Private universities are defending this year’s unprecedented surge in annual student fees because of high inflation and the need to invest in training infrastructure.
Students have been left high and dry as most universities this year raised their fees by VND1 million (US$60.3), while in the 2007-2008 school year, the increase was a maximum of VND600,000 ($36.20).
In Ho Chi Minh City, fees at Hong Bang private university went from VND6 million ($362) to VND7 million ($422) this year.
Fees for majors like multimedia studies have climbed to VND9 million ($543) while health business studies and physiotherapy went up to VND10 million ($603).
Other private universities including the Ho Chi Minh City Private University of Technology (HUTECH), Hung Vuong, Van Hien and Ton Duc Thang have all raised tuition fees.
Trinh Phoi, dean of HUTECH, said, “As our university offers courses in technology, our greatest challenge is finding the money for student facilities.”
“If tuition fees are unchanged, we could not ensure minimum requirements for our training.
We need the higher fees to invest in facilities for teaching and learning in the school,” he said.
Dang Kim Nhung, deputy principal of Hanoi-based Thang Long University, said current students would not be hit by a large increase in fees, but for freshmen, new tuition fees were at least VND10 million ($603) this year.
She said if students couldn’t afford the fees they had other schools to choose from.
In Vietnam, the university entrance examinations are held in early July.
If students don’t qualify for public schools, which only charge VND2 million ($121) per year, they have to enroll in private schools to pursue an undergraduate education.
Nhung said the new fees were a must, to pay for modern buildings and new equipment.
She added that with such facilities, the fees were justified and not high at all.
According to Nguyen Khac Hung, deputy principal of Dai Nam University, the fees, which rose from VND7 million ($422) to VND8 million ($482) this year, still weren’t enough to cover costs.
Tran Huu Nghi from the Hai Phong Private University said in order to ensure training quality, the tuition fees must be about VND10 million ($603) per year.
He admitted, however, that most students could not afford the new fees.
Stress for students
Hoang, a third-year student at HUTECH, has to rush to a cafeteria to work from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for VND50,000 ($3) salary per night, to pay his way through college.
He said he is thinking of quitting university to apply for some shorter vocational training courses.
Bang, another student, said he also thought of finding a vocational center to study at, so he could graduate and earn money sooner, or move to another school with lower fees.
A student from southern Tay Ninh Province said he and some other financially disadvantaged students could access loans of VND8 million ($482) per year.
He said the loans, however, are not enough to pay for tuition, let alone other expenses.
Source: Tuoi Tre |
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