Context

In Vietnam, significant disparities exist in secondary school enrollment and completion rates between advantaged and disadvantaged regions. These gaps are largely due to low-income communities' inability to afford tuition fees, hindering access to education for many students.

Solution

To address these educational inequalities, the Global Partnership for Output-Based Aid (GPOBA) and the World Bank provided grants to support 11 provinces in Vietnam. These grants enabled schools to offer output-based subsidies through reimbursed tuition fees. Over three years, this initiative subsidized the enrollment of 8,145 students, focusing on increasing access to upper secondary education (grades 10–12) in non-public secondary and professional secondary schools.

Impact

The project aimed to reduce persistent inequalities in learning outcomes, attendance, and completion rates by:

• Increasing Access: Enabling poor students to attend upper secondary education by removing financial barriers.
• Improving Attendance: Ensuring that subsidized students remain enrolled and attend school regularly.
• Enhancing Completion Rates: Providing support for disadvantaged students to complete their upper secondary education.

By targeting low-income communities and providing financial assistance, the project worked towards leveling the educational playing field, fostering greater equity and improving overall educational outcomes for disadvantaged students in Vietnam.