Policy capital helps ethnic children go to school

Female student Nong Thi Thuy Nhung (Tay ethnic group, Hamlet 8, Thanh Son commune) helps her family with farming during summer vacation. Photo: Van Truyen

This contributes to increasing the rate of trained and skilled ethnic minority youth in the province.

Go to school thanks to policy funding

These days, Ms. Vu Thi Oanh, Head of the Savings and Loan Group in Hamlet 8, Thanh Son Commune, has been contacting the authorities and gathering information from the people to find out about the cases of college and university admissions in the hamlet.

Ms. Oanh said: The hamlet has many ethnic minorities living there. In recent times, the people's lives have improved a lot, but it is not easy for some families in difficult circumstances to have tens of millions of dong to pay tuition fees at once when their children enter school. This greatly affects each family's decision to send their children to school after graduating from high school or not.

Female student Nong Thi Thuy Nhung (Tay ethnic group, Hamlet 8, Thanh Son commune) said: This school year, I am entering my third year at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University). My family has more than 2 sao of farmland, 1 sow, and my parents work for hire. When I was admitted to university, my whole family was more worried than happy because the cost of studying was beyond the family's means. Through the Head of the Savings and Loan Group, my father learned about the policy loan and applied for a loan for me to go to school. During my studies, I looked for a part-time job. During the summer break, I tried to help my parents with housework and the farm work.

In Dinh Quan commune, Ms. Ka Bieu (Ma ethnic group) has a daughter who is studying in her second year of university in Ho Chi Minh City. Her and her husband's main job is peeling vegetables for traders.

Ms. Ka Bieu shared: “When my child was admitted to university, I was very worried because in addition to the money for her to stay and eat, I also had to worry about tuition fees, a large amount of money compared to my husband and I’s income. After much hesitation, I decided to contact the Savings and Loan Group to borrow money for my child’s tuition. This loan is like a “lifesaver” for my family, creating conditions for my daughter to continue her studies and have better opportunities in the future.”

Currently, Ms. Ka Bieu's daughter is the only young person in the Ma ethnic community in Hiep Nghia hamlet who is a student, and is also one of four young Ma people here who have attended university.

Similarly, the family of Ms. Hua Thi Thai (Hoa ethnic group, Cam My commune) has 4 children who have access to the Student Loan Program to go to school. Ms. Thai said: Paying tuition fees for 4 children each time is almost impossible for a farming family with little land like hers. Therefore, along with the encouragement of the parents and the efforts of the children, the policy capital is the deciding factor in her children being able to go to school properly.

Currently, Mrs. Thai's family is one of the few ethnic minority households in Dong Nai province with many children attending university.

Families wishing to borrow policy capital for their children to go to school can contact 4,542 savings and loan groups in hamlets, neighborhoods, and villages; transaction points of the Social Policy Bank located at 95 People's Committees of communes and wards and 21 transaction offices of the Social Policy Bank in Dong Nai province to be guided on loan procedures according to regulations.

No student in need of help is left behind

At this time, the Social Policy Bank system in the province has been reviewing the needs and profiles of the Student Loan Program of families, including ethnic minorities.

The loan program is currently applied to poor households, near-poor households, orphaned students, families with average living standards; students whose families are facing financial difficulties due to accidents, illnesses, natural disasters, fires, and epidemics. In addition, this school year, the Social Policy Bank also offers loans to medical students after graduation and workers whose land has been recovered.

To be eligible for a loan to study, students must be living with a family legally residing in the locality; first-year students must have a notice of admission or a certificate of admission. Second-year students and above must have confirmation that they are studying at the school and have not been administratively punished for the following acts: gambling, drug addiction, theft, smuggling.

For medical students after graduation and workers whose land is recovered, the loan conditions are in accordance with Decision 09/2016/QD-TTg dated March 2, 2016 of the Prime Minister on credit for medical students after graduation, during the internship period at medical examination and treatment facilities to be granted a practice certificate and Decision 12/2024/QD-TTg dated July 31, 2024 of the Prime Minister on mechanisms and policies for job creation and vocational training for people whose land is recovered.

Mr. Ngo Manh Chinh, Director of the Xuan Loc Social Policy Bank Transaction Office, said: In the 2024-2025 school year, the transaction office provided loans to 894 students, many of whom were children from ethnic minority families. To prepare for the successful implementation of this loan program in the 2025-2026 school year, the transaction office has conducted a review to grasp the number of families needing new loans, continuing to borrow capital for their children to go to school.

Nguyen Thanh Vu, Director of the Dinh Quan Social Policy Bank Transaction Office, said: The transaction office's management area is large and has a large number of ethnic minorities. Recently, the transaction office and the locality, the Head of the Savings and Loan Group have coordinated to check families with students to provide dedicated guidance to the people. This has contributed to the locality's efforts to increase the proportion of trained ethnic minority workers, creating opportunities for ethnic minority youth to pursue their dreams and change their lives in a positive direction.

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Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202508/von-chinh-sach-giup-con-em-dong-bao-den-truong-5911996/