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Running for three years, the programme is renamed from the scholarship for rural development. The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a committee to oversee the programme, having the Education Minister as chairman and 24 representatives from related agencies as directors.

The committee would set the programme's priorities in line with the government's polices and ensure fairness in scholar selection as well as monitor the success results.

Under the programme, a number of 926 scholarships would be handed out in 2009. Eligible for the scholarships are students whose family income is less than Bt150,000 per annum. They will receive scholarships to finish the bachelor degrees at local and overseas universities.

Target overseas universities are in the country where English is not the official language, so that students could learn other languages. They would go to language schools before enrollment into universities.

The Education Ministry expected the selection and preparation process would cost Bt147 billion in the 2009 fiscal year, aside from expenses of Bt5.46 billion. It proposed that parts of the income from the 2- and 3-digit lottery sale are used for this purpose.

The Cabinet however resolved that the ministry used its own budget for this programme.