Scholarships and Student Financial Aid in Cambodia: What Exists and How to Apply

Government scholarships: the Hun Sen Scholarship Program

The Prime Minister Hun Sen Scholarship Program is Cambodia's main national scholarship aimed at expanding access to higher education for students from poor, rural backgrounds who show leadership potential. It provides financial aid alongside academic mentoring and support activities meant to help recipients complete their degree and move into professional roles afterward. The program specifically targets students who would otherwise struggle to afford university, rather than running as a general merit award open to all applicants.

Selection criteria and available funding change from year to year, so confirm current eligibility, the application window and coverage directly with your school or the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport before you plan around it.

Ministry-level investment in higher education

Beyond direct scholarships, Cambodia's higher education sector has received larger structural investment aimed at improving quality rather than funding individual students. In September 2024, the World Bank approved 80 million USD in financing to improve higher education quality in Cambodia, a project expected to benefit around 32,000 students, including about 13,000 women, through curriculum updates and lecturer training. This kind of funding raises the quality of the education you receive rather than reducing what you personally pay, so treat it as separate from a personal scholarship or grant.

University scholarships and work-study

Individual universities run their own scholarship and work-study schemes on top of any government program. These typically cover part or all of tuition for students who meet an academic threshold, and some private universities structure a work-study option where you offset part of your fees through campus work hours. Coverage, GPA requirements and the number of available places differ by university and by intake, so check the scholarships page of each university on your shortlist directly, and ask specifically what percentage of tuition a scholarship covers before you count on it.

NGO and private scholarships

A smaller layer of funding comes from NGOs, community organizations and private donors, often targeted at a specific province, field of study, or student background, such as rural students or first-generation university attendees. Organizations such as Globalteer and the Cambodian Village Fund run scholarship programs for rural students, generally covering a limited number of places each cycle rather than open enrollment. These awards tend to be smaller in value than government or university scholarships, and the application usually goes through the organization directly rather than through your university. Search for scholarships tied to your home province or intended major specifically, since many of these programs run small, locally announced rounds rather than a single national portal.

Why there is no student loan option

Unlike some other ASEAN countries that run a formal government student loan scheme, Cambodia does not have a comparable national loan program for higher education. A funding gap between what your family can pay and your program's real cost typically closes through a scholarship, part-time work, or a private bank loan taken out by your family, rather than a dedicated education loan product. Build this into your planning early, since it changes how much of your tuition and living costs a scholarship needs to cover.

How to apply well

• Start with your own university's scholarship office before searching externally, since it is the fastest route to funding tied directly to your program

• Apply for the Hun Sen Scholarship Program and any provincial scholarship through your school, since many route through local education offices rather than a central online portal

• Keep your Bac II results and academic transcripts ready, since most scholarship applications ask for them alongside your university application

• Reapply each year if your scholarship is not guaranteed for your full program, and confirm the renewal requirements, usually a minimum GPA, before you rely on multi-year funding