Since its launch in 2017, FUV has made great strides in Vietnam’s higher education system reform – it is the country’s first fully independent non-profit university. Applications for spots in the Class of 2024 jumped by 240 percent since last year, and the USAID-supported FUV has made the decision to expand enrollment to 170 from the initially planned 120 incoming students. COVID-19 has fuelled interest in the university, as Vietnamese families that would normally be seeking education overseas are switching to Vietnam-based options. More applications have broadened the pool and this year’s candidates averaged a 3.8 GPA and 1390 SAT score. As evidence of Fulbright’s mission to support students from all backgrounds, nearly 30 percent of this year’s applicants are first generation college applicants. Also, demonstrating the growing perception that FUV offers a quality higher education product, increasing numbers of families are willing to pay: financial aid as a proportion of the total tuition outlay for the Class of 2024 is expected to fall by 23 percent. FUV has also limited its new Visiting Student Program to 10 slots, where candidates admitted to schools in the United States can defer matriculation for one year, study at FUV, and transfer their credits to partner universities overseas.
So What? FUV’s promise to Vietnam is to become a globally competitive homegrown university, and public perceptions matter: Vietnamese families are showing increasing preference for FUV as an alternative to sending their children abroad for higher education.
