Growing interest in foreign countries within the 'Quad' group.
Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper, Nguyen Hoang Lam, a former student of Phan Chau Trinh High School (Da Nang), said that because he had planned to study in the US, he focused on participating in many exams and engaging in social activities. However, due to concerns about policy changes, the student, who achieved an IELTS score of 8.0/9.0 and an SAT score of 1580/1600, decided to change his mind at the last minute and recently won a New Zealand government scholarship for undergraduate studies in the island nation.
Similarly, Le Hoang Phuc, a 12th‑grade student in Ho Chi Minh City, said that he initially considered studying in Australia because of the strong training programs of its universities and the large Vietnamese community. However, fearing the potential loss of tens of millions of dong if his student visa application was rejected, as well as uncertainty about regulations regarding staying and working after graduation , the student switched to studying German in order to find opportunities to study at public universities in Germany.
According to Dr. Le Bao Thang, Director of OSI Vietnam International Education Consulting Company (Ho Chi Minh City), Lam and Phuc's case is not unique, reflecting the growing demand for destinations outside the "big four" of the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK in the last one to two years. "Many families are now looking more broadly towards Europe," he added.
Explaining this, Mr. Thang stated that the "big four" countries still have appeal in terms of training quality, learning environment, and degree value. However, the fact that these countries are constantly adjusting their visa policies, post‑graduation work and settlement policies in a stricter direction has made many families hesitant, no longer wanting to place all their hopes on just one option. Instead, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands , Ireland, France, Italy, and Spain are gradually becoming alternative destinations.
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