, withdrawal, reimbursement, and handling of violations;

dd) Exercise other powers within the scope of the Fund's functions and tasks in accordance with this Decree, decisions on assignment of tasks, delegation, or authorization by the Minister of Education and Training, and regulations of law.

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For the purposes of this Decree, the terms below shall be construed as follows:

1. Scholarship is a grant provided by the Fund to a student under a scholarship program. Financial support, scholarship, eligibility conditions, and methods shall be determined according to each specific scholarship program.

2. Scholarship program is a group of scholarship support activities organized by the Fund in conformity with the objectives, target groups, conditions, criteria, financial support, scholarship, funding sources, support duration, and methods as approved according to regulations of this Decree and other relevant laws.

3. Duplicated scholarship is a situation where a student receives support from two or more state budget sources for the same expenditure within the same support duration according to regulations of each scholarship program, regardless of the nomenclature of the scholarship.  Expenditure includes tuitions; living expenses; expenses for learning, research, practice, and internship; expenses for training and development of vocational skills, digital capacities, and foreign language competencies; expenses for travel, insurance, visas, and residence; and other specific scholarships determined in the scholarship program or the scholarship approval decision.

4. Non- state budget funding is lawful funding from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals, including sponsorships, aids, donations, gifts, contributions, co-sponsorships, entrusted funds, and other lawful sources in accordance with regulations of law.

5. Co-sponsorship is a form in which an organization or individual, together with the Fund, sponsor a specific program or student in accordance with an agreement, for the correct objectives and according to operational principles of the Fund and regulations of this Decree.

6. Conflict of interest is a situation where an organization or individual has a related interest or make a direct or indirect impact that affects or potentially affects the objectivity, fairness, and transparency during consideration, management and use of scholarships.

Article 6. Operational principles

1. The Fund shall operate for the correct objectives and within the scope prescribed in the Law on Education; comply with the laws on state budget, finance, accounting, audit, and other relevant laws; and operate on a non-profit basis.

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3. The Fund shall ensure information safety and cyber security, and protect personal data; and only collect, process, connect, and share data that is necessary, for the correct purposes, within the correct scope, and under the correct jurisdiction in accordance with regulations of law.

4. The Fund shall be organized and operate on the principle of addition and cooperation with existing policies, programs, schemes, scholarship funds, and student support policies; it shall not replace, merge with, or alter the management jurisdiction, funding, and mechanisms for implementation of such policies, programs, schemes, scholarship funds, and student support policies.

5. The Fund’s cooperation in implementation, receipt of entrusted funds, co-sponsorship, additional support, or organization of the performance of scholarship tasks shall comply with decisions, documents, agreements, assigned tasks, and regulations of other relevant laws.

6. The Fund shall not award duplicated scholarships covered by state budget according to this Decree.

7. Cooperation, sharing of information, and connection of resources between the Fund and study encouragement funds, local scholarship funds, social funds, organizations, and individuals shall be voluntary in conformity with the Fund's correct objectives; such activities must ensure that new legal obligations, financial obligations, or administrative procedures do not arise, unless otherwise agreed by the parties or prescribed by law.

Chapter II

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

Article 7. Fund management council

1. The Fund Management Council (hereinafter referred to as “the Council”) shall be established by the Minister of Education and Training; operate on a part-time basis; have a 5-year term and be improved in accordance with regulations; and members of the Council may be considered for reappointment. The Council shall have no more than 11 members, including the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and members.

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2. The Chairperson of the Council shall organize and direct the operations of the Council; convene and preside over the Council’s meetings; sign resolutions, conclusions, and documents within the jurisdiction of the Council; assign tasks to the Vice Chairperson and members of the Council; and be responsible to the Minister of Education and Training and the law for the performance of the Council's tasks and powers. The Vice Chairperson of the Council shall assist the Chairperson of the Council in performing tasks as assigned; handle work on behalf of the Chairperson when authorized; and be responsible for the assigned and authorized tasks.

3. The Council has the following tasks and powers:

a) Provide opinions on 5-year strategies, 5-year operational plans, annual operational plans, and list of the Fund's scholarship programs prior to submission of them to the Minister of Education and Training for decision;

b) Issue the Working Regulation of the Council; provide opinions on the Fund's internal regulations on risk management, management of conflict of interest, information disclosure, and other internal governance contents prior to submission of them to competent agencies and persons for issuance.

c) Provide opinions on annual financial plans, periodic reports, financial statements, reports on finalization, and plans to use the Fund's resources prior to submission of them to the Minister of Education and Training for consideration within their jurisdiction;

d) Provide opinions on guidelines for receipt of non- state budget funding that has high value or high potential risks or is complex or sensitive according to the criteria prescribed in this Decree and thresholds regulated by the Minister of Education and Training; the decision on such receipt shall be executed within the jurisdiction prescribed in this Decree and other relevant laws;

dd) Supervise compliance with regulations of law, regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, and resolutions and conclusions of the Council; and supervise the operations conducted by the Fund Director and the Fund Executive Board during organization of the performance of assigned tasks;

e) Request the Minister of Education and Training or competent authorities to consider handling major issues, high risks, or matters beyond the jurisdiction during the organization and operations of the Fund

g) Take the accountability for opinions, proposals, resolutions, and conclusions within the jurisdiction of the Council; and perform other tasks and powers in accordance with the regulations of law and as assigned by the Minister of Education and Training.

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5. Funding for operations conducted by the Council is direct expenditure serving the Fund's tasks, and covered by budget estimates allocated, non- state budget funding, and other lawful sources; such expenditure shall be consistent with applicable regimes, standards, and norms, and economical and efficient for the right purposes.

Article 8. Fund Executive Board

1. The Fund Executive Board is a department that assists the Fund Director in organizing and implementing regular operations of the Fund and serving the operations of the Fund Management Council; it shall be established under a decision of the Minister of Education and Training on the basis of employment of existing civil servants, public employees, and employees under the Ministry of Education and Training who are assigned, tasked, transferred, seconded, or allocated to work on a full-time or part-time basis at the Fund; connect employment of employees under contracts and hire of services and experts in accordance with regulations of law; and must not increase the payroll or the number of employees receiving salaries from state budget.

2. The Fund Executive Board consists of the Director, Deputy Director of the Fund, Chief Accountant or person in charge of accounting, and an assistance department.

