VNS : Students cram fair to seek US study places

[Dao Van <daotb@yahoo.com>]

Students cram fair to seek US study places

(VNS)- Thousand of would-be foreign
students attended the first traveling US campus fair which toured Hanoi
and HCM City.  The fair, co-hosted, this week, by the Ha Noi University
of Technology and the US-based Institute of International Education
(IIE), was aimed at giving Vietnamese students more information on
potential courses abroad. 

"This event is really one of the most
important things that happened for the US-Vietnam relationship, in the
absence of a trade agreement and given that more US companies are coming
to Vietnam," said HE Vietnam director Kristy Kelly. 

Around 1,200 Vietnamese students study annually in America in mainly
social science, business, engineering, health, computers and science
courses. 

But Kelly admitted one of the first obstacles for Students pursuing US
education is the

lack of access to comprehensive, unbiased and accurate information. 

Another obstacle is finance: the US government offers a limited number
of scholarships under its Fullbright program and many potential students
apply to universities directly. 

But Kelly said: "With over 3,600 colleges and universities, and each
department possibly having their own funding, that means there are tens
of thousands of opportunities for financial aid.  " Would-be students
then face a final difficulty - getting a visa. 

Kelly said it costs around US$20,000 a year for a full college or
university program in the US, which includes tuition, travel, housing
and food. 

Successful Vietnamese students, however, are finding 50 percent of that
from grants with about $500,000 a year given directly to students from
universities. 


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