Hồng Bàng International University will reduce second semester fees by 20 per cent for all students, while many others will reduce fees for or offer scholarships to disadvantaged students. VNS Photo Gia Lộc

HCM CITY — Many universities in HCM City plan to provide scholarships to students whose families’ livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or who live in the Mekong Delta and are affected by drought and saltwater intrusion.

The Open University has announced that it will give scholarships of VNĐ2 million (US$85) to students if one of their parents lost a job or their family faces difficulties in selling agricultural produce.

There are 3,000 scholarships on offer, and priority will be given to the worst affected by drought and saltwater in the delta.

Students can find and submit application forms online at https://ou.edu.vn/hocbong until May 5. The scholarships will cover the second semester.

Nguyễn Ngọc Anh, head of the students affairs division at the university, said: “We are all facing severe a crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The university wants to share the difficulties faced by disadvantaged students.” 

The HCM City University of Law will dip into its fund for supporting students to award scholarships to disadvantaged students.

FPT University has drawn more than VNĐ80 billion ($3.4 million) from its development and investment fund to offer a 20 per cent reduction in tuition fees to all students from May to August.

Students of its joint training programmes will get a 10 per cent reduction in fees.  

In case a student’s family turns down the offer, the money will be donated to the National Fund for Prevention and Control of COVID-19.

The Việt Nam National University-HCM City (VNUHCM)’s University of Information Technology has created a scholarship fund for students whose families have been affected by the pandemic. Students requiring assistance can fill an application at https://forms.gle/1AkS2vssNATzmafZ6.

The university will reduce second semester fees by 7 per cent for all regular students and also defer the deadline for payment for those facing financial difficulties.

VNUHCM’s other member universities will reduce their fees by 10 per cent.

Hồng Bàng International University will reduce second semester fees by 20 per cent for all students.

Văn Lang University will reduce second semester fees by 20 per cent for online lessons and 10 per cent for students attending classes.

For the moment all universities remain closed and lecturers are providing compulsory online lessons.

Many such as the Industrial University of HCM City, University of Economics and Finance and Banking University are closed until the end of this month. —VNS