1.3.4 Bottom financial quintile student support
Metric: University anti-poverty programmes
Programmes or initiatives to assist students who fall into the bottom 20% of household income group (or a more tightly defined target) in the country to successfully complete their studies.
Prince of Songkla University (PSU) is committed to expanding access to higher education for students from financially disadvantaged and vulnerable households. Through the Ton Kla Prince of Songkla University Scholarship Programme, the University provides an educational pathway for students who face significant financial barriers and may otherwise have limited opportunities to continue into higher education.
The programme covers students from 14 southern provinces of Thailand and provides continuous educational support from upper-secondary education through undergraduate study at Prince of Songkla University. By reducing financial barriers and providing sustained assistance, PSU aims to ensure that students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are able to access, continue, and complete higher education.
Annual Admission Target
PSU has established a target to support the admission of at least 30 students per year from poor and vulnerable households through the Ton Kla Prince of Songkla University Scholarship Programme.
The programme prioritises students whose families have limited financial capacity to support their education. The admission target reflects PSU’s commitment to widening participation in higher education and ensuring that household financial circumstances do not prevent qualified students from entering university.
The University applies financial and socioeconomic eligibility criteria in selecting scholarship recipients, with priority given to students experiencing significant economic disadvantage.
Continuous Support from Secondary School to University
The Ton Kla Prince of Songkla University Scholarship Programme is designed as a long-term educational support mechanism rather than a one-time financial award.
Students are supported from upper-secondary education and are encouraged to continue their studies at Prince of Songkla University. This approach enables PSU to build a pathway to higher education for students from financially disadvantaged families and to reduce the risk that financial hardship prevents them from entering or continuing university education.
Implementation in Academic Year 2025 (B.E. 2568)
In the 2025 academic year, the Ton Kla Prince of Songkla University Scholarship Programme supported a total of 203 students, comprising:
84 upper-secondary students, representing the pipeline of prospective higher-education students; and
119 students enrolled at Prince of Songkla University.
The total financial support provided under the programme was THB 13,227,000.
These figures demonstrate PSU’s continuing investment in improving educational access for students from financially disadvantaged households and supporting them throughout their educational journey.
| Ton Kla Scholarship Recipients, Academic Year 2025 | Male | Female | Total | Financial Support (THB) |
|---|
| Upper Secondary Level | 23 | 61 | 84 | 2,772,000 |
| University Level | 21 | 98 | 119 | 10,455,000 |
| Total Scholarship Students | 44 | 159 | 203 | 13,227,000 |
Supporting Access and Educational Continuity
Beyond admission, PSU continues to support scholarship recipients during their university studies. This sustained assistance helps reduce financial pressures that may otherwise affect students’ ability to remain enrolled and complete their degrees.
In the 2025 academic year, 20 scholarship students reached their expected completion stage, and 16 successfully graduated, representing a graduation rate of 80.0%.
The combination of a defined annual admission target, sustained financial support, and monitoring of educational outcomes reflects PSU’s institutional commitment to expanding access to higher education for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Contribution to SDG 1: No Poverty
Through the Ton Kla Prince of Songkla University Scholarship Programme, PSU contributes to reducing poverty-related barriers to higher education by:
- establishing an annual admission target for students from financially disadvantaged households;
- providing sustained financial support throughout the educational pathway;
- widening access to higher education across the 14 southern provinces of Thailand; and
- supporting scholarship recipients to remain in university and successfully complete their studies.
The programme represents an important institutional mechanism for ensuring that economic disadvantage does not prevent capable students from accessing and completing higher education.
Ton Kla Mentoring and Academic Support Programme
Prince of Songkla University supports Ton Kla Scholarship students through the Ton Kla Mentoring and Academic Support Programme, which combines academic tutoring, mentoring, wellbeing monitoring and university-life guidance.
The programme provides subject tutoring and examination techniques, while also monitoring students’ wellbeing through mental-health screening and follow-up support. Senior students and alumni provide guidance on academic study and university life, helping younger scholarship recipients adjust and progress successfully.
The programme serves 214 Ton Kla Scholarship students, with support from 33 alumni, creating a continuous mentoring network that helps financially disadvantaged students remain engaged in their studies and progress towards successful completion.
