The tuition fees at a multitude of public and autonomous public universities will see an increase in the 2024-2025 school year, following the guidelines set forth in Decree 97/2023/ND-CP issued by the Government on December 31, 2023. This decree lays out the mechanism for collecting and overseeing tuition fees in educational institutions within the national education system, as well as policies regarding tuition exemption and reduction.
To reduce the burden of tuition fees for students from disadvantaged families, many schools have increased scholarship policies. In particular, students in the northern provinces and cities affected by super typhoon Yagi and its aftermath are also given many support policies by schools. The scholarship policies aim to help them not worry about tuition fee and continue their studies.
According to Principal Le Truong Son of Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, this year's tuition fees for majors in the mass training program range from VND39.75 million-VND54.93 million year while tuition fees for majors in the high-quality program range from VND70.5 million-VND199.7 million a year. He disclosed that tuition fees for training programs will continue to increase and range from VND44.75 million-VND219.7 million a year in the next academic year.
Along with increasing tuition fees as outlined in the autonomy roadmap, the school has also implemented a plan to provide care and support for its learners.
Specifically, in 2024, the school will allocate tuition revenue to establish scholarship funds and student support funds according to regulations up to nearly VND28 billion; plus, it will increase the fund for developing scientific and technological activities of lecturers and students to VND20 billion .
Vice Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Thai Doan Thanh, announced that in 2024, the institution will raise its tuition fees in line with the autonomy roadmap. Additionally, this will mark the inaugural year for implementing a policy that offers a 50 percent reduction in tuition fees for the first semester for select technical majors.
According to Head Nguyen Trung Nhan of the Training Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, the school's tuition fees for the upcoming academic year will increase by a small amount, ranging from VND30 million-VND44 million depending on students’ chosen majors.
However, the school is set to enhance scholarship opportunities for policy students and those facing challenging situations. Starting in 2024, the institution will offer tuition fee exemptions or reductions for female students pursuing technical fields, students in difficult circumstances, and those who excel in outstanding student examinations. This financial support will continue for the duration of their studies, provided that students maintain satisfactory academic performance or better.
Luu Thi Lan Phuong, Deputy Director of the Admissions Consulting Center of Van Hien University, informed that in addition to the Talent Scholarship program, Lifelong Learning Scholarship, tuition fee exemption and reduction from 30 percent - 100 percent yearly, the school also has an admission scholarship policy for many candidates. The school's Student Care Center will review and guide new students to access scholarship programs. Under the program, freshmen from 26-60 years old will be exempted or reduced from 35 percent - 100 percent of tuition fees for the course while students from financially-stricken families are eligible for exemption of 70 percent of the entire course tuition and their classmates who are orphaned by either parent will be supported with 50 percent of the entire course tuition.
In addition, to provide timely assistance to students in the northern provinces and cities impacted by super typhoon Yagi, the Ministry of Education and Training has issued an official communication to universities and colleges of education, urging them to continue their support for these students in order to help them quickly resume their studies.
Under the Ministry’s proposal, school managers should take heed of students in the northern provinces and cities impacted by super typhoon Yagi by exempting tuition fees and having preferential policies to benefit students.
Professor Su Dinh Thanh, Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, said that, in a bid to share the difficulties of students and families in localities affected by recent natural disasters, the school has been implementing the program ‘Scholarships to support and extend tuition payment time’.
Accordingly, he revealed that the school has allocated 100 scholarships, each valued at 10 million VND, for students of poverty-stricken families in courses 47, 48, 49, 50 with permanent residence in 26 northern localities directly affected by the typhoon including Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Son La, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, Thanh Hoa. In addition, to support all students and families in the 26 provinces and cities above to reduce financial pressure during the current difficult time, the school has extended the tuition payment deadline for the first semester of the 2025 school year to January 15, 2025.
Principal Ngo Thi Phuong Lan of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU Ho Chi Minh City) informed that the Party Committee and Board of Directors of VNU Ho Chi Minh City have met and deployed to member schools and dormitories of VNU Ho Chi Minh City to notify, survey, and count the number of students in the northern provinces and cities affected by natural disasters to have timely support policies such as granting scholarships, exempting and reducing tuition fees.
In addition to the above-mentioned general policies, each school is proactively implementing their own specific measures to provide timely support for students. Meanwhile, several universities in Ho Chi Minh City are planning to allocate billions of Vietnamese dong to assist students from northern provinces affected by the typhoon and floods.
The support initiatives are being rolled out in various forms, including full scholarships, tuition fee reductions ranging from 30 percent to 50 percent, and extensions for tuition payment deadlines until early 2025.
