The Ministry of Education has mooted plans to launch Cambodia’s first state-run student loan program in an effort to get more youths from poor families to attend university.

Currently, students who do not have enough money to obtain a degree often rely on state-funded scholarships, but there are far too few to go around.

Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in an interview yesterday that the ministry plans to work with a private bank to provide the loans.

He said, however, that no further details about the plan were available.

“We cannot tell more details yet because we have not yet finalised [the plan],” he said.

Chan Sok, a 17-year-old grade 12 student in Pursat province’s Bakan district, said her family had barely enough money to cover her high school fees.

“I hope I can benefit from this program. I want to study at university to get a job afterwards,” she said.

According to the Ministry of Education, Cambodia has 43 public institutions of higher education and 67 private ones, with more than 250,000 students spread across them.