3. The Fund Executive Board has the following tasks:

a) Advise and assist the Fund Director to develop strategies, operational plans, financial plans, the scholarship program list, and plans for use of the Fund's resources;

b) Organize the implementation of scholarship programs, operational plans, financial plans, plans to use resources, and performance of tasks approved or assigned by competent authorities;

c) Organize receipt, inspection, and processing of applications; organize appraisal and selection; consolidate results of assessment and awarding scholarships; conduct disbursement, monitoring, post-audit, and other relevant professional operations in accordance with regulations;

d) Advise and assist the Fund Director about/in management of finances and assets, accounting, reporting, finalization, public disclosure, internal inspection, and management of data of the Fund;

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e) Prepare profiles, draft contracts, official documents, agreements, decisions, and documents within the jurisdiction of the Fund Director;

g) Cooperate relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals in performing the Fund’s tasks;

h) Perform other tasks assigned by the Fund Director in accordance with regulations of law.

4. The Fund Director is the head of the Fund Executive Board, the legal representative and the holder of account of the Fund, and is responsible for organizing and managing regular operations of the Fund. The Fund Director has the following tasks and powers:

a) Organize the performance of the Fund's functions, tasks, and powers; be responsible to the Minister of Education and Training and the law for the Fund's operations; report and explain to the Fund Management Council in accordance with regulations;

b) Assign tasks to the Deputy Director of the Fund, Chief Accountant or person in charge of accounting, assistance department and organizations and individuals hired to perform tasks;

c) Issue decisions; sign operational reports, financial statements, reports on finalization, contracts, official documents, agreements, and documents within the jurisdiction of the Fund;

d) Decide the receipt of non- state budget funding, the establishment of expert councils, suspension of support, cancellation of results of assessment and awarding scholarships, withdrawal, request for reimbursement, and other matters within his/her jurisdiction in accordance with this Decree;

dd) Request the Minister of Education and Training to consider deciding matters within the Minister's jurisdiction;

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5. The Fund Director shall decide to establish expert councils for each scholarship program, each scholarship application round, or specific group of tasks to provide advice, conduct appraisal, give critique, score and rank applications, make assessment, exercise supervision or perform other professional tasks serving the Fund's operations. The expert council operates in a manner which is independent and objective, keeps information confidential and prevents conflicts of interest, and self-terminates its operations when completing tasks.  The composition, specific tasks, operation procedures, and funding for operations conducted by the expert council shall be determined in accordance with the Fund's internal regulations, the regulations of the Minister of Education and Training, and relevant laws.

6. The Deputy Fund Director shall assist the Fund Director in performing tasks as assigned or authorized by the Fund Director, and shall be responsible to the Fund Director and the law for the assigned or authorized tasks.

7. The Chief Accountant or person in charge of accounting of the Fund shall perform tasks as assigned by the Fund Director, and shall be responsible for accounting, financial statements, reports on finalization, and other tasks in accordance with the law on accounting, this Decree, and relevant law.

Chapter III

PROMOTION OF PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT OF RECEIPT OF NON-STATE BUDGET FUNDING SOURCES

Article 9. Principles of receipt, management and use of non-state budget funding sources

1. The receipt, management, and use of non-state budget funding sources must fulfill the Fund's objectives and adhere to operational principles, and shall not be attached to any conditions that violate the law or alter the Fund's objectives and operational principles.

2. The receipt, management, and use of non-state budget funding sources must comply with the laws on state budget, anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism financing, control of fund origin, and relevant regulations of law. The receipt of non-state budget funding sources must undergo risk assessment, especially for high-value, sensitive, or high-risk items. The Fund shall not receive non-state budget funding sources that show signs or pose risks of harm to national interests, national defense, security, order, and social safety. The receipt, management, and use of Development Assistance (ODA) and grant aids not classified as official development assistance, and other foreign sponsorships shall comply with the law on management and use of ODA, grant aids, international treaties, international agreements, and relevant law.

3. Other entrusted funds shall only be used to award scholarships and support students according to the Fund's scholarship programs, and must not be used for lending, capital contribution, profitable investment, or business operations in any form.

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5. The non-state budget funding source provider shall not directly access personal data and identity information of scholarship recipients, unless otherwise provided by law and consented to by the data subject matter. Information on results of use of funding shall only be provided in an aggregated and anonymized form, ensuring personal data security.

Article 10. Receipt of non-state budget funding sources

1. The Fund shall receive non-state budget funding sources, including sponsorships, aid, contributions, co-sponsorship, entrusted funds, donations, gifts, and other lawful funding sources on a voluntary basis and as agreed with organizations and individuals; and shall manage, record, publicly disclose and use funding according to the Fund's objectives, operational principles, and regulations of law.

2. Non-state budget funding in cash shall be transferred into the Fund's account opened at a commercial bank legally operating in Viet Nam for separate receipt, recording, monitoring, management, and use by each specific funding source, unless otherwise agreed with the funding provider or otherwise provided by law.

3. Regarding non-state budget funding in kind, services, or other legal forms, the Fund shall determine appropriate methods and locations for receipt in accordance with regulations of law; and manage, preserve, determine prices, record and use the received assets and services in accordance with laws on finance, accounting, management and use of public property, and relevant law.

4. In case non-state budget funding sources are associated with specific objectives, themes, scholarship programs, target groups, fields and sectors, local areas, or conditions, the receipt, management, and use shall comply with official documents and agreements signed with the funding provider after the Fund Director or the Minister of Education and Training decides to receive it within their jurisdiction as specified in clause 6 of this Article.

5. Before receiving non-state budget funding sources, the Fund shall assess its compatibility with the Fund's objectives and operational principles; the legality and origin of funding; the attached conditions, if any; risks to conflicts of interest; and any legal, financial, reputational, national defense, security, foreign affair, or personal data risks. Where necessary, the Fund may hire independent consultant or a consultation organization to make the assessment.

6. The Fund Director shall decide the receipt of non-state budget funding sources from domestic organizations and individuals. Regarding non-state budget funding sources provided by foreign organizations, individuals, or international organizations or non-state budget funding sources with high value, complicated or sensitive contents, or high risks, the Fund Director shall report to the Minister of Education and Training for consideration and decision after receiving the opinions of the Fund Management Council.

