Some non-state universities set the tuition of VND 1.8 million a month, while some others collect only VND 450,000 for the same training branch. There have been big differences in the tuition levels set by non-state universities.

Some non-state universities set the tuition of VND 1.8 million a month, while some others collect VND 450,000 for the same training branch.

Bui Van Hoan, Deputy Head of the Training Division under the Ha Nam-based Ha Hoa Tien University, said that the university sets low tuition levels in order to attract more students. Hoan said that his university has just been established, therefore, it needs to attract students with soft tuitions, such as VND 500,000 a month for university training and VND 400,000 for college-level training.

“The tuitions prove to be too low for the university to get enough money for paying lecturers, let alone for upgrading the material facilities. However, as the university has different financial sources, it does not focus on covering expenses with tuition at the first stage of operation,” he said.

Aiming to attract students mainly in Ha Nam province and neighbouring provinces who have the financial capability at medium levels, the university plans to maintain the low tuition levels over the next several years.

The Luong The Vinh People Founded University in Nam Dinh City proves to be the university which offers the lowest level among non-state universities, at VND 450,000 a month for university training (four years), and VND 400,000 for college training (three years).

Nguyen Huu Kieu, Head of the Training Division of the university, said that the tuition levels have been applied since last year, while the university does not intend to increase the tuition levels this year.

“The students of the university are mainly children of farmers, more than 85% of the total students, therefore, it is not easy to require higher tuitions,” he said.

A lot of universities, which have low tuitions, now want to raise the levels. The Van Hien University proves to be one of the universities which are applying low tuition levels, VND 2.1 million for a semester in 2007, and VND 2.6 million for a semester in 2008. However, the university did not announce the new tuition levels to be applied this year in the university enrollment handbook, which has been published by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Explaining the lack of the information in the handbook, Nguyen Mong Hung, President of the Van Hien University, said that the tuition levels now being applied by the university prove to be too low in comparison with the average level, which is not enough to cover the university’s expenses.

Hung said that the university will have to raise the tuition this year.

The Binh Duong People Founded University plans to collect between VND 6.2-6.5 million a year in the 2009-2010 academic year. Meanwhile, Nguyen Hong Dao, Vice President of the university, said that the tuitions will make it hard to balance receipts and expenses.

“I think that the reasonable tuitions should be between VND 7.2-7.5 million per annum. We wish we can raise the tuitions to those levels,” he added.

VietNamNet/LD