Cambodia to Vietnam: Scholarships and University Options for Cambodian Students
By Muntasir • Published May 23, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Scholarships & Funding, Study in Southeast Asia
Vietnam funds Cambodian students through a bilateral government scholarship channelled through Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, covering tuition, dorm housing and a monthly stipend at Vietnamese public universities.
🎓 Apply through Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, which forwards nominations to Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training.
Non-Vietnamese speakers usually start with a one-year Vietnamese language preparation course before the degree program.
Medicine, pharmacy, engineering, IT, agriculture and business draw the most Cambodian scholarship holders.
💵 Self-funded students can apply directly to Vietnamese universities without going through the government scholarship track.
📩 The Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Hanoi both support applicants and enrolled students.
Why Cambodian students choose Vietnam
Vietnam sits next to Cambodia, keeps tuition and living costs low compared with Singapore, Thailand or Australia, and runs government scholarships specifically for Cambodian citizens under a long-standing bilateral education agreement. Cambodian students who choose Vietnam typically go through one of two routes: a fully funded government scholarship administered jointly by Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) , or a self-funded application straight to a Vietnamese university.
Both routes lead to degrees recognized across ASEAN, and travel between Phnom Penh and major Vietnamese cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang takes only a few hours by road or air.
Vietnam government scholarships for Cambodian students
Vietnam's government scholarship for Cambodian nationals covers tuition, dormitory accommodation and a monthly living stipend at Vietnamese public universities. The scholarship falls under Vietnam's cooperation agreements with countries it holds close diplomatic ties with, and Cambodia has held a quota under this program for years.
MoEYS in Phnom Penh manages the nomination process on the Cambodian side. Students submit their application, academic transcripts and supporting documents to MoEYS, which screens candidates and forwards a shortlist to MOET in Hanoi. Vietnam's side makes the final placement decision, including which university and program each student receives.
Separate from the state scholarship, the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association runs a support program called "Nurturing Seeds of Friendship," which has helped several hundred Cambodian students with fees and living costs since it started in 2012, according to Vietnam+ . This program runs alongside the government scholarship track and does not replace it.
How the nomination and application process works
Check MoEYS announcements for the scholarship quota and internal deadline for that intake year.
Submit your application to MoEYS with transcripts, a health certificate, passport copy and any required recommendation letters.
MoEYS screens applicants and sends a nomination list to Vietnam's MOET.
MOET assigns successful candidates to a university and program based on availability and your stated preferences.
You receive an admission notice from the host university, then apply for your student visa through the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh.
Register with the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Hanoi after you arrive, so the embassy can support you during your stay.
Because MOET assigns the university and program rather than letting you choose freely, decide on backup fields of study before you apply.
Vietnamese language preparation
Most scholarship recipients who do not already speak Vietnamese start with a one-year Vietnamese language preparation course before their degree program begins. Universities that host large numbers of Cambodian scholarship students, such as those in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, run these preparation courses on campus. You take placement tests at the end of the course, and you need to pass a language benchmark before moving into degree-level classes taught in Vietnamese.
A smaller number of programs, mostly at graduate level in business or international studies, teach in English and skip the Vietnamese language year. Confirm the language of instruction before you accept a placement.
Popular fields of study
Cambodian students on Vietnamese scholarships concentrate in a handful of fields:
Medicine and pharmacy, at universities with strong clinical training programs
Engineering, including civil, electrical and mechanical tracks
Information technology and computer science
Agriculture and forestry, reflecting shared economic priorities between the two countries
Business, economics and Vietnamese language and culture
Medicine and engineering seats fill quickly because Vietnamese universities in these fields have strong reputations across the Mekong region and clinical placements that Cambodian hospitals recognize.
Self-funded routes to Vietnamese universities
If you miss the government scholarship deadline or want more control over your choice of university, apply directly as a self-funded international student. Vietnamese public and private universities accept direct applications from Cambodian nationals, and admission requirements usually include your upper secondary transcripts, a health check and proof of funds to cover tuition and living costs.
Self-funded students without Vietnamese language ability also start with a preparation year at most institutions, though a growing number of programs in Ho Chi Minh City now offer English-taught bachelor's and master's degrees aimed at international students, which skip that requirement.
Costs and living expenses
Tuition and living costs in Vietnam sit well below Singapore, Thailand or Western destinations, which is one reason self-funded Cambodian students still choose Vietnam over other options even without a scholarship. Dormitory housing at public universities keeps monthly costs low, and food, transport and daily expenses in Vietnamese cities outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City cost less again.
Scholarship holders receive dorm accommodation and a stipend as part of their award, so their main ongoing cost is personal spending money. Self-funded students should budget for tuition, dorm or rented housing, food, transport and a language course if required, and confirm current fee schedules directly with the university they plan to attend since these vary by institution and program.
Visa and arrival
Cambodian citizens need a student visa to study in Vietnam beyond a short-term stay. Apply through the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh once you hold an admission letter, and bring your passport, admission letter, health certificate and passport photos to the application. Processing times vary, so apply as soon as your university confirms your place.
After you arrive, register with the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Hanoi. The embassy can help with lost documents, emergencies and general support for Cambodian nationals studying anywhere in Vietnam.
Steps to apply
Decide between the government scholarship track (through MoEYS) and a self-funded direct application.
Gather transcripts, passport, health certificate and any required test scores early, since both routes need similar documents.
Research fields of study and target universities before submitting your MoEYS application, since MOET assigns placements.
Budget for a Vietnamese language preparation year if you don't already speak Vietnamese.
Apply for your student visa at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh once you have an admission letter.