7. Non-state budget funding sources with high value, complicated or sensitive contents, or high risks shall be determined on the basis of its financial scale relative to the Fund’s annual financial plan; nature and attached conditions; foreign elements; requirements for national defense, security, foreign affairs, state secret protection, and personal data protection; risks to conflicts of interest; legal, financial, or reputational risks; and impact on the Fund’s objectives and operational principles. The Minister of Education and Training shall specify criteria, value thresholds, and review procedures for the cases stipulated in this clause.

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a) An application form for receipt of non-state budget funding according to the form specified by the Minister of Education and Training, which clearly states objectives, contents, value, duration, methods, attached conditions (if any), and the intended use of non-state budget funding;

b) Documents verifying the legal information of the provider;

c) Documents proving the legality of non-state budget funding, where necessary;

d) Official documents and agreements on receipt of non-state budget funding if any.

9. The application shall be submitted to the Fund in person at single-window section, by post, or online through the National Public Service Portal.

10. Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of the application, the Fund shall inspect the adequacy and validity of the application. In case the application is inadequate or invalid, the Fund shall send notification in writing or online once to the applicant and complete the application. The duration for completion of the application shall not be included in the time limit for processing procedures.

11. Within 20 working days from the date of receipt of an adequate and valid application, the Fund shall organize the assessment of the application; the Fund Director shall decide to receive the funding within his/her jurisdiction or report to the Minister of Education and Training for consideration and decision within the Minister's jurisdiction as specified in clause 6 of this Article. In case it is necessary to seek opinions from relevant agencies or hire independent consultants for assessment, the time limit may be extended up to 30 working days, and the reasons for such extension must be clearly notified to the applicant.

12. The procedure processing result shall be a receipt decision issued by the Fund Director or the Minister of Education and Training within his/her jurisdiction, or a written refusal to receive non-state budget funding. In case of refusal, the reasons must be clearly stated. After the issuance of the receipt decision, the Fund Director shall sign documents and agreements to receive non-state budget funding within his/her jurisdiction and organize public disclosure, recording, monitoring, management, use and post-audit in accordance with regulations of this Decree and relevant laws.

13. The Minister of Education and Training shall specify forms of application forms and agreements, internal processing procedures, and methods for public disclosure, recording, monitoring, and post-audit of receipt, management, and use of non-state budget funding; and shall publicly disclose administrative procedures in accordance with the law on administrative procedure control. The receipt, management, and use of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and grant aids not classified as official development assistance, and other foreign sponsorships governed by specialized laws shall comply with relevant laws.

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1. After the Fund Director or the Minister of Education and Training decides to receive the funding within his/her jurisdiction, the Fund Director shall sign official documents and agreements to receive non-state budget funding. Official documents and agreements on receipt shall specify objectives, scope, value, time limit, transfer methods, rights and obligations of the parties, methods for management and supervision, public disclosure of information, and handling of risks.

2. The non-state budget funding provider shall be acknowledged and honored by the Fund in an appropriate manner; and may agree with the Fund on establishment or naming of the scholarship program based on name of the provider, the partner's name, support objectives, or support themes, in conformity with the Fund's objectives, operational principles, and regulations of law.

3. Scholarship programs under official documents and agreements on receipt of non-state budget funding shall be organized in the name of the Fund. The acknowledgement, honoring or naming must not give rise to any priority rights, or rights to directly or indirectly interfere with the jurisdiction to decide programs, criteria, procedures for selection, list of scholarship recipients, scholarships, and selection results. The funding provider may participate in provision of professional advice and proposals as agreed; such participation shall not alter the jurisdiction of the competent authorities or persons according to regulations of this Decree.

4. The Fund shall publicly disclose basic information regarding the received non-state budget funding  and the results of use of resources in accordance with regulations of law and the signed documents and agreements, except for information classified as state secrets, business secrets, personal data, or information banned from public disclosure according to the law.

5. The provision of information for the non-state budget funding provider shall comply with the signed official documents and agreements, ensuring that personal data and identity information of students are not disclosed, unless otherwise provided by law or justified by valid grounds under the law.

Chapter IV

PROGRAMS, TARGET GROUPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Article 12. Scholarship programs

1. The Fund organizes groups of scholarship programs for students within the scope of target groups specified in clause 4a, Article 85 of the Education Law, in conformity with the Fund's objectives and tasks. Scholarship programs include:

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b) Scholarships awarded to students studying abroad;

c) Scholarships under international treaties to which Viet Nam is a signatory (hereinafter referred to as "scholarships under international treaties”)

d) Scholarships attracting foreigners to conduct study and research at Viet Nam;

dd) Scholarships creating development opportunities.

2. The establishment and implementation of the Fund's scholarship programs must be consistent with the Fund's objectives, tasks assigned by competent authorities, resource balancing capacity, human resource development requirements in each period, and regulations of law.

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall approve the Fund's scholarship programs; and prescribe eligible students, conditions, criteria for selection, grading scales, priority policies, scholarship framework, spending structures, disbursement methods, and the implementation of scholarship programs within the scope of target groups specified in clause 4a, Article 85 of the Law on Education, according to this Decree and relevant laws.

4. The selection of scholarship recipients must be consistent with the objectives, target groups, and conditions of each scholarship program; and must be fair, open and transparent. Mechanisms for comparing and ranking candidates, preventing conflicts of interest, and ensuring assessment integrity must be provided. Scholarship programs may apply priority criteria and appropriate quota structures to maintain scholarship accessibility for students in disadvantaged areas, target groups requiring encouragement and support, and fields and sectors and local areas that are prioritized.

5. Educational institutions, research institutions, science and technology organizations, enterprises, and relevant agencies and organizations are entitled to propose needs, introduce and nominate students, verify information, or support professional assessment in accordance with the regulations of the scholarship program. Such participation shall not alter the jurisdiction of the competent authorities or individuals over approval for scholarship programs, establishment of selection criteria, approval for results of assessment and awarding of scholarships, and organization of awarding scholarships under this Decree.

Article 13. Merit-based scholarship

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2. The merit-based scholarship shall be awarded in line with each school level, training level, groups of fields and sectors that are prioritized and human resource development objectives in each period; the priority shall be given to postgraduate students and students in basic sciences, engineering, technology disciplines, and other priority disciplines; support may be provided according to the academic year, full course duration, learning tasks, research, projects, products, achievements, or learning outcomes as specified by the scholarship program.

3. The assessment and awarding of merit-based scholarship shall be based on the objectives of the scholarship program; achievements, capabilities, development potential, academic results, research results, training performance, scientific, technological, innovation, and entrepreneurship products, vocational skills, prizes, and commitments to study, research, contribution, or other criteria in conformity with the objectives of the scholarship program.

Article 14. Scholarships awarded to students studying abroad

1. Scholarship awarded to a student studying abroad refers to a scholarship program that assists the student in studying at a training level, participating in training, internship, academic exchange, or research programs at a foreign country, in order to develop high-quality human resources, meet requirements for socio-economic development, education development, and international integration, and focus on fields and sectors that are prioritized in each period; except for the cases under scholarship programs governed by international treaties as specified in Article 15 of this Decree.

2. Scholarships awarded to students studying abroad shall fulfill objectives, conditions and criteria, and shall be consistent with scholarships, support duration, and the rights and obligations of students as defined in each scholarship program, contract, agreement, or equivalent written commitment, funding sources and regulations of law.

3. In case where a scholarship program is covered by state budget or is designed to provide training and refresher training for human resources for the State or for fields and sectors that are prioritized, and local areas, the scholarship recipient must fulfill commitments to study, research and reporting, return to the country to work and serve, reimbursement, or other obligations in accordance with the scholarship program, contract, agreement, or equivalent written commitment, and regulations of law. Regarding scholarships covered by non-state budget funding, the fulfillment of commitments, reimbursement obligations, or similar obligations shall comply with scholarship programs, documents, agreements on receipt of non-state budget funding, and regulations of law.

4. The Fund shall cooperate with the units under the Ministry of Education and Training assigned international cooperation tasks, educational institutions, research institutions, ministries, central and local authorities, and relevant agencies and organizations in organizing the awarding of scholarships, verifying information, monitoring use of scholarships, maintaining eligibility conditions, fulfilling scholarship commitments (if any), and assessing the Fund's resource use efficiency.

Article 15. Scholarships under international treaties

1. Scholarship under an international treaty refers to a scholarship program of the Fund implemented on the basis of an international treaty to which Vietnam is a signatory, or in accordance with tasks assigned by a competent state agency to implement relevant international treaties.

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3. The Fund shall organize selection, disbursement, monitoring of use of scholarships, fulfillment of scholarship commitments (if any), suspension of support, withdrawal, reimbursement, and handling of violations against regulations on scholarships under international treaties within the scope of its assigned tasks, in accordance with relevant international treaties, program requirements, this Decree, and relevant laws. In case, within the scope of program, the deadline for reception and selection of applications is imposed, or special requirements are imposed by foreign partners, the Fund shall follow procedures suitable for the program requirements, applicable to the target groups, consistent with core conditions and criteria, and within the appropriate decision jurisdiction.

Article 16. Scholarships attracting foreigners to conduct study and research at Viet Nam

1. Scholarships attracting foreigners to conduct study and research at Viet Nam refer to scholarship programs supporting foreigners in study and research at Vietnamese educational institutions, for the purposes of promotion of international cooperation, institutional internationalization, high-quality human resource development, and improvement of reputation and position of Vietnamese education.

2. Scholarship programs stipulated in this Article shall apply to foreign applicants for study and research at Vietnamese educational institutions under scholarship programs organized and implemented by the Fund, in alignment with the demands for international cooperation in education, training, science, technology, innovation, Vietnamese language and culture, sectors and fields that are prioritized, and within Vietnamese educational institutions’ capacity for admission; except for scholarship programs under international treaties as specified in Article 15 of this Decree.

3. The assessment and awarding of scholarships attracting foreigners to conduct study and research at Viet Nam  shall be based on international cooperation objectives, sectors and fields that are prioritized, academic quality, training and research capacity, and admission conditions of Vietnamese educational institutions; must be open and transparent, fulfill the intended objectives, conform to the target groups, meet requirements for national defense, security, order, and social safety, and comply with Vietnamese law.

Article 17. Scholarships creating development opportunities

1. Scholarships creating development opportunities are support programs designed to encourage and assist students to conduct study and research, develop vocational skills aligned with labor market demands, promote international integration, and meet socio-economic development requirements in each period; the priority shall be given to students facing difficulties in access to opportunities for study, research, and development of vocational skills, or those in sectors, fields, and local areas requiring encouragement and support.

2. Scholarships creating development opportunities shall be awarded to students included in target groups requiring encouragement and support in conformity with the Fund's objectives, including students who are ethnic minorities; students from poor or near-poor households; students living  extremely disadvantaged areas, ethnic minority and mountainous areas, border areas, and islands; orphaned students; students with disabilities; students making commitments to study, conduct research, develop vocational skills, work, or serve in sectors, fields or local areas that are prioritized; and other student groups according to the objectives of scholarship programs

3. The assessment and awarding of scholarships creating development opportunities shall be based on the objectives of the scholarship program, the actual conditions of the students, the level of barriers to access to opportunities for study, research, and development of vocational skills, academic and training results, willpower, development potential, and commitments to endeavor or working in sectors, fields or local areas that are prioritized. Target groups given priority, priority levels, specific criteria, and methods of giving priorities shall be determined for each scholarship program, in conformity with the Fund's objectives, tasks assigned by competent authorities, and within the resource balancing capacity.

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1.  Financial support from the Fund shall be determined in conformity with the objectives, target groups, conditions, criteria for selection, and nature of each scholarship program, the duration of support and within the capacity for balancing state budget and the Fund's lawful financial sources.

2.  Financial support may include one or several of the following expenditures: tuition fees; living expenses; expenses on study, research, practice, and internship; expenses on participation in training, academic exchange, vocational skill development, digital capacity, and foreign language capacity programs; travel, insurance, visa, and residence expenses with regard to scholarship programs involved in foreign elements; expenses on scientific research, innovation, entrepreneurship, or participation in examinations, competitions, prizes, and professional, academic, and professional skill activities; and other direct expenses aligned with the objectives of the scholarship program and regulations of law.

