Deputy Prime Minister requests review of university tuition fees

The Ministry of Education is tasked with reviewing and refining university tuition fee policies to align with quality, following a request from Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau.

The Deputy Prime Minister raised this issue at a meeting on 6/8 afternoon concerning the draft strategy for higher education development for the 2026-2035 period, with a vision to 2045. Additionally, he proposed expanding student loan policies and offering support to students pursuing fundamental sciences and strategic, key technologies.

This request from the Deputy Prime Minister comes as tuition fees have consistently increased over the past three years. A VnExpress survey of nearly 120 universities indicates that common fees for new students range from 20-35 million VND per year, with the highest reaching nearly 200 million VND. The annual increase rate is typically 10%, though some autonomous or quality-accredited institutions have seen increases up to 47%.

In April, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Le Quan expressed concern over the growing cost of university education, which places significant pressure on families. Preliminary estimates suggest that each student incurs annual expenses exceeding 100 million VND, equivalent to the average worker's yearly income.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau further instructed the Ministry of Education and Training to design the strategy as a "development roadmap" for higher education. This roadmap should clearly define objectives and pathways for Vietnam to achieve high global rankings in various university programs, fields, and research areas, thereby improving the overall quality of the entire system.

He emphasized that the strategy must "shift decisively from the individual development of institutions to the development of a national higher education ecosystem."

Moreover, the Ministry needs to review its system of indicators, particularly regarding student enrollment, the ratio of PhD lecturers, and STEM training. It also needs to establish an evaluation system suitable for different university groups.

The classification of institutions and support policies must be transparent, fair, and encourage universities to compete on quality and substantive contributions. This will motivate them to climb rankings and serve the nation.

The Ministry of Education and Training is also tasked with leading the development of a database on post-graduation human resource needs, employment, and student income. It will coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to finalize a set of indicators for measuring digital transformation, data, and AI application in higher education.

Regarding network restructuring, the Deputy Prime Minister called for a review of institutions with similar specializations and strengths to reorganize, link, or share training programs and facilities. Mergers, transfers, or dissolutions must demonstrate added value and include plans to protect student rights, manage staff, finances, land, and public assets.