Many students are devastated after paying hundreds of millions of dong because their degrees are not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training.

While applying for a master's degree at a domestic university, HLB (Hanoi) was shocked to learn that her undergraduate degree was not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Speaking with a VietNamNet reporter , HLB (25 years old) said that since 2018 she has been studying at the London Fashion Academy (licensed name: London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi) for 3 years.

In 2024, B. was introduced to a joint degree program with Liverpool John Moores University (UK) in Fashion: Design and Communication. Believing it to be a " world- renowned" university, B. decided to continue her studies and will receive her bachelor's degree in July 2025.

During her bridging program to obtain a university degree, B. stated that students spent most of their time studying directly at the London College of Design and Fashion, and all tuition fees were paid into the school's account. To obtain her university degree, B. had to study for an additional year and pay over 170 million VND, not including tuition fees, assignment costs, and graduation project fees.

In October 2025, when submitting her diploma verification documents to the Quality Management Department of the Ministry of Education and Training to apply for a master's degree at a domestic university, B. was shocked to learn that her university diploma was not recognized.

In response to the processing of B.'s diploma verification application, the Quality Management Department stated that the online Fashion: Design and Communication undergraduate program at Liverpool John Moores University has not been licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training for training in Vietnam while students reside and study in Vietnam. Therefore, B.'s university degree does not meet the requirements for recognition by the Ministry of Education and Training according to current regulations.

“I was shocked and upset. This has affected our life paths, as we can no longer get jobs in public institutions or pursue master's degrees in Vietnam. Everything has been put on hold,” B. said.

The Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training, responds to the results of processing B's diploma verification application . Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Similarly to B., VHL, a former student of Tran Phu High School ( Hanoi ), said that in 2018, she was the second-highest scoring student in the entrance exam for the University of Industrial Fine Arts. Despite having many other opportunities to pursue a regular university degree, she ultimately decided to study Graphic Design at the London College of Design and Fashion, trusting the recruitment advertisements of the college and the profiles of its successful alumni.

By the end of 2020, L. graduated from college. In 2022, L. was introduced by the school to a joint undergraduate program in Graphic Design and Illustration with Liverpool John Moores University. Trusting the program, L. enrolled, becoming one of the first students in this major at the university in Vietnam.

In September 2024, L. continued her master's studies in the UK and graduated in July 2025. Just one week after returning to Vietnam, L. received an offer to be a lecturer at the London College of Design and Fashion. However, only a month later, L. was shocked to learn that her university degree did not meet the requirements for recognition in Vietnam.

“After hearing the news, my family was shocked and devastated. I immediately resigned from my job and went to the school to confront them. This incident has disrupted my education, blocking other opportunities such as pursuing another master's degree, doing doctoral research in Vietnam, or working in places that require verification of university degrees…,” L. said, her voice choked with emotion.

L. said she felt devastated and hopeless upon receiving the news that her degree was not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training. Photo: Thuy Nga

After learning that their university degrees were not recognized in Vietnam, many students and alumni of the London College of Design and Fashion filed complaints with the relevant authorities.

According to the complaint, from 2022 to 2025, the London College of Design and Fashion continuously offered a final-year bachelor's degree program.

When advertising for admissions and publishing information about the study program on its public website, the school assures students that "internationally recognized qualifications are valid worldwide."

"Because they trusted the promised information, many people registered for the courses. The courses had a total of over 40 students. The amount each student had to pay for the final year of university-level studies alone was approximately 289 million VND," the complaint stated.

Regarding this matter, in an interview with VietNamNet , Ms. Ha Thi Hang, Executive Director of London College of Design and Fashion , said that the school is actively collecting relevant data, listening to opinions from all parties, and taking full note of them.

The school will provide official feedback as soon as the review process is complete.

Paying hundreds of millions of VND in tuition fees annually, Hanoi parents are shocked to discover their child is attending school illegally . After paying hundreds of millions of VND per school year, Ms. Ha was shocked to find her child's records were not in the education sector's database upon completing first grade. This parent is worried that her child will likely have to repeat first grade.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nop-hang-tram-trieu-sinh-vien-suy-sup-vi-bang-khong-duoc-bo-gd-dt-cong-nhan-2471429.html