3. The Fund’s scholarship shall be determined for each scholarship program based on the objectives, target groups, conditions, criteria for selection, financial support, program nature, duration of study and research and capacity for balancing state budget and the Fund's lawful financial sources. The determination of scholarship must not give rise to any state budget spending obligations not included in the estimates assigned by competent authorities

4. Regarding a scholarship program with a support duration of at least 02 budget years, or for full-course, or a long-term scholarship program, the approval of program and decision to award scholarship must be based on the resource balancing capacity, expected support obligations for subsequent years, and the capability to allocate resources to fulfill committed obligations under the decision to award scholarship, support agreements, or equivalent written commitments. In case available resources are inadequate as estimated, the Fund Director shall report to the Minister of Education and Training to consider deciding to adjust scale, roadmap, scholarship, or appropriate measures in accordance with regulations of the scholarship program, support agreements, and the law on state budget, maintaining openness and transparency, and protecting the lawful rights and interests of the scholarship recipient.

5. The Minister of Education and Training shall prescribe scholarship framework, funding ceiling, specific financial support, spending structure, and disbursement methods for each scholarship program; in case state budget is used, the scholarship program must be implemented within the scope of the budget estimate assigned by a competent authority, and according to spending regimes, standards, norms, and the law on state budget.

6. Within the scope of scholarship framework, funding ceiling, annual budget estimates assigned by competent authorities, and the Fund's lawful financial sources, the Fund Director shall formulate a resource use plan in conformity with the program, funding source, and target group, and report it to the Fund Management Council for feedback before submitting it to the Minister of Education and Training for approval.

7. In case a scholarship program incurs new state budget spending not included in the budget estimate assigned by the competent authority or beyond the jurisdiction as stipulated in this Decree, the Ministry of Education and Training shall report and submit such matter to the competent authority for consideration and decision in accordance with the law on state budget and relevant laws.

Article 19. Principles of assessment and awarding of scholarships

1. The assessment and awarding of scholarships by the Fund must be consistent with the intended objectives, target groups, conditions, and criteria of each scholarship program; must be fair, open and transparent; the priority shall be given to students with outstanding achievements, high capacity, and development potential, students in sectors, fields or local areas that are prioritized, students facing difficulties in access to opportunities for study, research, and development of vocational skills, and target groups requiring encouragement and support as prescribed.

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3. When assessing and awarding scholarships by the Fund, an overall review of the scholarship, support, and sponsorship sources that have been provided for the student must be conducted to determine the appropriate financial support, sponsorship, the priority order, or support methods; the priority shall be given to students who have not yet received support or have not received adequate support for the essential contents to fulfill the objectives of the scholarship program.

4. In case a student has already received financial support for a specific expenditure from another program, project, or policy funded by state budget within the same support duration, the Fund shall not use state budget to re-provide financial support for that specific item. The Fund may consider providing financial support for other expenditure, the difference, or additional items, or applying sponsorship, co-sponsorship, or entrustment mechanisms according to regulations of each scholarship program.

5. Regarding students belonging to the armed forces, the assessment and awarding of scholarships and management during the scholarship period, reporting regulations, service commitments, return to work, withdrawal, reimbursement, and handling of violations shall comply with specialized laws, regulations of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security, and the approved scholarship program, meet requirements for national defense, security, and state secret protection, and maintain the management jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security over officers, soldiers, and students.

Article 20. Receipt, assessment and selection, disbursement, post-disbursement review, and announcement about results

1. An application for scholarship includes:

a) An application form for scholarship, using the Form prescribed by the Minister of Education and Training;

b) Documents proving the fulfillment of conditions and criteria for assessment and awarding of the scholarship as required by the program or the specific scholarship application round.

Documents in the application shall be submitted, presented, and verified in the form of physical or electronic documents. In case where the information is already available in national and specialized databases, or relevant information systems, the Fund shall extract and use such information in accordance with the law and must not request the student to resubmit it.

2. The application shall be received as follows:

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b) The Fund shall serve as the focal point for receipt and processing of the application, and assessment and awarding of the scholarship. The applications shall be submitted to the Fund in person at single-window section, by post, or online through the National Public Service Portal;

c) In case educational institutions, research institutions, and relevant agencies or organizations are assigned to receive applications according to the scholarship program or application round, they shall, when receiving the applications, be responsible for providing information and guidance, checking application components, confirming and verifying information under their management, and consolidating, recommending, nominating, or forwarding the applications to the Fund in accordance with regulations of the specific scholarship program or application round;

d) Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of the application, the Fund shall verify its adequacy and validity. In case where the application is inadequate or invalid, the Fund shall notify the scholarship applicant or the application-receiving agency or organization to complete the application as regulated. The duration for completion of the application shall not be included in the time limit for processing procedures.

3. The assessment and selection of the application and announcement about results are prescribed as follows:

a) After the deadline for receipt of applications for each application round expires, the Fund shall review, verify, and confirm necessary information; consolidate and standardize applications to serve the process of awarding scholarships;

b) The appraisal, peer review, scoring, and ranking of applications shall be conducted through an Expert Council established by the Fund Director in accordance with this Decree; members of the Expert Council must possess relevant expertise, must be objective and independent, and must not have any conflict of interest regarding the assigned applications to be assessed;

c) The Fund shall consolidate the results and compile a list to be submitted to the Minister of Education and Training for approval of the results of assessment and awarding of scholarships, or the Fund Director shall decide the results of awarding scholarships as delegated/authorized; and organize the announcement about the results in accordance with regulations. In case the application is ineligible or the applicant is not awarded the scholarship, the Fund shall notify and clearly state the reason.

4. The time limit for processing applications is prescribed as follows:

a) Total time limit for assessment and awarding of the scholarship shall not exceed 30 working days from the date on which the deadline for receipt of applications expires for each application round, including the duration for review, appraisal, scoring, ranking, submission of the application for approval, and announcement and notification of result;

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5. Signature of an agreement on support, decision on support, and the disbursement are prescribed as follows:

a) After the scholarship awarding and assessment result is approved, the Fund Director shall sign a support agreement or contract with the scholarship recipient or the agency/unit assigned to make payment or give financial support according to the scholarship program;

b)  Disbursement and payment shall be consistent with the scholarship program, the decision to approve the scholarship awarding and assessment result, or the support agreement. The Fund shall make direct payment to the scholarship recipient or transfer funding to the agency/unit assigned to make the payment and give financial support to the student in accordance with regulations of the scholarship program;

c) The transfer of funding stipulated in point b of this clause is solely aimed at making payment for the scholarship or giving financial support to the student, and is not a mechanism for allocation of operational funding for the assigned agency/unit. The assigned agency/unit shall be responsible for managing, using, paying, finalizing funding for the right purposes, to the target student, at the right level, within the prescribed time limit, and shall be subject to inspection and post-audit by the Fund and the competent authority.

