Students at the Bình Chánh District High School for the Gifted in Physical Education and Sports in HCM City receive scholarships from Sacombank.— Photo courtesy of the bank

HCM CITY — As the 2023 – 24 school year begins Sacombank has set aside nearly VNĐ11 billion (US$458,700) to provide scholarships to nearly 4,000 disadvantaged students with excellent academic records under its “Nurturing dreams” programme.

The beneficiaries will be secondary and high school students in places where Sacombank has branches, and second-year students of economics, law and information technology at universities and colleges in HCM City, Hà Nội and the southwestern region with accumulated average scores of at least 7/10 or 2.5/4 in 2022-23.

In July and August the bank had coordinated with secondary and high schools to identify nearly 3,800 students for the scholarships (including 200 in Hà Nội and 169 in HCM City).

On September 5, the opening day of the new school year, it gave away scholarships worth VNĐ1.5 million ($62.6) each to them along with a backpack.

It also gave 290 prizes worth VNĐ500,000 to VNĐ5 million to students who had won its first writing contest on the topic “Chắp cánh bay xa” (Give wings to fly far).

Sacombank will grant full scholarships to 40 second-year students this year, each worth VNĐ75 million ($3,130) in cash and given to them over three years (VNĐ25 million a year) until graduation.

Students can get detailed information and apply for the scholarships at sacombankcareer.com in October 2023.

Selected candidates will enter the "Conquest Round" in November through direct interviews before the 40 eligible for the full scholarships are identified.

This year the bank is also set to offer nearly 100 one-year scholarships, each worth VNĐ10 million, and a backpack, to students at universities with which it has had long-time ties.

Instituted in 2004, the “Nurturing dreams” scholarship programme aims to encourage and empower students to continue on their learning path and pursue their dreams.

It has awarded more than 42,200 scholarships worth a total of nearly VNĐ61 billion ($2.5 million) so far.

Besides scholarships, Sacombank also offers students skill training, orientation, internships, and other benefits every year to help the younger generations develop a positive attitude and provide them with career development opportunities. — VNS