Decision No. 29/2025/QĐ-TTg On credit for high school students, college students, master's students, and doctoral candidates studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields

Pursuant to …;
ON CREDIT FOR STUDENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS, GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND RESEARCH STUDENTS IN THE SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS

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

Pursuant to the Law on Local Administration Organization No. 72/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Credit Institutions No. 32/2024/QH15 amended and supplemented by Law No. 43/2024/QH15;

Pursuant to Decree No. 78/2002/NĐ-CP dated October 4, 2002 of the Government on credit for the poor and other policy beneficiaries;

At the proposal of the Minister of Finance;

The Prime Minister issues this Decision on credit for students, college students, graduate students, and research students in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

Article 1. This Decision stipulates the credit policies for students, college students, graduate students, and research students in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics to support tuition fees, living expenses, and other educational costs during their study at higher education institutions and vocational training institutions within the national education system established and operating in accordance with Vietnamese law.

Article 2. The sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields specified in this Decision include specific training programs as follows: life sciences, natural sciences, computer science and information technology, engineering technology, engineering, architecture and construction, production and processing, mathematics and statistics, financial technology as defined by the Prime Minister's issuance of the Education and Training Catalogue of the National Education System and related legal documents; other key technology training programs as prescribed by law.

Article 2. Applicability

Article 3. Creditors

Borrowers under this Decision.

3. Other organizations and individuals related thereto.

Article 4. Borrowers

Students, college students, graduate students, and research students who are Vietnamese citizens studying the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics as specified in this Decision at higher education institutions and vocational training institutions within the national education system established and operating in accordance with Vietnamese law (hereinafter referred to collectively as learners).

Article 5. Conditions for Borrowing

Clause 1. Students and college students must have completed secondary school according to the law and meet the following conditions when the Vietnam Social Policy Bank considers and decides to approve credit according to this Decision:

Point a. For first-year students: Must simultaneously achieve satisfactory grades in all three years of secondary school according to the law; or achieve an average score of 8 points or higher in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology in grade 12.

Point b. For second-year and subsequent students: Must achieve excellent grades in all subjects according to the law in the year immediately preceding the year they request credit from the Vietnam Social Policy Bank.

Clause 2. Graduate students and research students must be recognized as such by higher education institutions in accordance with the law.

Clause 3. At the time of requesting credit from the Vietnam Social Policy Bank, the learner must fill out the Information Form according to the model specified in Appendix I of this Decision, obtain confirmation from the higher education institution or vocational training institution, and provide complete relevant documentation to the Vietnam Social Policy Bank.

Clause 4. Annually, the learner must fill out the Information Form according to the model specified in Appendix II of this Decision, obtain confirmation from the higher education institution or vocational training institution, and provide it to the Vietnam Social Policy Bank as a basis for disbursing the loan.

Article 5. Purpose of Loan Usage

The borrower shall use the loan to cover tuition fees, living expenses, and other educational costs during the period of studying the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields as specified in this Decision.

Article 6. Loan Disbursement Method

1. The Social Policy Bank shall disburse loans through households, with the Household Representative of the student being the named borrower and conducting transactions with the Social Policy Bank.

2. In cases where there are no members aged 18 or older in the household or remaining members lack labor capacity or full civil conduct capacity according to the law, the student shall directly be the named borrower at the Social Policy Bank.

Article 7. Loan Amount

1. The maximum loan amount for one student to support covering tuition fees, living expenses, and other educational costs for the remainder of the academic program includes:

a) The entire tuition fee that the student must pay (after deducting scholarships and financial aid from the school if applicable), confirmed by the school;

b) Living expenses and other educational costs up to five million VND per month.

2. Based on the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article, the Social Policy Bank shall negotiate with the borrowing customer to consider and decide on the specific loan amount for each student.

