When poverty alone is no longer sufficient to continue education, a group of students is protesting new SLF criteria that redefine new borrowers and limit quotas, prioritizing key demand fields first. This causes disadvantaged students in other fields to lose loan eligibility, risking exclusion from the education system.
On 26 Aug 2026, Polathip Phimsuwan, a first-year student at Uttaradit Rajabhat University, joined a group of students to petition the parliament, complaining about the SLF's revised borrower eligibility criteria and quota limits. A survey across 15 institutions nationwide found that 47% of loan applications were rejected, raising concerns that disadvantaged students might drop out due to inability to afford tuition.
Today (28 Aug 2026), Thairath Online interviewed an SLF source who explained that loan quota allocation depends on the total number of borrowers, including continuing borrowers (based on existing students already borrowing and still enrolled at their current institution) and new loan applicants. Each institution receives different quotas. SLF categorizes borrowers into three types and allocates loan numbers and amounts based on a tiered prioritization. (WATERFALL MODEL)
Category 1: Students lacking financial resources (Families earning below the fund's specified income threshold), including
Category 2: Fields of study that are key national demands and essential for the country's development, including
Category 3: Fields the fund specially promotes
1. Priority 1: Borrowers in categories 2 and 3 who lack financial resources
2. Priority 2: Borrowers in categories 2 and 3
3. Priority 3: Borrowers in category 1
4. Priority 4: Borrowers in category 1
Once institutions receive total funding from SLF, they allocate quotas according to the Waterfall Model criteria. Limited quota funds are first granted to borrowers in the highest priority group. After full approval at that level, remaining funds cascade to the next group. This causes borrowers in lower priority groups to have a high chance of being cut off due to quotas being filled first.
Polathip, representing affected students, outlined five main complaints:
1. Insufficient quota allocation for applicants Institutions received on average only 47.47% of the loan applications submitted (based on preliminary data from a survey of 15 higher education institutions).
According to institutions, the 2026 quota allocation is expected to be half the number of approved applications in 2025, focusing on limiting approvals only to those meeting criteria of shortage/demand fields or those with state welfare cards and financial need, thus narrowing the total quota.
The 2026 budget problem is that SLF received only 5.1 billion baht from the annual budget (as of 1 Oct 2025), while actual demand last year exceeded 37 billion baht. This severe liquidity shortage forces SLF to limit quotas, reject borrowers, and apply strict screening criteria (Waterfall Model) to allocate scarce funds.
2. Financial burden on parents Affects ability to pay tuition and related expenses. About 31.42% of loan applicants must borrow from informal sources or find funds to pay tuition upfront per institution regulations. Failure to pay may cause loss of student status or exam eligibility, creating significant hardship for families. Institutions currently lack support measures for these students.
3. Many students at risk of dropping out Approximately 45.28% may withdraw or drop classes if loans are denied, indicating a serious problem. Additionally, 6.23% suffer mental health effects like stress or depression, or are at risk, due to insufficient quota and unclear SLF guidance and coordination with applicants.
4. Unfair borrower screening process According to the 2026 Waterfall Model, prioritizing categories 2 and 3 borrowers first causes category 1 general financially disadvantaged borrowers to lose eligibility as quotas fill before their turn.
Also, the redefinition of 'new borrowers' to include those changing study level or transferring schools—even if previously borrowing—requires them to undergo the screening process again. Previously, continuing borrowers could renew loans without screening. This adds complexity and excludes many continuing borrowers from loan opportunities due to quota allocation.
5. Some fields unable to apply for loans Due to coordination errors between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and SLF, a staff member from one institution reported that the Bachelor of Science in Sports Science and Exercise program in the Faculty of Science and Technology cannot submit loan pre-approval requests because it is not listed in the fund’s borrower categories. Despite complaints to the Ministry’s Office of the Permanent Secretary and SLF, no clear guidance has been provided. Similar cases exist at other institutions.
Thairath Online's special reporting team has sought further information from SLF. SLF stated that the purpose of this year’s criteria adjustment is to focus on supporting students in fields of national demand, specially promoted fields, those previously granted EEF scholarships, holders of state welfare cards (borrower/family), or financially disadvantaged (family income under 360,000 baht/year). They said they will compile data and respond to affected student groups’ demands in due course.