Are pedagogical students in Vietnam entitled to concurrent tuition fee reductions in special difficult areas and the pedagogical study policy?

Are pedagogical students in Vietnam entitled to concurrent tuition fee reductions in special difficult areas and the pedagogical study policy?

Based on Article 16 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP:

Subjects Eligible for Tuition Fee Reduction and Support for Tuition Fee Payment

1. Subjects eligible for a 70% tuition fee reduction include:

a) Students in traditional and specific arts fields in public and private vocational education institutions, and higher education institutions that offer training in culture and arts, including: traditional opera orchestra musicians, Hue traditional music musicians, Southern folk opera singers, stage opera actors, folk performance arts, ca tru arts, bai choi arts, traditional musical instrument performances;

b) Students majoring in imperial music, cheo, tuong, cai luong, dance, circus; some strenuous, toxic, and dangerous trades in vocational education according to the list of strenuous, toxic, and dangerous trades regulated by the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs;

c) Children in kindergarten and students who are ethnic minorities (other than sparsely populated ethnic minorities) in particularly difficult hamlets/villages, level III ethnic and mountainous regions, particularly difficult coastal, island areas according to the regulations of the competent authority.

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According to Clause 6 of Article 20 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP:

Mechanism of Tuition Fee Exemption, Reduction, Support for Study Cost, and Support for Tuition Payment

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6. The preferential policies of tuition fee exemption or reduction will not be applied to students who have already benefited from these policies at one vocational or higher education institution and are now continuing their education at another institution of the same level and training level. If a student qualifies for a tuition fee exemption or reduction and is simultaneously pursuing education at multiple institutions or multiple departments or fields within the same institution, they shall only benefit from one preferential policy.

If pedagogical students are simultaneously eligible for tuition fee reduction when studying at multiple educational institutions or multiple departments or fields within the same school, they shall only benefit from one preferential policy.

Hence, under the above regulation, pedagogical students can indeed enjoy both policies simultaneously.

Are pedagogical students in Vietnam entitled to concurrent tuition fee reductions in special difficult areas and the pedagogical study policy?​ (Image from the Internet)

Is it possible pay cash for disbursement of State budget support funds for pedagogical students in Vietnam?

According to point c, clause 2, Article 5 of Decree 116/2020/ND-CP regarding the policy of support for tuition fee payment and living expenses for pedagogical students:

Preparing Estimations, Disbursing Support Funds

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2. Disbursement of support funds from the state budget:

a) The budgets for supporting tuition fees and living expenses for pedagogical students are allocated in the annual state budget estimates for education and training at localities, ministries, and central authorities according to current regulations;

b) The agency mandating, placing orders, or bidding directly disburses to teacher training institutions the funds to support tuition fee payment and living expenses of pedagogical students according to the mechanism of assigning state duties, placing orders, or bidding for pedagogical students eligible for these mandates, orders, or bids.

For the funds supporting tuition fee payment and living expenses for pedagogical students within the Ministry of Education and Training's announced quota but not under the task, order, or bid objects, they are allocated within the annual estimates of the teacher training institutions authorized by the competent authority under the State Budget Law;

c) Teacher training institutions are responsible for disbursing the support funds for living expenses to pedagogical students through the students’ bank accounts.

Regarding the disbursement of support funds from the state budget, it is mandatory that teacher training institutions disburse the support funds for living expenses to pedagogical students through the students' bank accounts, not through direct cash payments.

What is the maximum period to fulfill the obligation to refund the support funds for pedagogical students in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 3 of Article 9 of Decree 116/2020/ND-CP concerning the policy of support for tuition fee payment and living expenses for pedagogical students:

Recovery of Reimbursement Costs

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3. Within 30 days from receiving a decision from the competent authority, the student or their family must contact the recovery authority to process the refund procedures.

The maximum period to fulfill the obligation to refund the support funds is four years from the date the pedagogical student receives notification of the reimbursement.

Should the student or their family delay fulfilling the obligation beyond the stipulated period, they must bear the maximum interest rate applied to demand deposits as regulated by the State Bank of Vietnam concerning the delayed reimbursement amount. If the State Bank does not regulate a maximum interest rate for demand deposits, the interest rate applied is that of the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade at the time of executing the reimbursement obligation.

Within 30 days from receiving a decision from the competent authority, the student or their family must have the responsibility to contact the recovery authority to perform the refund procedures. The maximum period to fulfill the obligation to refund the support funds is four years from the date the pedagogical student receives the reimbursement notification.