Will tuition fees for education change when schools become autonomous?

MANY SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT AUTONOMY IN THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR

After Resolution 77 of the Government (on piloting the innovation of the operating mechanism for public universities in the period of 2014 - 2017) was issued at the end of 2014, the first universities began piloting the innovation of the operating mechanism (piloting autonomy). By the end of 2017, 23 public universities had their projects approved by the Prime Minister to pilot the autonomy mechanism. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, the country has a total of 141/232 universities that are eligible for autonomy according to the provisions of the Law on Higher Education. The remaining universities are not eligible due to many reasons.

By early 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs will issue a document on the arrangement of public service units under the Ministry of Education and Training. Accordingly, the Ministry of Home Affairs requests the Ministry of Education and Training to develop a plan for the university education network and submit it to the Prime Minister according to regulations. Notably, this document is a plan to arrange and increase the level of financial autonomy for public service units.

According to statistics, at the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of Education and Training had 61 public service units, of which 3 units were under the organizational structure of the ministry, 47 units were under the ministry, 4 were office units under the ministry and 7 units were under the departments. According to the proposed plan for rearranging public service units reported, the Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for rearranging and reducing 6 public service units.

Regarding improving the level of financial autonomy, the Ministry of Home Affairs requested the Ministry of Education and Training to direct public service units to develop and implement a roadmap for financial autonomy. In particular, for public service units under departments and offices under ministries, this must be completed in the first quarter of 2024. Public service units under ministries need to develop a plan for arrangement and reorganization, submit it to competent authorities for consideration and decision, and complete it in 2024.

Students of Dalat University. This is one of the schools that will be autonomous in the near future.

PHOTO: BA DUY

According to the plan to arrange public service units under the Ministry of Education and Training, by the end of 2025, 24 higher education institutions need to implement a roadmap to increase the level of financial autonomy, from the level of ensuring regular expenditures and above. Specifically, including the universities of Da Nang, Hue, Thai Nguyen; the universities of Viet Duc, Da Lat, Dong Thap, Transport, Kien Giang, Mining - Geology, Industrial Fine Arts, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, Quy Nhon, Hanoi Pedagogical University, Hanoi Pedagogical University 2, Hung Yen Technical Pedagogical University, Central Art Pedagogical University, Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University, Hanoi Sports Pedagogical University, Ho Chi Minh City Physical Education and Sports Pedagogical University, Tay Bac, Tay Nguyen, Vinh, Construction. Not only public service units under the Ministry of Education and Training, training institutions under other ministries and localities also have a similar roadmap to implement autonomy.

Up to this point, many of the above schools have been and are on the path to partial autonomy or moving towards full autonomy. Dr. Quach Hoai Nam, Vice Principal in charge of Nha Trang University, said that the school has submitted a 3-year financial autonomy plan (2026 - 2028) to the Ministry of Education and Training. Accordingly, the school will begin to move to group 2 financial autonomy (autonomy in regular expenditures) starting in 2026. According to this roadmap, the school will temporarily implement the first semester of the 2025 - 2026 school year as a unit that is not yet autonomous in regular expenditures, from 2026, waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Education and Training and the Government.

Mr. Vu Tuan Anh, Head of Finance Department of Dalat University, also said that the school is currently in the stage of partial autonomy in regular expenditures. Specifically, according to Decree 60 (regulating the financial autonomy mechanism of public service units), the school is at level 3 with the ability to ensure regular expenditures from 90 to less than 100%. According to the plan to build a roadmap for autonomy in the coming period, the school is expected to reach 100% autonomy in regular expenditures by 2028. With this roadmap, in the 2025-2026 school year, the school will build a tuition fee framework following Decree 97 applicable to the group of schools that are not yet autonomous.

TUITION FEES AFTER AUTONOMY

Recently, An Giang University announced information about the financial mechanism and financial autonomy plan for the period 2026 - 2030. Up to this point, this is the last member university of the Ho Chi Minh City National University system to switch to autonomy.

Sharing with Thanh Nien Newspaper, Associate Professor, Dr. Vo Van Thang, Rector of An Giang University, said that the school plans to be autonomous in regular spending in 2026. However, in the first year of autonomy, the school will only start piloting tuition increases for 4 majors that have been assessed and accredited according to AUN standards. The tuition fees for pedagogy and other non-pedagogy majors in 2026 will remain at the prescribed level. Starting from the 2026-2027 school year (ie at the end of fiscal year 2026 and the beginning of fiscal year 2027), the school will increase tuition fees for all majors to ensure financial resources for the school's autonomy roadmap. Specifically, the majors will increase by 1.8 times compared to the regulations, while pedagogy majors will increase by 1.2 times compared to the regulations. From the 2027-2028 school year onwards, the average increase will be 15-20%/year and the increase can be adjusted to suit the development strategy of Ho Chi Minh City National University and to compare and compete with major universities in the Mekong Delta region.

Pedagogy students in a class

Photo: Nhat Thinh

Regarding the impact of tuition fee increases on pedagogical students, Associate Professor, Dr. Vo Van Thang informed: "The school still applies the prescribed increase, the highest is 20% in the first year and an average of 15% in the following years. According to the autonomy roadmap for the period 2026 - 2030, the school will make adjustments in accordance with the regulations of Ho Chi Minh City National University and the state's regulations". Therefore, Associate Professor Thang affirmed: "Pedagogical students are not significantly affected by the school's autonomy. For students in non-pedagogical majors, there will be a significant increase in tuition fees from the 2026 - 2027 school year. However, in the following school years, the autonomy roadmap for the period 2026 - 2030, the school will maintain a stable increase, to ensure autonomy and competition with prestigious universities". "Currently and in the coming years, An Giang University's tuition fees may be equal to or lower than some prestigious schools in the region depending on the major," the Rector of An Giang University added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Ke Binh, Chairman of the Council of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports, said that the school is now autonomous in regular spending and has a roadmap to implement autonomy in both regular spending and investment spending in the 2025-2026 school year. Among the many changes when entering the stage of full autonomy, there is a roadmap to increase tuition fees. "However, students studying pedagogy who enjoy the regime under Decree 116 will not be affected by the tuition increase policy. However, the school will start enrolling students for two new majors outside of pedagogy (sports training and sports management) in the next school year, with tuition fees appropriate to the level of autonomy under Decree 97," Dr. Binh informed.

Saigon University plans to increase tuition fees by about 50% for non-teacher training majors.

Saigon University has announced the expected tuition fees for the 2025-2026 school year according to the autonomy project being submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for approval. According to the project, tuition fees for teacher training majors will still be applied according to Decree 97/2023/ND-CP dated December 31, 2023 of the Prime Minister. Specifically, the expected tuition fee for the entire course for teacher training majors is over 73.7 million VND/course (about 18.4 million VND/year applied to a 4-year course). Majors in the teacher training group are subject to tuition and living expense support policies according to Decree 116/2020/ND-CP of the Government.

Tuition fees for non-teacher training programs are expected to increase by about 50% depending on the major (including the tuition increase roadmap for each academic year). Specifically, the tuition fee for the entire course for the mass program is expected to range from 92.8 - 150 million VND/course (about 23.2 - 37.5 million VND/year); the high-quality program is from 143.8 - 193.4 million VND/course (about 36 - 48 million VND/year).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-phi-nganh-su-pham-co-thay-doi-khi-truong-chuyen-sang-tu-chu-185250507190856887.htm