"Jam Sasinan" questions the Student Loan Fund's use of a new system to prioritize loan eligibility by field of study, fearing it will cut educational opportunities and increase student dropout. She emphasizes that the government must ensure every child has the right to pursue their dreams.
2 Sep 2026 GMT+7 Ms. Sasinan Thammanithinan MP for Bangkok, People’s Party, posted a message viaFacebookregarding the Student Loan Fund (SLF) borrowing issues for the 2026 academic year, stating that she has received numerous complaints from parents and students. The most concerning issue is the new loan allocation criteria being enforced nationwide.
This year, the SLF implemented the Waterfall Model, a tiered loan allocation system for new borrowers. It prioritizes majors considered essential to the country or those especially promoted by the fund, placing them at the top of the list, while borrowers in other majors are ranked lower. The SLF explains this is due to limited budgets insufficient to provide loans to all applicants, necessitating prioritization.
Ms. Sasinan added that while she understands the country's need to plan its workforce and support shortage fields, she questions whether current national needs should come at the expense of an individual child's educational opportunity. Choosing to study law, political science, social sciences, communication arts, liberal arts, or other fields does not mean the student lacks value to the country. The nation is not driven by only a few fields. A student admitted to university but whose family cannot afford tuition should not have to stop studying just because their chosen field is ranked lower.
For these reasons, she poses two questions to the Prime Minister: 1. Why does the SLF's 2026 loan allocation criteria use the Waterfall Model prioritizing certain fields, and how does the government assess that this will not cause financially disadvantaged, qualified students to lose educational opportunities? 2. If the budget is insufficient, what measures will the government take to ensure qualified students can continue their studies without dropping out simply because their field is ranked low? Will these measures be implemented before tuition payment deadlines?
“I am not asking the government to increase loans for any particular group but questioning how we design the education system so that all capable children facing economic limits still have the right to dream and reach their futures. Ultimately, what the SLF allocates is not just loans but opportunities, and educational opportunities for Thai children should not be ranked or valued according to their chosen field of study.”