Vietnam Hanoi to Cut 50% Tuition Fees for Near-Poor Students

Hanoi will support 50% of the current tuition fees for students who live in households near the poverty line beginning the 2011-2011 school year, said the city’s Department of Education and Training. The beneficiaries include those who learn at public schools, including nursery schools, continuing education and vocational training centers, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on June 10, citing the department.
Hanoi’s regulations on poverty line cover households with an average income of VND500,000-VND650,000/person/month for urban areas and over VND330,000-VND430,000/person/month for rural areas.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Education and Training is seeking the municipal authorities approval for increasing school fees. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has recently approved a decree on new tuition fee plan for the 2010-2015 period under which the fees will not surpass 5% of residents’ average income, the Vietnamese Government said on its website May 15. Under the decree, from the 2011-2012 academic year, tuition fees will be adjusted annually based on the average consumption price index (CPI) released by the government.