Scholarships for Vietnamese Students 2027: $25,000/yr Lecturer PhD Scheme & Top Global Routes

Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Full name	Vietnamese Government lecturer-training scheme (Đề án 89) under Circular 50/2026/TT-BGDĐT + international scholarships open to Vietnamese citizens
Funded by	Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) via VIED (Vietnam International Education Development)
Coverage	Tuition up to US$25,000/year paid directly to overseas universities + living allowance + 1 flight ticket
Key date	Circular 50/2026 effective August 15, 2026
Who it’s for	Vietnamese lecturers under 45 pursuing their first doctorate (Master’s: arts & sports fields only)

A major new funding update for Vietnamese academics took effect on August 15, 2026: Circular 50/2026/TT-BGDĐT, which raises overseas PhD tuition support to US$25,000 per year for university lecturers — up from the US$15,000 cap of the older Project 911 era. This guide breaks down the new scheme, how VIED applications work, and the best global scholarships open to Vietnamese students for the 2027 cycle.

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What Does It Cover? (Benefits Table)

Benefit	Details
Tuition support	Up to US$25,000 per person per year, paid directly to the overseas university based on the admission offer
Living allowance	Monthly subsistence set per country/territory, paid quarterly or every 6 months for actual study time
Flight ticket	1 return ticket for the training period
Travel expenses	One-time US$100 allowance
Health insurance	Per host-country regulations
Master’s support	Only for arts and physical education/sports fields (per Circular 50/2026)
PhD support	All academic fields

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Eligibility (✅/❌ Checklist)

✅ You Must:

• Be a Vietnamese citizen

• Be a full-time lecturer (giảng viên cơ hữu) or a lecturer candidate (giảng viên nguồn) at a Vietnamese higher education institution

• Be under 45 years old (calculated by the year of approval)

• Be pursuing your first doctoral degree

• Meet the host university’s admission requirements and have at least 18 months remaining in the program (per the MOET announcement)

• Not be under disciplinary review or restricted from exit/entry under Vietnamese law

❌ Not Eligible If:

• You are over 45 at the year of approval

• You already hold a doctorate

• You have already received (or are committed to receive) a full scholarship from the state budget or another source for the same program

• You are applying for a Master’s outside arts/physical education & sports

Training Models (3 options)

1. Full-time in Vietnam

2. Full-time abroad — overseas study limited to a maximum of 2 years

3. Joint/combined program — part in Vietnam, part overseas

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How to Apply: Step by Step

Step 1: Understand the institutional route

The scheme is nominator-based — you cannot apply as an individual. Your home university recommends you under the national lecturer-training scheme (Đề án 89, Decision 89/QĐ-TTg of 2019, running to 2030). Circular 50/2026 (issued June 30, 2026, effective Aug 15, 2026) now guides implementation.

Step 2: Get your university’s nomination

Contact your university’s training department. The 2026-cycle pattern (per VIED) ran: internal nomination at universities Sep–Oct, VIED online application mid-November to early December, results by late March. Expect a similar rhythm for the 2027 cycle — verify the exact dates on vied.vn.

Step 3: Secure a funded admission offer

For the VIED scholarship route you typically need an overseas PhD admission that already includes full funding (tuition waiver + stipend of at least US$12,000/year) from a university on the MOET-recognized list — or, under the new Circular, an admission offer the ministry can pay tuition against (up to US$25,000/yr).

Step 4: Prepare documents

Degrees and transcripts (certified translations), research proposal agreed with your prospective supervisor, supervisor’s letter of acknowledgement, language certificates (IELTS/TOEFL or host-language equivalent), and your university’s recommendation letter.

Step 5: Track partner-program deadlines

Many countries run parallel schemes for Vietnamese lecturers: Austria (ASEA-UNINET Vietnam-Austria — no open call at time of writing), France (911-France programme, €890/month), UK (Newton/911 partnerships, UK side closed 2019 — new routes via Chevening). Watch each partner’s announcements.

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Insider Tips

1. The US$25,000 cap changes your target-university math

Under Circular 50/2026, MOET pays tuition directly to the foreign university up to US$25,000/year; anything above that is covered by you or your sponsoring university. Target programs whose full tuition fits under the cap — or negotiate with your employer to cover the difference.

2. Overseas time is capped at 2 years

Full-time abroad is limited to 2 years. If your PhD realistically needs 3–4 years, plan a joint model (part in Vietnam, part overseas) or confirm how the remaining period is funded.

3. The nomination is the gate

Universities allocate limited slots under Đề án 89. Start talking to your training department now — internal nomination windows can close before the public VIED window opens.

4. Living allowances vary by country

MOET sets monthly subsistence per country/territory — don’t budget based on a friend’s allowance in a different country. Ask VIED for the current country table.

5. Combine with global scholarships you can win independently

If you’re not a lecturer (or want a backup), Vietnamese students are eligible for nearly every major international program — see the links below. Chevening’s deadline is October 6, 2026; Australia Awards, MEXT, GKS and TaiwanICDF all welcome Vietnamese applicants.

6. Verify every cycle on vied.vn

Circular 50/2026 is brand new (effective Aug 15, 2026). Application portals, deadlines and country tables for the 2027 cycle will be published on vied.vn — check monthly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Project 911 still running?

The doctoral-training effort formerly branded “Project 911” now operates under the national lecturer-training scheme (Đề án 89, 2019–2030). Circular 50/2026 (effective Aug 15, 2026) is the current implementation guide, raising tuition support to US$25,000/year.

I’m not a lecturer — can I still get Vietnamese government funding?

The lecturer scheme is restricted to university staff. Non-lecturer Vietnamese students should target international scholarships — see the internal links below.

Does the scheme cover Master’s degrees?

Only in arts and physical education/sports fields. PhD support covers all fields.

Do I have to return to Vietnam?

Yes — these are state-funded training placements for the university system; recipients return to their home institutions under the terms of the scheme.

What’s the application deadline?

The 2026 cycle’s VIED online window closed in early December 2025 with results in March 2026. For the 2027 cycle, expect internal nominations around September–October 2026 and the VIED online window around November–December 2026 — verify on vied.vn.

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Timeline Table

Date	Action
Aug 15, 2026	✅ Circular 50/2026 takes effect — US$25,000/yr tuition support live
Sep–Oct 2026	University internal nomination windows (2027 cycle, expected)
Nov–Dec 2026	VIED online application window (expected — verify vied.vn)
Mar 2027	Results published (expected)
Oct 6, 2026	Chevening deadline (backup route for non-lecturers)
2027 (varies)	Australia Awards, MEXT, GKS, TaiwanICDF windows

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Your Action Plan

1. This month: If you’re a lecturer, meet your university training department about a Đề án 89 nomination

2. By Sep: Shortlist overseas PhD programs that fit the US$25,000 tuition cap; contact potential supervisors

3. Sep–Oct: Get your internal nomination and prepare certified translations of degrees/transcripts

4. Nov–Dec: Submit the VIED online application

5. Meanwhile: Apply to 1–2 independent global scholarships as backup (start with Chevening — closes Oct 6)

6. Bookmark: vied.vn — check monthly for the 2027 call

Explore the global routes open to Vietnamese students: Australia Awards Scholarship 2027, Chevening Scholarships 2027, MEXT Japan Scholarship 2027, Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) and TaiwanICDF & MOE Taiwan Scholarships 2027.

Share this with a Vietnamese lecturer or student planning to study abroad in 2027.