Penalties for institutions not meeting standards are outlined in a draft amendment to Decree 127 concerning administrative violations in education, prepared by the Ministry of Education and Training.
The draft states that universities failing to meet one or more criteria will be fined 30-60 million VND. If the issues aren't rectified within two years, enrollment will be suspended for 6 to 12 months.
Furthermore, substandard institutions risk dissolution or merger under the government's restructuring plan for public service units, announced on 21/9.
Vietnam currently has around 250 higher education institutions, both public and private. Last week, Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated that approximately 140 public institutions (excluding police and military academies) face restructuring and mergers, significantly reducing their numbers.
The Ministry of Education and Training has six sets of standards for universities. These include a student-to-full-time-faculty ratio of 40 or less; 20-50% of faculty holding doctorates; a minimum of 25 square meters of space per student; and separate workspaces for at least 70% of faculty.
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High school graduation exam takers in TP HCM, 2025. Photo: Quynh Tran |
High school graduation exam takers in TP HCM, 2025. Photo: Quynh Tran
The draft also proposes fines of 40-60 million VND and a 12-month enrollment suspension for private and non-profit universities that fail to establish a board of directors or appoint a rector within six months of establishment or after the previous board's term expires.
If issues persist after the enrollment suspension, a one-year suspension of operations will follow. Failure to address the issues then could lead to the institution's dissolution.
For enrollment violations, such as inaccurate publication of quotas, improper procedures, incorrect admission methods, or failure to meet entry requirements, the Ministry proposes fines of 20-40 million VND and a 6-12 month suspension of enrollment.
In such cases, universities must arrange for students to transfer to other programs or institutions that meet the requirements. If transfers are not possible, universities must revoke admissions, refund fees, and address any other consequences.
For exceeding enrollment quotas by 30 or more students at the undergraduate level or 10 or more at the postgraduate level, universities face fines according to existing regulations (110-150 million VND) and a 12-18 month enrollment suspension.
If the number of students exceeding the quota is 3% or more at the undergraduate level, universities will be fined based on the number of excess students, rather than the percentage as currently practiced:
| Number of excess students | Fine (VND) |
| 10-30 | 5-10 million |
| 31-60 | 10-30 million |
| 61-100 | 30-50 million |
| 101 or more | 50-70 million |
The Ministry of Education and Training explains that these increased penalties aim to deter violations and protect students' rights.
From 2022 to August 2023, the Ministry's Inspectorate issued 94 administrative penalties to universities, mainly concerning enrollment and program development. Many institutions lacked the necessary conditions for autonomy but proceeded with it and opened new programs without authorization, made errors in determining quotas, and admitted students to programs without meeting requirements.
Le Nguyen
