The Vietnam Education Foundation 2011 Annual Report

Annual Report 2011 Page 15
6. 2008 cohort: 38 Fellows
7. 2009 cohort: 38 Fellows
8. 2010 cohort: 35 Fellows
9. 2011 cohort: 43 Fellows
The VEF legislation was enacted in 2000, but operations did not start until 2003. So, the funds had accumulated
and, thus, were available to increase the numbers of Fellowships awarded in 2004. Since operations began, the
average number of Fellows selected per year can be calculated at 42 (381 Fellows/9 cohorts).
While 40 Fellows have been selected each year since 2006, the final numbers in cohorts 2006, 2008, 2009 and
2010 have decreased because some Fellows have resigned from the VEF program for various reasons, i.e.,
personal or family matters, or receiving another scholarship or full funding from another source. VEF fills some
of these vacancies in early April through Process B, in which candidates have already been admitted to a U.S.
university. However, VEF Fellowships that become vacant after April typically cannot be filled by Process B
candidates since these candidates have already been notified of their status by VEF in mid-April, when U.S.
universities by mutual agreement make final funding commitments to all of their applicants. Since additional
funds were available, the VEF Board of Directors decided to increase the number of Fellowships per year from 40
to 45, beginning with the 2011 cohort.
ENROLLMENT AS OF FALL 2011
As of the fall 2011, 225 VEF Fellows were enrolled in graduate programs in the United States [Appendix 8:
VEF Fellows (225) Enrolled in U.S. Universities as of Fall 2011].
• Most Fellows (96%) are pursuing a doctoral degree while some (4%) are pursuing a master's
degree.
• Females number 32% and males 68%.
• These 225 Fellows of cohorts 2003 through 2011 are attending 62 top-level U.S. universities [Appendix
9: U.S. Universities (62) and Departments (153) where VEF Fellows (225) are Enrolled]. Most (85%)
are members of the VEF Alliance and enroll 94% of the Fellows. The rest (15%) enroll six percent of
the Fellows (6%). Some particular divisions or departments at the Alliance schools do not participate in
the VEF Alliance cost-sharing agreement. Twelve percent (12%) of the VEF Fellows are studying in
these non-Alliance divisions or departments.
The enrollees are studying in 8 different general fields of study, listed below according to the percentage of
Fellows in each general field, from greatest to least:
o Engineering (39%)
o Computer Science (17%)
o Biological and Biomedical Sciences (13%)
o Physical Sciences (9%)
o Public Health (9%)
o Mathematics and Statistics (8%)
o Agriculture (4%)
o Natural Resources (1%)