Coping with back-to-school season: 'Breaking a sweat' over tuition fees.

TP - Along with concerns about accommodation, many universities have simultaneously announced new tuition fees that are significantly higher than in previous years, causing many parents and students to struggle to make ends meet in order to pursue their dream of higher education.

Parents are worried, students are struggling.

According to the 2025-2026 academic year's enrollment plan, many universities are continuing to increase tuition fees. Ho Chi Minh City Open University plans to increase fees by 1.5-2 million VND per year compared to the previous year, depending on the major. Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) announced tuition fees for 2025 ranging from 30-80 million VND per year. Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics (UEH) stated that from 2025, tuition fees for its programs will increase by more than 200,000 VND per credit. For a student registering for approximately 15 credits per semester, the additional cost could amount to several million VND per academic year.

Students work part-time at a cafe painting plaster figurines to make ends meet.

Similarly, the University of Economics and Law (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) also adjusted tuition fees from 27.5 million VND (in 2024) to 31.5 million VND/year (in 2025). The University of Banking Ho Chi Minh City increased from 21 million VND/year to 24.2 million VND/year.

Many parents are worried about the news of tuition fee increases at universities. "My wife and I are farmers; we save up all year just to afford our child's first semester tuition. If it increases again next year, we'll probably have to borrow from the bank," shared Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (from Nghe An province).

Faced with ever-increasing tuition fees, many students are forced to change their lifestyles, tighten their spending, or find part-time jobs to support themselves financially in order to ease the financial burden on their parents. Many young people share that, after only a few months of starting university, they already feel the heavy economic weight weighing on their shoulders.

Thao Ngan (a student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics) chooses to cook her own meals in her rented room to save money because everything is expensive in the city. Ngan confided: "This year, tuition fees have increased, so I have to try even harder to balance and save every penny to have enough for living expenses, so I don't have to call my parents for more money and ease their burden."

Minh Hang (a second-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) said: “My roommates and I agreed to cook together to save money. Each of us contributes a little, and we go to the market on weekends to buy groceries and share them. It's cheaper and saves time. Before, we used to occasionally go to cafes to study in groups, but now we do that much less often. Tuition fees have increased this year, so we have to be more careful with our budgets, cutting back on unnecessary expenses to focus on our studies.”

Working extra jobs, borrowing money…

Besides tightening their spending, rising tuition fees are forcing many students to find ways to cope, such as taking out part-time jobs or even resorting to loans to ease the financial burden on their families.

Nguyen Thi Hong (a second-year student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics) applied for a job as a waitress at a coffee shop near her university. Hong works about 25 hours a week, earning a few million dong per month. The money she earns is only enough to cover her rent and monthly living expenses; she still has to ask her parents for money for tuition fees.

Meanwhile, Ngoc Anh (a third-year student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Banking) takes advantage of her less demanding class schedule to tutor a middle school student. “I teach three sessions a week (two hours per session). The money I earn isn't much, but it helps me buy textbooks and cover living expenses. When I have enough experience, I'll take on more tutoring jobs to ease the burden on my parents. Tuition fees have been constantly increasing over the past few years, so I consider part-time work a necessity, not something I like or dislike,” Ngoc Anh said.

Some students choose to borrow from the Social Policy Bank. However, the reality is that relying solely on part-time income or bank loans makes it difficult for students to cover all their expenses. Support from the school helps alleviate this financial burden for students.

Mr. Tran Nam, Head of Student Affairs Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, said: “We understand that tuition fees are a major concern for many families. Therefore, the university has many policies to support students, first and foremost through scholarships to encourage academic achievement. In addition, students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those eligible for policy-based programs will be considered for tuition fee exemptions or reductions.”

The University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City (UEF) recently awarded scholarships to newly admitted students across 37 majors and 4 talent programs for the 2025 intake. Scholarship levels include 25%, 50%, and 100%. The total value of scholarships awarded is 30 billion VND. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the University of Industry and Trade, in collaboration with businesses, will provide 3.4 billion VND in funding and scholarships totaling over 125 million VND to new students, along with 5 tuition fee support grants for international programs, waiving 70% of the tuition fee for the first semester. During the opening ceremony of the 2025 academic year, the International University (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) awarded nearly 10 billion VND in scholarships, with approximately 7 billion VND specifically for outstanding new students.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/xoay-xo-mua-tuu-truong-toat-mo-hoi-with-hoc-phi-post1789582.tpo