University Admissions 2025: Candidates have to pay fees twice?

Each school has a different fee.

Hanoi University of Civil Engineering has just announced its expected enrollment for 2025. Accordingly, the school organizes online application registration and collects applications directly for 3 separate admission methods: Considering academic records, considering international competency assessment certificates (SAT/ACT), priority admission (in direct admission and priority admission methods). Registration deadline is June 10. Registration fee is 50,000 VND/application/registration method.

Candidates learn about 2025 enrollment information. Photo: DUONG TRIEU

Hanoi University of Science and Technology also opened a portal for candidates to register for talent selection and foreign language certificate conversion.

In this method, Hanoi University of Science and Technology considers 3 groups of candidates. The first group directly considers candidates with high achievements in national or international exams and competitions according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training . Candidates can register up to 3 wishes. The admission fee is 200,000 VND.

Group 2 includes candidates with international competency assessment certificates such as SAT, ACT, A-Level, AP, IB. This group can register for all majors/training programs of Hanoi University of Science and Technology and there is no limit on wishes. The registration fee is 300,000 VND. Group 3, admission is based on competency profile combined with interview. Candidates have the same rights as group 2 and the registration fee is 500,000 VND.

The University of Commerce has opened a portal to receive applications for separate admission methods. The fee is set by the school as 50,000 VND/application for candidates with 1 admission method; 100,000 VND/application for candidates with more than 1 admission method; 100,000 VND/application for candidates with direct admission and priority admission. The Vietnam Academy of Agriculture charges 50,000 VND/application for candidates with direct admission.

In July, when registering their wishes on the Ministry of Education and Training system, candidates pay a fee of 20,000 VND/wish. Thus, it can be seen that with the same admission method, candidates have to pay the fee twice; with the same training institution, each admission method has a different fee.

In addition to the two admission fees, candidates taking the separate exam must also pay a not small exam fee. The 2025 specialized assessment exam of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education has a registration fee of 700,000 VND for the English exam (an increase of 200,000 VND compared to last year), a registration fee for the Literature exam of 400,000 VND (an increase of 100,000 VND); the fee for the subjects of Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology is 250,000 VND (an increase of 50,000 VND).

The fee for the Hanoi University of Science and Technology's thinking assessment test is 500,000 VND/candidate/session; the fee for the Hanoi National University's ability assessment test is 600,000 VND/candidate/session. The fee for the Hanoi National University of Education's ability assessment test this year is 250,000 VND/subject.

Two different fees?

Explaining the collection of this fee, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Duy Hai, Head of Admissions and Career Guidance Department, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, affirmed that the school only collects fees for the talent selection method. This is the fee for reviewing and grading documents, similar to the fee for thinking assessment tests or fees for participating in exams such as SAT, IELTS. For the two methods of considering the results of the graduation exam and thinking assessment test, candidates enter information into the system of the Ministry of Education and Training and pay fees according to the regulations of the Ministry.

The representative of the Ministry of Education and Training confirmed that the fees on the Ministry of Education and Training system are to be considered for the best wishes, with the highest chance of admission. In the case of schools that collect fees, their fees only take into account the additional processing that the school does during the process of candidates submitting their applications to the school system, not including the processing and arrangement on the Ministry's general admission support system.

These two fees are separate, not collected twice, but are two completely different jobs. The representative of the Ministry of Education and Training emphasized that where the cost is, there is payment.

Not small income

But according to the reporter's notes, in fact, some admission methods are not as explained by the Ministry of Education and Training. For example, with the method of considering high school graduation exam results, candidates already have starting points according to each admission combination, the candidate data entered on the Ministry's portal and the school's portal does not change, but the money still has to be paid twice.

This year, the Ministry of Education and Training does not allow universities to consider early admissions. Candidates' data when entered into the Ministry of Education and Training's portal is then returned to the school by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Having to pay two fees for one admission method inevitably causes concerns from candidates and the public. Moreover, in the fee source of 20,000 VND/wish that candidates pay when registering their wishes on the admission portal of the Ministry of Education and Training, according to data from previous years, schools with candidates registering their wishes will receive 5,500 VND/wish.

The amount of money candidates must pay when registering for admission on the admission portal of each training institution or registering their wishes on the admission portal of the Ministry of Education and Training, if calculated based on the number of thousands of students registering/university, is not small... because that number is up to several billion VND.

The amount of money candidates must pay when registering for admission on the admission portal of each training institution or registering their wishes on the admission portal of the Ministry of Education and Training, if calculated based on the number of thousands of students registering/university, is not small... because that number is up to several billion VND.

The registration of wishes on the admission portal of the Ministry of Education and Training every year is also about 3 million wishes (1-time fee) with a total amount of about 60 billion VND, the part deducted for universities to carry out the processing and arrangement on the general admission support system as informed by the Ministry of Education and Training is about 16 billion VND.

Nghiem Hue

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tuyen-sinh-dh-nam-2025-thi-sinh-phai-dong-2-lan-phi-post1744332.tpo