6. The Fund shall monitor the maintenance of fulfillment of eligibility conditions for the scholarship; regarding long-term scholarships or scholarships awarded on a term-by-term basis, periodic assessments shall be carried out as required by the programs. The Fund shall conduct periodic or ad hoc post-audits through verification of data, academic and training results, student status, and relevant information. In case of detection of discrepancies, fraud, or breaches of commitment, the Fund shall compile a dossier, suspend support, cancel the scholarship awarding and assessment result, withdraw the scholarship, make reimbursement, and handle the violation in accordance with the decision of the Fund Director or the competent authority/person as prescribed in Article 25 of this Decree.

7. The selection result shall be published and publicly disclosed in accordance with regulations. The disclosure of personal information shall comply with the law on personal data protection; the identity of the peer reviewer shall be kept confidential in accordance with internal regulations of the Fund, unless otherwise prescribed by law.

8. The Minister of Education and Training shall issue professional guidelines, professional forms, and procedures for receiving and processing scholarship applications. The Fund shall issue internal procedures in accordance with the Charter on Organization and Operation of the Fund, the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, and regulations of law, which must not give rise to additional application components, requirements, conditions, steps, or time limit not included in administrative procedures published in accordance with regulations.

9. Members of the Fund Management Council, the Expert Council, the Fund Executive Board, and individuals participating in receipt, processing, appraisal, assessment, scoring, ranking of applications, provision of opinions or supervision shall be responsible for promptly declaring and reporting cases of conflict of interest or risks to conflict of interest. Any person involved in a conflict of interest must not participate in review, provision of opinions, appraisal, assessment, scoring, ranking, supervision, or decision on relevant applications or scholarship programs In case it is detected that a person involved in a conflict of interest has participated in the selection process, the Fund shall review and exclude relevant assessment results, and organize a re-assessment if necessary; individuals committing violations shall be handled in accordance with regulations of law and the regulations of the Fund.

Chapter V

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Article 21. Principles of management of the Fund’s finances

1. The Fund shall manage and use funding for the right purposes and the target group, and in an economical and efficient manner; separately record and monitor each funding source; and comply with the Law on Education, the Law on the State Budget, and laws on finance, accounting, audit, and other relevant laws.

2. Lawful dossiers and documents on the Fund’s revenues and expenditures must be prepared, and such revenues and expenditures must be fully, promptly, and truthfully recorded in accordance with applicable accounting regime. Expenditure covered by state budget funding shall be controlled through the State Treasury in accordance with regulations of law.

3. The Fund must not use its capital or assets to grant loans, contribute capital, make profitable investments, engage in business, or conduct financial activities outside the scope of its tasks and powers under this Decree.

4. Regarding temporarily unused non-state budget funding, the Fund may make term deposits at credit institutions operating lawfully in Viet Nam and not placed under special control, based on the cash flow plan and the progress in implementation of the scholarship program. Funding must be deposited in a manner which ensures capital safety, is open and transparent, and does not serve the business purposes, alter the intended use of funding source, or affect the progress in implementation of the scholarship program. Accrued interest shall be recorded and monitored separately for each funding source and used for the intended objectives of the corresponding funding source, in accordance with official documents and agreements on receipt of non-state budget funding and regulations of law. The Fund Director shall decide term deposits and be held responsible to the law for his/her decision.

Article 22. Management of assets, head offices and information systems

1. Assets, head office, facilities, and information system serving the operations of the Fund shall be allocated and used within the scope of shared infrastructure, assets and systems of the Ministry of Education and Training. The Fund must not organize its own asset or head office management apparatus; and invest in construction, purchase, or lease of separate head office, unless otherwise decided by a competent authority in accordance with regulations of law. The use of shared head office, assets, and infrastructure must not give rise to new recurrent expenditures not included in the allocated budget estimate.

2. The Fund shall access and use the shared information systems and databases of the Ministry of Education and Training or the Fund's own information system to serve receipt of applications, selection, announcement about results, disbursement, post-audit, statistics and reporting; the priority shall be given to digital environment to ensure that the application processing is recorded and traced to serve inspection, supervision, and responsibility tracing.

3. The management and use of assets, infrastructure, information systems, and data serving the operations of the Fund shall comply with the regulations of law on management and use of public property, cyber information security, cybersecurity, personal data protection, and other relevant laws. The collection, storage, processing, connection, and sharing of data on scholarships must fulfill the right purposes and be within the correct scope and the proper jurisdiction; personal data of students must not be provided for non-state budget funding providers or to third parties, unless otherwise prescribed by law or there are valid bases in accordance with regulations of law.

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1. Financial sources include:

a) State budget funding included in annual budget estimates of the Ministry of Education and Training and used to award scholarships, implement scholarship programs, and perform tasks assigned through the Fund in accordance with regulations law on the state budget;

b) Non- state budget funding sources, including sponsorships, aids, contributions, co-sponsorships, entrusted funds, donation and gifts and other lawful sources;

c) Accrued interest on term deposits from temporarily unused lawful non-state budget funding of the Fund;

d) Direct funding serving organization of performance of entrusted tasks under agreements, which is not fees or charges;

dd) Revenues from withdrawal or reimbursement of funding, penalties for breaches of contracts or agreements signed with the Fund, insurance compensation, exchange rate differences, and other lawful revenues.

2. The Fund’s expenditures include:

a) Expenditures on awarding scholarships to students in accordance with scholarship programs;

b) Direct expenditures serving organization of awarding of scholarships, implementation of scholarship programs, and performance of tasks assigned by competent authorities, including expenditures on selection, appraisal, peer review, supervision, and post-audit; lease of services, consultancy, audit, and hire of experts; operation of information systems and databases; public disclosure of information and communication for scholarship policies; and other necessary expenditures directly serving the tasks of the Fund;

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3. Expenditures stipulated in clause 2 of this Article shall be financed within the scope of the Fund's lawful funding sources, for the right objectives and tasks assigned, and in accordance with applicable expenditure regimes, standards, and norms; such expenditures must not be used to increase the payroll or the number of employees receiving salaries from state budget, or for recurrent expenditures outside the scope of assigned tasks.

