The RMIT Vietnam International Excellence Scholarship is a merit-based tuition discount for students who are not Vietnamese citizens and are starting an undergraduate degree at RMIT University Vietnam. It pays either 25% or 50% of tuition fees, and that discount runs for the whole length of the program, not one semester. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing, but this guide is about how the award actually works and whether it makes sense for you.
The short version: this is a partial scholarship. It will not pay your living costs, flights or visa fees. What it does is cut the tuition on an Australian-accredited RMIT degree that is taught in English in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. For a Pakistani student who wants an RMIT qualification but cannot fund Melbourne, that is a real option worth a serious look.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Partial: 25% or 50% of tuition fees for the full program |
| Level | Bachelor's (undergraduate) |
| Fields | Business, Information Technology, Engineering, Design, Communication |
| Deadline | Varies by semester intake. The Semester 3 2026 round closed 21 August 2026, 5:00pm GMT+7 |
| Country | Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City campuses) |
| Provider | RMIT University Vietnam |
| Official site | rmit.edu.vn |
A scholarship that Vietnamese students cannot get
Most university scholarships in Southeast Asia are shared between local and foreign applicants, and the locals usually dominate. This one is different. It is open only to citizens of a country other than Vietnam, so you are competing with other international students rather than with the whole domestic school system. Pakistani citizens fall inside that group, so yes, you can apply.
RMIT Vietnam is the Vietnam campus of Australia's RMIT University. Teaching is in English, the curriculum is RMIT's Australian one, and the degree is Australian-accredited. For its 2026 intake, the university announced a scholarship pool worth more than VND 200 billion across all its scholarship categories, with the International Excellence Scholarship as the main award for incoming international undergraduates. That figure covers every category, so do not read it as the budget for this award alone.
Who does this suit? Students with strong final-year results who want a recognised Western degree in business, IT, engineering, design or communication, and who can cover the remaining tuition plus living costs themselves. Who should skip it? Anyone who needs a fully funded package. Even at the 50% level, you are still paying half the tuition and all of your living expenses.
What 25% or 50% off tuition really means
The award comes in two tiers. Top-tier awardees get 50% off tuition, and the second tier gets 25% off. In both cases the discount applies for the entire duration of the undergraduate program, and once awarded it is applied directly to your fee schedule for every following semester. That gives you predictable savings for the whole degree, which helps a lot when your family is planning finances in rupees.
There is a catch you should read carefully. The university reserves the right to change the number of awards and their value from one intake to the next. So whatever you hear about a previous round is a guide, not a promise. Check the current terms on the International Excellence Scholarship page before you plan your budget around a specific tier.
What the scholarship does not cover is just as important. There is nothing in the award for accommodation, food, travel or health costs. Build those into your plan from day one, especially because a visa officer will want to see that you can pay for them. Our guide to bank statements and proof of funds is a useful starting point for that part.
The 80% final-year threshold and other eligibility rules
Selection is based on your academic performance in the final year of high school, combined with the strength of your overall application. The minimum GPA is around 80% in the final year of high school or equivalent. For Pakistani students, that means your FSc or A-Level results.
The wording is "approximately 80%", so the exact cut-off may be applied differently by intake. My advice is to treat 80% as the floor and not as a target. If your final-year marks are sitting right on the line, you are unlikely to land the 50% tier, and you should plan for the 25% tier or for no award at all.
The full set of conditions is:
- You must be a citizen of a country other than Vietnam.
- You need roughly 80% or higher in your final year of high school or equivalent (FSc or A-Levels).
- You must have applied to an RMIT Vietnam undergraduate program and meet its entry requirements.
- You cannot be a current RMIT Vietnam undergraduate. This is for new students only.
- You need English proficiency at RMIT Vietnam's standard undergraduate level, which is IELTS 6.0-6.5 or equivalent depending on the program.
The award is described as being for incoming undergraduates. If you are looking at a master's, this is not your scholarship, and you should look at RMIT Vietnam's separate postgraduate scholarship listings instead.
