How students from grades 9 and 10 'hunt' for government scholarships in English-speaking countries

Cách học sinh từ lớp 9, 10 'săn' học bổng chính phủ nước nói tiếng Anh- Ảnh 1. — 20 students were awarded the New Zealand Government Scholarship for secondary school in 2025, including Gia Han (right cover) and Chau Anh (front row, 4th from left)

Secrets to winning government scholarships

On the morning of June 22,Education New Zealand (ENZ) in collaboration with the New Zealand Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony to award the New Zealand Government Secondary School Scholarship (NZSS) and pre-departure information to 20 of the country's most outstanding students. The NZSS program was launched in 2019 and is an exclusive scholarship for grades 8, 9, and 10 students from Vietnam by the New Zealand government.

Speaking to Thanh Nien on the sidelines of the event, Nghiem Xuan Gia Han, a student at Nguyen Du Secondary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), said she chose to study abroad in New Zealand because it is a peaceful island nation with a friendly population and an advanced education system. To apply for a government scholarship, the female student said she had to work hard to improve her English skills and had a "headache" trying to find a way to express herself in the video sent to the council.

Specifically, to apply for NZSS, students need to achieve an average score of 8 or higher, an English level equivalent to IELTS 5.0 or higher, and must submit a 1.5-minute video introducing themselves and stating clearly why they deserve to be selected, according to ENZ.

"At that time, I shared that I especially liked literature and was among the top students in this subject in my class. Therefore, I wanted to continue to maintain this hobby in New Zealand, even though I knew that English literature would be much more difficult than Vietnamese, because this is the subject that helps me fully express my emotions. Besides, I also shared that I wanted to present to foreign students about famous Vietnamese works such as the Tale of Kieu ," Han said.

Cách học sinh từ lớp 9, 10 'săn' học bổng chính phủ nước nói tiếng Anh- Ảnh 2. — Mr. Scott James, Consul General of New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City

The female student shared that at the beginning of her scholarship application, she also encountered many difficulties because her English vocabulary was limited. To improve, Han read many English books and wrote down the words she did not know in her notebook to look up. This habit has been going on every day until now. In addition, the female student also practiced writing in English to practice writing and thinking in English.

"After researching, I became interested in psychology and discussed this dream with my parents. In the near future, I will read more books about psychology and aim to be admitted to Victoria Wellington University, also in New Zealand," Han added.

Nguyen Manh Chau Anh, a student at Trung Vuong High School (HCMC), said that instead of focusing on achievements, NZSS focuses on each student's identity, such as potential, personal interests, and what they can develop from them. "In the video, I talk about my abilities and my favorite subjects, as well as the strengths that make me feel I can conquer the NZSS scholarship," Chau Anh said.

"In addition, in the video, I also shared my desire to return to Vietnam and help people. Because I was raised with the love of my whole family, especially my grandparents. In particular, my grandfather is an archaeologist and he has passed on his passion and inspiration to me," Chau Anh added.

Cách học sinh từ lớp 9, 10 'săn' học bổng chính phủ nước nói tiếng Anh- Ảnh 3. — NZSS alumni share information about studying and living in New Zealand for those about to depart to this country.

What do experts advise candidates?

It is known that the number of applications for the NZSS has been increasing over the years and in 2025 it reached 90, of which only 20 students were selected for the scholarship. With the competition rate constantly increasing, Mr. Ben Burrowes, Regional Director of ENZ Asia, told Thanh Nien that applicants should pay special attention to the video recording requirement because this will be the factor that helps them stand out from the others.

"The reason we ask you to submit a video is to see who you really are, alongside other important factors like your grades and English level. You don't need to show that you know everything about New Zealand in your video, because you are just at the beginning of your journey to learn about our country," Mr Burrowes shared.

Instead, candidates can share the opportunities that New Zealand can bring to their personal life and future career path. "We want to see your passion in the video, and let us know how New Zealand education can support you to achieve that dream," Mr Burrowes advised.

The director added that in the near future, all international student visa applications will be processed on a new platform called ADEPT, managed by Immigration New Zealand (INZ). Not only does it make the student visa application process as simple and seamless as possible, ADEPT also allows applicants to update their application status in real time, creating a positive user experience.

Cách học sinh từ lớp 9, 10 'săn' học bổng chính phủ nước nói tiếng Anh- Ảnh 4. — Mr. Ben Burrowes, ENZ Regional Director for Asia

Regarding visa policy, Mr. Scott James, Consul General of New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City, informed that this island nation always welcomes Vietnamese students. That is the reason why up to now, this country has not made any changes in its visa policy for Vietnamese people like some other countries. On the contrary, this country is increasingly shortening the time to process student visa applications, sometimes taking only about a week to complete.

"We believe Vietnamese students are important to both New Zealand students and the international student community," said Mr. James.

According to ENZ, the 2025 NZSS scholarship program recorded a record number of participating high schools, with 45 schools spread across cities in New Zealand. And except for the Covid-19 interruption, up to now, this agency has awarded 70 NZSS scholarships to Vietnamese students, each worth 50% of the tuition fee for the first year of study. The new NZSS recipients will begin their studies at the schools in July 2025 or January 2026.

According to statistics from ENZ, 69,133 international students will enroll in education providers in New Zealand in 2023, an increase of 67% compared to 2022, with the majority concentrated in universities. Of these, 1,736 are from Vietnam, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year but still about half the record (3,042 in 2019), with the largest concentration also in universities (1,120), followed by secondary schools (308).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cach-hoc-sinh-tu-lop-9-10-san-hoc-bong-chinh-phu-nuoc-noi-tieng-anh-185250622193937004.htm