Chiang Mai University provides a range of free and needs-based support services, covering food, housing, and transportation, to help students from low-income families remain enrolled and complete their studies without financial hardship forcing them to drop out.
Token to Care
The Token to Care programme delivers immediate support for students experiencing urgent financial crises. Students facing emergencies such as lost money or delayed remittances can access meal tokens valued at 100 baht per day through the CMU Mobile application. This digital intervention provides free support for up to five consecutive days without repayment requirements, directly addressing food insecurity. From fiscal years 2566-2568, the programme processed 7,505 applications, approved 4,547 requests, and disbursed 1,213,873 baht to 3,440 individual students experiencing economic hardship, demonstrating sustained commitment to poverty alleviation.
Good Deed Scholarship
(Free Dormitory Fee)
The Student Housing Office's "Good Deed Scholarship (Free Dormitory Fee) waives the 2,200 THB/semester dormitory charge (1,200 THB accommodation and 1,000 THB utilities) for undergraduate residents of designated dormitory buildings, who demonstrate good conduct, a commitment to volunteer activities, and strong moral character. The scholarship aims to provide encouragement and support for students in pursuing their education and residing in university student dormitories through to graduation, while helping to alleviate accommodation expenses for students with financial need and those from economically disadvantaged family backgrounds. Eligible applicants must be undergraduate students residing in university student dormitories, including Male Student Dormitories Buildings 5, 6, and 7, and Female Student Dormitories Buildings 2 and 3, during the first semester of the 2025 academic year.
Student Fast Loan (with 0% interest)
The Student Development Division runs an emergency financial support, or Student Fast Loan of 500 to 3,000 THB, at zero interest, repayable within 30 days, with approval and transfer within 1 day. Framed around immediate hardship, it functions as short-term, non-commercial-rate emergency credit rather than a standard loan product, helping alleviate the financial burden on students in need.
Students can access the loan service through the CMU Mobile Application by following four simple steps:
- Access the SDD Platform: Open the CMU Mobile Application, select “Service,” and then choose “SDD Platform.”
- Select “Token to Care”: Open the Token to Care service to begin the application process.
- Submit the required information: Provide the requested details, including a phone number, the number of days assistance is needed, and the reason for requesting the loan.
- Use the QR code: Once the request is submitted, use the provided QR code to access and redeem tokens at designated service locations.
This convenient digital process enables students to request assistance and access available support through the university’s mobile platform.
CMU Purple Shuttle
CMU Transit operates comprehensive free shuttle services across all campuses, removing transportation costs that create barriers for low-income students. Battery-powered buses and vans serve the main Suan Sak Campus (7:00 AM-09:35 PM) through 9 different routes, Suan Dok Campus (7:00 AM-9:00 PM, 15-minute frequency), and Mae Hea Campus (7:00 AM- 08:30 PM, 30-minute frequency). This zero-cost transportation infrastructure ensures students from impoverished backgrounds can access classes, libraries, and facilities without financial burden, while real-time tracking enables convenient journey planning.
The service includes real-time seat tracking via the CMU Mobile app and website, and is open to all students and staff at no cost. Moreover, the CMU electric shuttle buses are equipped with visible LED route displays to indicate each bus route, as well as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed to enhance passenger safety throughout the journey.
Legal Consultation Services
The Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University, provides legal consultation on all matters, except business-related and illegal matters. Consultations are provided free of charge by fourth-year law students. The fundamental objectives of the clinic were to instill the idea of a public service obligation into the minds of law students, as a part of their legal education, in addition to providing free legal counseling to the community to fulfill the University’s community service commitment. The clinic was operated by the CMU law professors and law students on a volunteer basis and its main service was providing counseling to all students, especially students from the bottom 20% of household income groups who cannot afford the legal consultation. The service is available from Monday to Friday at 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, excluding public holidays.
Notebook loan scheme
All 20 faculties and 2 colleges at Chiang Mai University operate a notebook computer loan scheme to support students who may not have access to a notebook computer or laptop. Students can apply for the loan online through notebook.cmu.ac.th with their academic advisor’s endorsement. The scheme is administered by the Student Development and Quality Enhancement Unit. The scheme aims to ensure that all students have equitable access to the digital devices they need for their studies, helping to reduce financial and technological barriers to education.
CMU Scholarship
for Students Genuinely Lacking Financial
Chiang Mai University operates a standing, university-wide scholarship targeted specifically at students from bottom 20% of household income groups, governed by the CMU Regulation on Criteria and Procedures for Considering Genuine Financial Hardship of CMU Students B.E. 2551 (2008), most recently amended in B.E. 2566 (2023). The regulations state that bottom 20% of household income groups includes combined annual household income (parents/guardian plus student) of 100,000 THB/year, extended to 150,000 THB/year where the family has ongoing medical expenses, more than one child currently in education, or more than four children, and only for families not already receiving government education-welfare benefits. The scholarship offers full waiver of all university-collected tuition and fees; subsidized dormitory placement at the welfare rate; and a monthly living-expense allowance set by the university.
Chiang Mai University is committed to providing a comprehensive support system for all students, particularly those from the bottom 20% of household income groups. Through these initiatives, the university seeks to promote equitable access to essential resources and basic needs, ensuring that financial circumstances do not become a barrier to student well-being, educational opportunities, and academic success, in line with its commitment to leaving no one behind.
Sources: