The reference layer, the real numbers, the timeline, documents, visa routes and the questions families ask.
Sources: GOV.UK · UKVI · UCAS · university offer guidance · Verified 2025–26
The reference layer for counselling a Vietnamese family — levels and grades, what each qualification means, which subjects open which degrees, the university groups, and prompts to sharpen the conversation. Open a topic.
*Graduate Route lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 Dec 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 Jan 2027 (3 years for PhD). Living-funds figures: £1,529 (London) / £1,171 (outside) per month until 29 Nov 2026, rising to £1,570 / £1,203 from 30 Nov 2026 (UK Government Statement of Changes; GOV.UK /student-visa/money not yet updated — confirm before quoting)
Three flagship postgraduate schemes that sit alongside each university's own awards — all applied for separately. Pick a scheme to see how it works and who it suits.
£10,000 minimum toward one year of postgraduate study, co-funded by the British Council and each participating university. Vietnam is a named eligible country. 13 UK universities currently accept Vietnamese students — tagged GREAT in the scholarships finder.
How to apply: directly to each participating university — deadlines vary, typically spring, and awards are limited per university.
The participating universities and each one's nationality eligibility are set per cycle — confirm on that university's current GREAT page before advising.
Counsellor angle: check the university's own GREAT page early — a strong PG applicant can hold a university award and a GREAT award at the same time.Covers: tuition + monthly stipend + flights + visa, for a 1-year taught Master's at any eligible UK university. Applied for separately at chevening.org — Vietnam eligible (~20 awards/yr).
Who it suits: future-leader profiles — degree + ~2,800 hrs (~2 yrs) work experience gained after graduation, and a commitment to return to Vietnam for 2 years.
Timeline: open ~August, close early October (a year before study); apply to 3 UK courses; unconditional offer by the following July; interview at the British Embassy.
Counsellor angle: this is for working-professional PG clients, not fresh graduates — the post-graduation experience rule is strict.Up to £10,000 toward tuition for one year of a full-time taught Master's at any university in Wales. Vietnam is named eligible (with India, USA, Canada and the EU) — tagged Global Wales in the scholarships finder.
Important: a tuition-fee discount only — non-transferable, no cash alternative, living costs remain the student's; if it exceeds the fee, only the fee is covered.
How to apply: apply to the university first, then submit the scholarship form with the application number. Up to 3 applications to different Welsh universities. Full-time, on-campus only.
A spring deadline — confirm the current cycle before advising.
Counsellor angle: Welsh universities often sit in the lower tuition bands, so this award moves total cost more than its headline suggests — the strongest budget-first PG play.All three are postgraduate and applied for separately from the university application. University awards in the finder are published without a level unless their name says so — verify on the university's page.
Sources: GOV.UK · UKCISA · UCAS · British Council / Study UK · Chevening (FCDO) · university official pages. Always confirm figures on gov.uk before quoting.