Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi will keep tuition fees at state-run schools unchanged in the 2013-2014 school year to ease financial burdens on poor students. Specifically, the tuition fee for preschool, secondary school and high school remains at VND40,000 a month for students in inner city and VND20,000 for those in the outlying districts. Poor students are still eligible for tuition fee exemptions or reductions, especially those at state-run schools in poor communes of districts of Ba Vi, Quoc Oai, Thach That, My Duc and Phuc Tho. Hanoi has so far invested VND480 billion in upgrading and building schools to prepare for the new academic year, which started on August 19 with 1.59 million students. In another development, the People’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City has approved a three-fold increase in tuition fees at public schools for the 2013-2014 school year. (Ha Noi Moi- New Hanoi Aug 19 p2, Kinh Te Do Thi - Economy & Urban Aug 20 p9)
