HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Universities have developed a varietyof assistance programmes to help students access highereducation, including loans, scholarships, housing and food aid.

HongBang International University in HCM City, for instance, is cooperating withSacombank to provide preferential loans for its students.

Theloan term for four years of study is 10 years. Parents andstudents can apply for the loan at any Sacombank branch in the country.

Studentscan also use the bank’s credit card to pay tuition fees at Hong BangInternational University. They can pay in installments at the interest ofzero percent within a 24 month period.

DrHo Thanh Phong, rector of Hong Bang International University, said: “Theassistance programme is expected to help students in financialdifficulties, especially those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Weexpect Vietnam’s young generation to have chances to study and improve theirknowledge and skills, and access international learning environment becausethey are the country’s future intellectuals contributing to development,”Phong added.

Hesaid the university is also providing many full scholarshipsworth a total of 20 billion VND (861,824 USD) this year.

Newstudents with high scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or whohave won prizes in national and international contests are eligible toreceive these scholarships.

Theuniversity’s new students in the 2020-2021 academic year will receivea 20 percent reduction of the first semester’s tuition fees if theyconfirm their intention to attend the school at an early date.

Studentsselected to study in the university’s preschool education faculty will receivea scholarship worth hundreds of millions of VND for theirfour-year course if they pledge to work at international kindergartens ofthe Nguyen Hoang Group within five years after graduating. Theuniversity is a member of the Nguyen Hoang Group.

VanHien University in the city will provide 30 billion VND (1.3million USD)scholarships for its new students from the Hung Hau Heart Fund. Newstudents will receive a 40 percent discount on tuition for the firstsemester.

Ifthey face financial difficulties, they can pay 3 million VND in advanceand start their studies at the university.        

Theuniversity this year offers tuition of 99 million VND for a four-yearcourse in its all faculties. It pledges not to increasetuition during the four-year course.

Universitystudents who face financial difficulties can borrow money at the interest rateof zero percent to pay tuition fees.

Theuniversity will also provide money for meals and accommodation for itsnew students in the first academic year.  

NguyenDang Quang, deputy head of the division for student affairs atInternational University-Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, said:“The university has sought many different sources of scholarships to provideits students.”  
“Ithas taken efforts to take care of the physical and mental life forstudents. It also provides services relating to accommodation, healthinsurance, security and safety,” Quang said.

Itis cooperating with the Dormitory Management Centre to prepare enoughaccommodations for its students, Quang said.

Inthe 2020-2021 academic year, demand for accommodations is nearly1,600, including 500 spaces for new students.

Theuniversity also has homestays with more than 100 accommodations in thecity centre for students who prefer to live there.

HCMCity Open University said it would provide scholarships fornew students at a total 9 billion VND. It will continue to provide scholarshipsfor students with financial difficulties who have good or outstandingresults, and those who win prizes in contests.

TheGovernment has provided loans for students since 2007. The current loan is 2.5million VND per month for each student. Poor students receive an allowanceof 100,00-140,000 VND per month.

Accordingto the Ministry of Education and Training, the country has 236 universitieswith 1.7 million students. Of these, 171 universities are public.

DeputyMinister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc said the expendituresallocated for the education sector are low, only around 0.5 percentof gross domestic product.

Tuition fees

Inthe 2020-2021 academic year, the tuition fees of public universities that havenot been granted autonomy will increase, unlike previous years.

Theseuniversities will have a ceiling on tuition fees of majors in socialsciences, economics, laws, agriculture-agro-fisheries at 9.8 million VNDper year; 11.7 million VND per year for majors of natural sciences, techniques,technologies, sports, arts, hotels, and tourism; and 14.3 million VND per yearfor majors in medicine and pharmacy.

Thesefees increased by 900,000 VND to 1.3 million VND compared to theprevious academic year.

Atpublic universities that have been granted autonomy, the ceiling ontuition fees are 20.5 million VND per year for majors in social sciences,economics, laws, and agriculture-agro-fisheries; 24 million VND per year formajors in natural sciences, techniques, technologies, sports, arts, hotels,and tourism; and 50.5 million VND per year for majors in medicine andpharmacy. These fees have increased by 2 million VND to 4.5 million VND comparedto last year.

Thecountry has 23 universities that have been granted autonomy in training,international co-operation, and finance.

Manyuniversities have had to invest in their facilities and reform theirtraining programmes toward higher quality, which has led to tuitionincreases./.