Why you need a Letter of Offer before anything else
This is the point applicants most often get wrong. The scholarship is not automatic, and you do not apply for it at the same time as admission. RMIT Vietnam only assesses it after you have received and accepted an official Letter of Offer. In practice, that means two separate applications, one after the other.
- Choose an undergraduate program at RMIT Vietnam and submit the standard degree application.
- Meet all the entry requirements and receive your official Letter of Offer.
- Submit the separate International Excellence Scholarship application form before that semester's scholarship deadline.
- Provide supporting academic documents showing your final-year high school performance.
- Wait for the scholarship committee's decision. It comes separately from your admission offer.
- If you are awarded, the tuition discount is applied to your fee schedule for every semester that follows.
The practical consequence is timing. If you leave the admission application late, your Letter of Offer may not arrive before the scholarship form closes, and you lose the round. Admission processing time is the hidden deadline here.
Paperwork for the admission and scholarship forms
The document list is short, which is good news, but each item has to be in order:
- Your RMIT Vietnam undergraduate degree application and Letter of Offer
- Academic transcripts for Matric and FSc or A-Level (or equivalent), showing your final-year results
- An English proficiency certificate (IELTS, TOEFL or PTE) if it applies to you
- A valid passport copy confirming you are not a Vietnamese citizen
- The completed International Excellence Scholarship application form
Pakistani transcripts sometimes need attestation for overseas use, so check what RMIT Vietnam asks for and give yourself time if you need to get papers processed. Our documents checklist for international scholarships covers the general preparation.
Picking an intake: Semester 1, 2 or 3
RMIT Vietnam runs scholarship rounds for each semester intake, and the deadlines vary. As a rough pattern, the Semester 1 window typically closes around September of the prior year, and the Semester 2 window typically closes around January-February. The Semester 3 2026 round closed on 21 August 2026 at 5:00pm GMT+7, with results due by 18 September 2026.
Those "typically" dates are patterns, not fixed deadlines. Confirm the exact closing date for your intake on the official portal before you plan anything. If the round you wanted has already closed, look at the next intake rather than giving up.
One more point on timing: scholarship pools can be smaller in later intakes within the same year. Where you have a choice, aim for an earlier intake.
Mistakes that cost Pakistani applicants this award
Sitting IELTS late is the most common one. If your English test result is not ready, your Letter of Offer is delayed, and the scholarship form waits on the offer. Take the test early so it is not the thing holding you up.
The second is assuming the scholarship comes with admission. Some other universities in Vietnam award scholarships automatically. RMIT Vietnam does not, and you have to submit the separate form yourself.
The third is ignoring your final-year marks. Selection looks specifically at the final year of high school. A strong Matric does not make up for a weak FSc final year.
If you are unsure whether your program is included in the current round, email scholarships@rmit.edu.vn and ask directly. And if you do not get the International Excellence award, RMIT Vietnam also has need-based and program-specific scholarships with different criteria, so it is worth checking whether you qualify for one of those.
If you are comparing this with other options in the country, see all Vietnam scholarships in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply for the RMIT Vietnam International Excellence Scholarship?
Yes. It is open to citizens of any country other than Vietnam, which includes Pakistan, as long as you are applying to an RMIT Vietnam undergraduate program.
How much of the tuition does it pay?
Either 25% or 50% of tuition fees, applied for the full length of the undergraduate program. The number and value of awards can change between intakes.
Does it cover living costs or accommodation?
No. It is a tuition scholarship only. You will need to fund the remaining tuition plus your living expenses yourself.
Can I apply for the scholarship and admission together?
No. You first need an official Letter of Offer for an RMIT Vietnam undergraduate program. After that, you submit the separate scholarship application form.
Is it available for master's programs?
It is aimed at incoming undergraduates. Postgraduate applicants should check RMIT Vietnam's separate postgraduate scholarship listings.
What English score do I need?
You need to meet RMIT Vietnam's standard undergraduate entry requirement, which is IELTS 6.0-6.5 or equivalent depending on the program.
Before you apply, check the current round on the official RMIT Vietnam website, and keep the full scholarship page handy for the key facts.