Article 8. Interest Rate on Loans

1. The interest rate on loans is 4.8% per annum.

2. The overdue interest rate is calculated at 130% of the loan interest rate.

Article 9. Currency for Loan and Repayment

The currency for loan and repayment is the Vietnamese Dong.

Article 10. Loan Term

1. The loan term includes: the loan disbursement period, the time from when the student completes their course to when they begin repaying the first installment, and the repayment period.

2. The loan disbursement period is the duration from when the borrowing customer receives the first loan until the student completes their course, including any temporary leave of absence granted by the school and the retention of study results (if applicable):

a) The loan disbursement period is divided into loan disbursement periods as stipulated by the Social Policy Bank or agreed upon with the borrowing customer;

b) The Social Policy Bank will not disburse the loan during the period when the student is temporarily allowed a leave of absence and retains their study results (if applicable);

c) During the loan disbursement period, the borrowing customer does not need to repay the principal or interest.

3. Starting twelve months after the student completes their course, the borrowing customer must repay the first installment of the principal and interest. The borrowing customer may repay the loan ahead of schedule without paying prepayment penalties.

4. The repayment period is determined by the Social Policy Bank, with a maximum equal to the loan disbursement period minus the time the student is temporarily allowed a leave of absence and retains their study results (if applicable). The repayment period is divided into repayment periods with the amount repaid each period decided by the Social Policy Bank.

Article 11. Extension of Debt, Transfer of Overdue Debt

1. In cases where the borrowing customer cannot repay the debt on time according to the final repayment period and submits a request for debt extension, the Social Policy Bank shall consider and decide to extend the debt for the borrowing customer; the maximum debt extension period equals half of the repayment period specified in Clause 4 of Article 10 of this Decision.

2. In cases where the borrowing customer uses the loan for purposes other than intended or fails to repay the debt on time and is not approved to adjust the repayment period or extend the debt, the Social Policy Bank shall transfer the overdue debt for the principal used for unintended purposes or the principal not repaid on time. The Social Policy Bank shall cooperate with local authorities, political-social organizations, and related agencies to implement measures to recover the loan according to regulations.

3. The Social Policy Bank shall provide detailed guidance on extending debt and transferring overdue debt.

Article 12. Guarantee for the Performance of Loan Repayment Obligations

1. Borrowers with loans up to VND 500 million per student are not required to provide guarantees for the performance of loan repayment obligations.

2. Borrowers with loans exceeding VND 500 million per student must provide guarantees for the performance of loan repayment obligations using assets in accordance with the provisions of the law on guaranteeing the performance of obligations and the regulations of the Social Policy Bank.

Article 13. Sources of Loans

1. The sources of loans as stipulated in this Decision include: The central budget providing 50% of the capital from public investment funds in accordance with the law, and the Social Policy Bank meeting 50% of the capital from funds raised in accordance with the law.

2. Entrusted capital from local budgets to the Social Policy Bank in accordance with the law.

Article 14. Classification of Debts and Handling of Risky Debts

The classification of debts and handling of risky debts for loans as stipulated in this Decision shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on debt classification and handling of risky debts at the Social Policy Bank.

Article 15. Reporting System

1. Annual periodic report on the results of lending:

a) Reporting agency: Social Policy Bank;

b) Receiving agency: Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Training, and State Bank of Vietnam;

c) Report form: In accordance with Appendix III issued together with this Decision;

d) Deadline for submission of reports: Not later than 60 days from the end of the year;

đ) Data closing period: The data collection start date is the first day of the reporting year; the data collection end date is the last day of the reporting year;

e) Methods of submitting reports shall be carried out according to one of the following methods: Direct submission in paper form; submission through postal service in paper form; submission via email system or specialized information reporting software; other methods as prescribed by law.

2. In addition to the annual periodic report under Clause 1 of this Article, the Social Policy Bank shall submit ad hoc reports on the results of lending upon request of the competent authority.

