At what level will private schools increase tuition fees before they are "whistled"?

Detailed information about tuition fees of 83 private high schools in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2024-2025 school year has made many parents worried because most schools have increased tuition fees compared to the previous school year. The question is: Are non-public schools allowed to increase tuition fees? What is a reasonable increase to avoid being "whistled" by the management agency?

Highest tuition fee is nearly 60 million VND/month

According to a recent announcement by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the private high school with the highest tuition fee for the 2024-2025 school year in the city is North American International High School with 59.6 million VND/student/month. Next is South Australian High School with a tuition fee of 55.1 million VND/student/month, and Tesla High School with a tuition fee of 53 million VND/student/month.

Parents learn about tuition fees and curriculum at Emasi Nam Long Primary, Secondary and High School (District 7, HCMC)

In the group of schools with tuition fees from 20-30 million VND/student/month, there are: Horizon International Bilingual School (tuition fee 30 million VND/student/month), Viet-Uc Primary, Secondary and High School (tuition fee 29.4 million VND/student/month), Emasi Van Phuc Primary, Secondary and High School (tuition fee 29.2 million VND/student/month), Hoang Gia Primary, Secondary and High School (tuition fee 24 million VND/student/month), Sao Viet Secondary and High School (tuition fee 23.6 million VND/student/month).

Previously, in mid-April 2024, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City "blew the whistle" on many private schools because their tuition and service fees for the 2024-2025 school year increased in violation of regulations. Specifically, these schools increased their tuition fees by more than 10%, or their service fees by more than 15% compared to the previous school year.

Tuition fees are collected based on agreement with parents.

Responding to the question of whether private schools are allowed to increase tuition fees or not, Mr. Tran Khac Huy, Head of the Financial Planning Department (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training) said that private schools are allowed to increase tuition fees andeducational service fees at the beginning of each school year, but they cannot exceed the maximum increase according to regulations of the management agency.

"If any unit increases tuition fees by more than 10% or increases service fees and educational support fees by more than 15% compared to the previous school year, the Department of Education and Training will remind and request to adjust the increase to not exceed the prescribed level. Every year, all non-public schools must declare educational service prices, which serves as a basis for management agencies to control the increase each school year," said a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training.

However, officials from the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City also admitted that tuition fees and educational service fees of non-public schools are implemented based on agreements with parents. The Department of Education and Training does not have the authority to intervene in the fees of schools, but only controls whether the annual increase rate exceeds the regulations or not. The review of operating conditions at the beginning of each school year is to have a basis for assigning enrollment targets, but cannot intervene in the tuition increase roadmap of schools.

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