4. The Fund Director shall be responsible for organizing management and recording of revenues and expenditures, and storing documents and books, and financial statements of the Fund in accordance with regulations of law.

Article 24. Preparation of estimates, accounting, audit, reporting, finalization, and handling of revenue-expenditure differences

1. Annually, the Fund Executive Board shall advise and assist the Fund Director to formulate a financial plan and prepare an estimate of revenues and expenditures of the Fund. The Fund Director shall seek opinions from the Council before submitting the plan and estimate to the Minister of Education and Training for approval within his/her jurisdiction; the consolidation of demands for state budget funding shall comply with clause 2 of this Article.

2.  The demands for state budget funding for performance of tasks through the Fund shall be included by the Ministry of Education and Training in its annual state budget estimate and sent to the Ministry of Finance that will consolidate and send the demands to competent authorities for decision in accordance with regulations of law on state budget.

3. State budget funding included in the annual budget estimate of the Ministry of Education and Training for performance of tasks through the Fund shall be estimated, allocated, assigned, paid, controlled, granted, finalized, and audited in accordance with  regulations of law on state budget, accounting, audit, and other relevant laws.

4. The Fund shall comply with accounting regulations, and prepare financial statements, finalization reports, and other reports as required by competent authorities in accordance with the regulations of laws on budget, accounting, audit inspection, and other relevant laws.

5. Annually, the Fund shall prepare a report on finalization of the Fund's funding and submit it to the Ministry of Education and Training for review, approval, and inclusion in the finalization report of the Ministry of Education and Training to be sent to the Ministry of Finance in accordance with regulations. Data on finalization of state budget funding allocated to award scholarships, implement scholarship programs, and  perform tasks assigned through the Fund must be verified and confirmed with the State Treasury where transactions are conducted; the contents of the finalization report must align strictly with the contents specified in the allocated budget estimate and the state budget entries.

6. The annual financial statements of the Fund shall be audited in accordance with regulations of law before they are published. When necessary, an independent audit or a thematic audit shall be conducted at the request of the competent authority.

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Chapter VI

WTHDRAWAL, REIMBURSEMENT, INSPECTION, SUPERVISION, ASSESSMENT, AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

Article 25. Withdrawal, reimbursement and exemption and reduction of reimbursement obligations

1. The suspension of support, cancellation of results of assessment and awarding of scholarships, and withdrawal or reimbursement of funding for scholarships shall comply with this Decree, scholarship programs, decisions to award scholarships, support agreements or contracts, and other relevant laws.

2. The Fund shall suspend support, cancel the result of awarding scholarship, withdraw, or request reimbursement of funding granted in case the scholarship recipient makes dishonest declaration, commits fraud, seeks illicit profits, uses the scholarship for wrong purposes, breaches commitment, violates the support agreement or contract, fails to maintain eligibility conditions for the scholarship, or in case withdrawal or reimbursement are compulsory as prescribed by law

3. Regarding students studying abroad who are reimbursed for training costs, the withdrawal and reimbursement shall comply with this Decree, the scholarship program, the decision to award scholarship, the support agreement or contract, and other relevant laws on reimbursement of training costs.

4.  The exemption from or reduction of part or all of the reimbursement obligation shall be considered in case of force majeure or other special cases as prescribed by law, the scholarship program, the decision to award scholarship, the support agreement or contract.

5. The Fund Director shall decide the suspension of support, cancellation of results of awarding scholarships, and withdrawal or request for reimbursement, exemption from or reduction of reimbursement obligations, and handling of violations for each specific case in accordance with regulations of this Article. In case they are beyond his/her jurisdiction or there are complex contents, the Fund Director shall report to the Minister of Education and Training for consideration and decision or transfer them to competent authorities to take actions in accordance with regulations of law.

Article 26. Inspection, audit and supervision of the Fund’s operations

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2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall inspect and supervise the operations of the Fund regarding the following contents:

a) Results of operations conducted by the Fund;

b) Preparation of estimates, management, use, payment, and finalization of state budget funding allocated to award scholarships, implement scholarship programs, and perform tasks assigned through the Fund;

c) Receipt, management and use of non-state budget funding and other lawful funding sources of the Fund

d) Establishment, submission of scholarship programs for approval and organization of implementation;

dd) Selection, disbursement, monitoring, post-audit, recovery, and reimbursement of scholarships;

e) Compliance with financial, accounting, finalization, disclosure, reporting, internal control regimes, and management and use of the Fund's assets;

g) Other inspection and supervision within its jurisdiction.

3. The Fund and relevant agencies, organizations and individuals are responsible for providing dossiers, documents, data, reports, and explanations to serve inspection, audit, and supervision at the request of competent authorities; and implementing conclusions and recommendations, and executing decisions of competent authorities in accordance with regulations of law.

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1. The Ministry of Education and Training shall organize annual assessments, or assessments at the request of competent authorities, on results, efficiency, and impacts of the Fund.

2. Contents to be assessed include results of performance of tasks and implementation of scholarship programs; efficiency in management and use of the Fund's resources; compliance with laws on state budget, finance, accounting, audit, public disclosure, and transparency; results of examinations, supervision, post-audits, withdrawal, and reimbursement; and impacts of scholarship programs on human resource development, fairness in access to education, sectors and fields that are prioritized, disadvantaged areas, target groups requiring encouragement and support, and the operational objectives of the Fund.

3. The Fund shall manage, update, and access scholarship data and data related to scholarship recipients on the information system and database managed by the Ministry of Education and Training; and use consolidated data to serve assessment of results, efficiency, and impacts of scholarship programs, public disclosure, communication of policies, attraction of non-state budget funding resources, and proposals for adjustments to scholarship policies. The assessment must consider objective factors, force majeure events, and conditions for implementation of each scholarship program.

4. The Minister of Education and Training shall provide detailed regulations on indicators, methods, forms, reporting regimes, and assessment of results, efficiency and impacts of the Fund.

Article 28. Transparency, disclosure of information, and receipt of feedback, recommendations, complaints, and denunciations

1. The Fund shall publicly disclose information on the web portal of the Ministry of Education and Training, the web portal of the Fund, or in other forms as prescribed, including:

a) Scholarship program information; 

b) Selection results and the list of scholarship recipients in accordance with regulations of law;

c) Allocation, disbursement, and structure of use of funding; direct expenditures on awarding scholarships; direct expenditures serving the Fund's operations; and annual financial statements audited in accordance with regulations;

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2. The public disclosure of information regulated under clause 1 of this Article shall comply with regulations on the law on protection of state secrets, personal data protection, business secrets, and other relevant laws.

