Vietnam Students Call on Universities to Publicize Tuition Fees

Freshmen to universities with financial autonomy have called on the universities to publicize tuition fees so that they and their families can manage the sum actively, state media reported. Accordingly, some universities “forget” to publicize tuition fees, which made students and their families confused and worried about transparency at the universities. In the middle of last month, second-year students at the National Economics University were shocked when the university announced a 30% increase in tuition fees in the coming academic year. The university’s vice principal said that the university that has been granted autonomy can adjust tuition fees to balance its funding and spending. He admitted that tuition fee information was posted on its news board, but not yet on its website. A Government resolution in 2014 allows 14 public universities nationwide to join a pilot autonomy program until 2017 including Electric Power University, Hanoi University, Ho Chi Minh City Economic University, the Foreign Trade University and the National Economics University. Universities with autonomy, for example, have the right to use tuition fees as well as funds from enterprises and the Government without asking permission from the Ministry of Education and Training. The universities also have the right to make decisions on human resources and organizational structure. They were allowed to collect higher tuition fees than tertiary institutions without autonomy. (tienphong.vn Aug 5, nhandan.com.vn Aug 6)