Social media users in Laos have raised concerns about a surge in suspicious scholarship advertisements that target students aspiring to study abroad, particularly in China.
Circulating widely across platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, these ads are raising alarms for allegedly misrepresenting official policies and deceiving students and parents seeking legitimate educational opportunities.
On 26 May, a Facebook page posted a warning about a fraudulent scholarship agency claiming to represent Chinese universities.
The post included screenshots of a WhatsApp exchange in which the agency falsely told a prospective student that their name had already been registered at a university in Yunnan and that the semester would begin in June, despite the official academic start date being in September.
The agency further claimed that the student’s visa had been approved and issued. However, upon visiting the Chinese embassy in Laos to verify the information, the student was informed that no visa application had been submitted and that no such record existed in the embassy’s system.
The Laotian Times contacted the Ministry of Education and Sports’ Department of Student Affairs for comment, but no response was immediately available.
Government Warns of Fake Scholarship Agencies
It’s not the first time this issue has made headlines. In 2023, the Ministry issued an official warning about the activities of unlicensed private groups, individuals and legal entities using propaganda campaigns on social media to mislead the public.
These groups allegedly promoted fraudulent study programs in China, claiming to offer scholarships under the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and misrepresenting the policies of both the Lao government and the Chinese education system.
Authorities also uncovered the circulation of fake Chinese language proficiency (HSK 4-6) certificates and falsified test scores. According to official policy, HSK test results and certificates must be registered with the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China to be valid.
According to the Lao Ministry of Education’s official website, over 4,000 Lao nationals are expected to study in at least 25 countries in 2025. Of those, 2,108 are projected to graduate, while 24 are expected to discontinue their studies.
The Ministry has urged students and parents to be careful and avoid engaging with unverified overseas education agencies.