Increasing university and college tuition fees: A concern at the beginning of the year

(Baonghean) - Tuition fees at universities and colleges today have many different levels. Tuition fees have a large difference between public and non-public schools and between majors. But one thing in common is that in the 2014-2015 school year, tuition fees at universities and colleges have all... increased!

Students of Vinh Medical University get acquainted with advanced medical equipment. Photo: TP

According to Decree 49/2010 of the Government on the ceiling tuition fees for university training at public schools according to groups, training majors, and mass programs from the 2014-2015 school year, the tuition fees for Social Sciences, Economics, Law, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (Group 1) are 5.5 million VND/year; for Natural Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Sports, Arts, Hotels, and Tourism (Group 2) are 6.5 million VND/year; Medicine and Pharmacy (Group 3) are 8 million VND/year. Vinh Medical University belongs to the group of public universities under the management of the province, so the tuition fees are applied at over 80% of the general level regulated by the State. This school year, the tuition fee for university level at this school is 700,000 VND/month; for college level is 600,000 VND/month. This tuition fee increased by 10% compared to the previous school year. High tuition fees cause many difficulties for students. Cao Thi Bich, a Tho ethnic, Nghia Mai commune (Nghia Dan), a first-year student at Vinh Medical University, shared: “My family has many children, my parents work in the fields, have low income, and are raising two sisters in university, so it is very difficult. In addition to monthly tuition fees, there are other expenses such as rent, food, etc. With the increase in tuition fees, my family is really facing many difficulties, my parents have to find ways to cope.”

In schools that organize training according to the credit system, tuition fees are paid according to the number of credits students actually register for. The tuition fee for a credit is determined based on the total tuition fee for the entire course by group, training major and the number of credits, according to the principle of not exceeding the prescribed tuition fee ceiling. According to the Decision to promulgate the framework of regular university tuition fees collected in the form of credits for the blocks of majors in the period 2011 - 2015 of Vinh University, in the 2014 - 2015 school year, the school applies the tuition fee for the blocks and majors: Social Sciences, Economics, Law, Agriculture - Forestry - Fisheries is 190 thousand VND/credit; and for the blocks of majors: Natural Sciences; Engineering, Technology; Physical Education and Sports; Hotel and Tourism is 180 thousand VND/credit.

Phan Thi Bao, a student of the English Bachelor's degree, said that the tuition fee has increased by 30,000 VND/credit compared to the previous school year. On average, each semester she registers for about 18-20 credits, equivalent to a tuition fee of 3.2-3.6 million VND/semester. The increase in tuition fees has become a concern for students and families in rural areas with children studying at university. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan (Bao's mother) shared: "The family has 2 children studying at university, in addition to the monthly tuition fee, we also have to provide additional living expenses... The increase in tuition fees is really difficult for a farming family like us."

Also organizing training according to the credit system, but the tuition fee of Vinh University of Industry in the 2014 - 2015 school year is 230 thousand VND/credit. For non-public schools, according to regulations, they are allowed to decide their own tuition fees, balance their own income and expenditure, so the current tuition fees are different for each school. Therefore, for many students studying here, the worry about tuition fees is even heavier. However, some students are not worried about the high tuition fees but rather expect the output after graduation. Tran Thi Phuong (Quynh Loc - Quynh Luu), a first-year student majoring in Food Technology, said that each semester she registers for over 15 credits, equivalent to a tuition fee of 3.5 - 4 million VND/semester. Although the tuition fee is quite high compared to public schools, I still choose to study here with the hope that the school will have training links with businesses to find jobs for students after graduation.

There is also a tendency to increase tuition fees compared to the previous school year, but the tuition fees for vocational colleges are still low (less than half of those for universities). The tuition fees of the Vietnam - Korea Vocational College of Technology for the 2014 - 2015 school year are: 350 thousand VND/month (for college level) and 300 thousand VND/month for intermediate level. According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Nam - Principal of the Vietnam - Korea Vocational College of Technology, this tuition fee cannot meet the training budget of the school. Each month, the school has to spend about 90 million VND on electricity; 20 million VND on water; not to mention the large budget to invest in machinery systems for students' practice. Although the characteristic of vocational colleges is to invest in many practice machines, the level of financial support from the State is still lower than other training systems.

The current funding sources for universities and colleges are still heavily dependent on tuition fees, while teaching equipment and infrastructure investment costs have reached a new "price level". The need to increase salaries and income for lecturers so that they can work with peace of mind and conduct scientific research is becoming urgent. Increasing university and college tuition fees at an appropriate level can create a "push" to improve the quality of training. However, in reality, our country is still an agricultural country with more than 70% of the population living in rural areas, and economic life is still quite difficult. Meanwhile, a student from the countryside going to the city to study at university not only has to worry about tuition fees, but also has to consider many other "follow-on" expenses. Therefore, the annual increase in tuition fees can cause difficulties for many students. Therefore, to be able to study with peace of mind, students need to carefully research the tuition fees at each school and each major to make a choice that suits their family's economic conditions, while also having career opportunities in the future.

Dinh Nguyet