3.  The Fund shall establish and publicly disclose focal points and channels for receipt of feedback, recommendations, complaints, and denunciations related to the Fund's operations, with the priority given to online methods. The Fund shall receive and process feedback and recommendations within its scope of responsibility, and transfer to or cooperate with competent agencies and persons to resolve complaints and denunciations in accordance with regulations of law. The time limit for receipt of feedback and recommendations related to results of assessment and awarding of scholarships shall be specified in each scholarship program or scholarship application round, but shall not be less than 07 working days from the date of result announcement.

4. The Fund, competent agencies, organizations, and persons are responsible for keeping the identity of information providers confidential in accordance with regulations; applying or recommending the application of protective measures; and handling or recommending the handling of acts of retaliation, victimization, or the abuse of feedback, recommendations, complaints, and denunciations for the purposes of slander or insult within their jurisdiction and in accordance with regulations of law.

Chapter VII

IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

Article 29. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Education and Training

1. The Ministry of Education and Training shall perform state management over the organization and operations of the Fund; and assign an existing specialized unit to act as a focal point to advise and assist the Minister of Education and Training to manage the Fund, without increasing the payroll or the number of employees receiving salaries from state budget.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall preside over and cooperate with the Ministry of Finance in sending a consolidated report to and requesting competent authorities to allocate state budget funding within the annual estimates of the Ministry of Education and Training to award scholarships, implement scholarship programs, and perform the assigned tasks through the Fund in accordance with regulations of law on state budget.

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall prescribe scholarship framework, funding ceiling, specific financial support, spending structure, and disbursement methods for each scholarship program; and approve scholarship programs, plans to award scholarships and use resources of the Fund, according to this Decree, the law on state budget, expenditure regimes, standards, norms, allocated budget estimates, and lawful financial sources of the Fund.

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5. The Ministry of Education and Training shall direct management, operation, and access to the information system and database serving management of scholarships. The Minister of Education and Training shall, within his/her jurisdiction, promulgate or approve data standards, and regulations on delegation of the jurisdiction to access, update and use data, protect personal data and record the processing of profiles/applications.

6. The Ministry of Education and Training shall organize communication, provision of guidance, inspection, supervision, and assessment; conduct or direct inspections of organization and operation of the Fund; and cooperate with ministries, central and local authorities, and relevant agencies and organizations in the implementation of this Decree.

Article 30. Responsibilities of ministries, central and local authorities, educational institutions, and relevant agencies and organizations

1. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and People's Committees at all levels shall cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Fund in proposing scholarship demands, and sectors, fields, and local areas that are prioritized; verify, provide and confirm information under their management; and cooperate in monitoring, post-inspection, withdrawal, reimbursement, and assessment of the effectiveness of scholarship programs in accordance with regulations.

2. The agency performing state management of ethnic minority affairs shall cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Fund, and relevant agencies in identifying target groups, providing information, and supervising the implementation of scholarship policies for students under their management in accordance with regulations of law.

3. The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Fund, and relevant agencies in verifying and providing information according to their functions and tasks regarding students belong in the armed forces; and cooperate in assessment and awarding of scholarships, monitoring, post-inspection, withdrawal, reimbursement, and handling of violations, fulfillment of national defense and security requirements, protection of state secrets without altering the management jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security.

4. The Ministry of Public Security shall cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Fund, and relevant agencies and organizations in reviewing and appraising contents related to security and order with regard to non-state budget funding source providers and foreign individuals nominated for scholarships in accordance with regulations of law, on the basis of requests from competent authorities.

5. Educational institutions, higher education institutions, vocational education institutions, research institutions, science and technology organizations, enterprises, and relevant agencies and organizations shall cooperate with the Fund in proposing scholarship demands; verifying, providing, and confirming information; introducing and nominating students; supporting professional assessment; and cooperating in payment, monitoring, post-inspection, and assessment of the effectiveness of scholarship programs in accordance with regulations.

6. The cooperation stipulated in this Article shall not alter the autonomy and accountability of educational institutions, and shall not alter the jurisdiction to approve scholarship programs, approve results of awarding scholarships, and organize the implementation of scholarship programs in accordance with this Decree.

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This Decree comes into force from October 01, 2026.

Article 32. Organization of the Fund’s operations

Within 90 days from the effective date of this Decree, the Ministry of Education and Training shall preside over and cooperate with relevant agencies and organizations in performing tasks. To be specific:

1. The Minister of Education and Training shall decide to establish the Fund Management Council and Executive Board; and appoint or assign tasks to the Fund Director, Deputy Director, Chief Accountant or the person-in-charge of accounting of the Fund.

2. The Minister of Education and Training shall promulgate the Fund's organization and operation regulations, financial management regulations, operational regulations and procedures, and forms within their jurisdiction regarding the receipt of non-state budget funding sources,  assessment and awarding of scholarships, disbursement, monitoring, post-inspection, withdrawal, and reimbursement; and announce administrative procedures and issue other necessary documents to organize the Fund's operations.

3. The Fund shall open accounts, register, manage, and use its seal in accordance with regulations of law; the Ministry of Education and Training shall manage, operate, and access the information system and database serving management of scholarships; and the Fund shall prepare the necessary conditions to receive and process administrative procedures and organize the implementation of scholarship programs.

Article 33. Transitional clauses

1. Scholarship policies, programs, and projects, and student support policies that have been promulgated, approved, and currently implemented prior to the effective date of this Decree, shall continue to be implemented in accordance with the promulgated and approved documents until they are amended, replaced, or terminated in accordance with regulations.

2. Students currently receiving scholarships and student support policies prior to the effective date of this Decree shall continue to enjoy such benefits in accordance with the promulgated and approved documents; the establishment and organization of operations of the National Scholarship Fund shall not affect the legally established rights and interests of the students.

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Article 34. Responsibilities for implementation

The Minister of Education and Training, the Minister of Finance, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and cities, heads of educational institutions, and relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decree.

ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT
PP. PRIME MINISTER
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER




Le Tien Chau