Article 16. Implementation Organization

1. Social Policy Bank:

a) Detailed guidance on loan application documents, procedures and formalities for lending, repayment periods, repayment amounts, restructuring of repayment terms, transferring overdue debts, loan guarantees, and related matters, ensuring simplicity, clarity, ease of implementation, and compliance with legal regulations;

b) Management and utilization of capital, implementing lending to eligible recipients, for appropriate purposes, transparently and openly; regularly organizing and coordinating with political and social organizations, higher education institutions, vocational training institutions, and relevant agencies to monitor and supervise the use of borrowed funds by borrowers to ensure their proper use, facilitate students' borrowing, and enhance the ability to recover borrowed funds;

c) Regularly reviewing, inspecting, and evaluating the implementation of lending as stipulated in this Decision to promptly identify difficulties, obstacles, shortcomings, risks that may arise, and handle them within its authority or report to the competent authority for consideration and resolution in accordance with the law;

d) Reporting to the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Training, and State Bank of Vietnam on the results of lending as stipulated in Article 15 of this Decision;

đ) Reporting to the Ministry of Finance to submit to the competent authority for consideration and allocation of public investment funds to the Social Policy Bank to implement lending as stipulated in this Decision;

e) Coordinating with ministries and sectors to report to the competent authority to promptly address difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of lending as stipulated in this Decision.

2. Ministry of Finance:

a) Taking the lead and coordinating with relevant ministries and the Social Policy Bank to report to the Prime Minister for handling issues arising during the implementation of this Decision and proposing amendments and supplements to this Decision (if necessary);

b) Based on the report of the Social Policy Bank, taking the lead and coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to report to the competent authority for consideration and allocation of public investment funds to provide the Social Policy Bank with capital to implement lending as stipulated in this Decision.

3. Ministry of Education and Training: Guiding educational institutions to cooperate with People's Committees at all levels and the Social Policy Bank to organize the implementation and promote policies as stipulated in this Decision.

4. People's Committees at all levels:

a) Annually reporting to the competent authority for consideration and approval of the allocation of local budget capital entrusted to the Social Policy Bank in accordance with the law to implement lending as stipulated in this Decision;

b) Cooperating with the Social Policy Bank and educational institutions in the area to organize promotion and implementation of policies as stipulated in this Decision;

c) Cooperating with the Social Policy Bank to implement measures to recover loaned funds as stipulated.

5. Higher education institutions and vocational training institutions:

a) Implementing confirmation for students in the Information Declaration Form according to the model issued together with this Decision at Appendix I and Appendix II;

b) Notifying the Social Policy Bank if students do not continue studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields as stipulated in this Decision after obtaining loans;

c) Cooperating with People's Committees at all levels and the Social Policy Bank to organize promotion and implementation of policies as stipulated in this Decision;

d) Cooperating with the Social Policy Bank to implement monitoring and supervision of the use of borrowed funds by customers to ensure their proper use, facilitate students' borrowing, and enhance the ability to recover borrowed funds.

6. Borrowers have the responsibility to use borrowed funds for the intended purpose, and must repay the principal and interest of the loan according to the agreed schedule.

Article 17. Implementation Provisions

1. This Decision shall take effect from the date of issuance.

2. In cases where students simultaneously fall under the borrowing target and meet the borrowing conditions as stipulated in this Decision and as provided for in Decision No. 157/2007/QĐ-TTg dated September 27, 2007 of the Government on credit for high school and university students, and any subsequent amendments, supplements, or replacements (if any), they may choose to apply one of the two borrowing mechanisms according to their needs.

3. In cases where customers are currently borrowing in accordance with Decision No. 157/2007/QĐ-TTg and any subsequent amendments, supplements, or replacements (if any), if they belong to the target group, meet all conditions, and have the need to borrow in accordance with this Decision, they may switch to applying the borrowing mechanism as stipulated in this Decision for the remaining period of study without having to repay the loan ahead of schedule under Decision No. 157/2007/QĐ-TTg.

4. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees, Chairpersons of the Board of Directors, and General Directors of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.