January 12, 2023 - Friends of The Asia Foundation (FOTAF) continues to provide scholarships (Cohort VII) to Vietnamese girls for 2023-2024. This scholarship will enable 50 financially disadvantaged girls from Vietnam's Mekong Delta region to complete grades 11 through 12.

Many Vietnamese girls face severe challenges in reaching their educational goals. Many girls from low-income families drop out of school before or during secondary school. For many students from low-income or remote areas, financial difficulty and long-distance travel are two main reasons for dropping out. This is detrimental to girls and women throughout their lives, perpetuating a vicious cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and ill-health in individual families and communities, hindering Vietnam's overall development.

Vietnam has made considerable strides over the last decade to improve the quality of public education. However, girls are still less likely to be enrolled in secondary education. Furthermore, the government does not cover tuition costs for secondary school.

The FOTAF scholarship program in Vietnam will provide these girls with the best chance to complete their secondary school education and help them prepare for higher education and career pathways.

To date, the FOTAF scholarship has helped a total of 338 Vietnamese girls in Hau Giang province. The scholarships have reduced the financial burden for the families of the Scholars and created a supportive environment for the girls to persevere and complete secondary school education.