Choose a school near home or in a big city?

Going to a big city or studying at a local educational institution is a "problem" for many candidates when choosing a school.

TUITION FEES AT BRANCH SCHOOL ARE HALF OF THE MAIN CAMPUS

In addition to the two major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, many provinces and cities have at least one university or branch campus. Notably, many universities have different tuition policies for students studying at the main campus and branch campus.

Students attend the Exam Season Consulting program of Thanh Nien Newspaper at Dalat University

Since 2019, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics has established a branch in Vinh Long on the basis of Vinh Long College of Economics and Finance. Candidates admitted to the branch will study at the branch for 2 and a half years before transferring to the main campus in Ho Chi Minh City for their final year. According to the school, the tuition fee for students admitted to the 2024 class in the Vietnamese language program branch is 625,000 VND/credit. This fee is only 60-65% of the tuition fee for the same program at the main campus in Ho Chi Minh City.

Following this trend, Ton Duc Thang University also has a different tuition policy between the main campus and the branch campus. According to the tuition information announced by the school for students admitted to the 2024 class in the 2024-2025 school year, the standard program at the Ho Chi Minh City campus is about 27-31.6 million VND/year on average (the Vietnamese Studies major alone charges 50.1 million VND/year and Pharmacy 60.7 million VND/year). Meanwhile, the average tuition fee for majors at the Khanh Hoa Branch is from 20.5-24 million VND/year. With the same standard program, the tuition fee is different between the main campus in Ho Chi Minh City and the Khanh Hoa Branch even within the same major.

Similarly, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry is also currently enrolling students at its branch in Quang Ngai. In particular, the branch's tuition fee is only 50% of that of the main campus in Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, in 2024, the training majors at the main campus will charge 32.8 million VND/year (economic majors); 33.5 million VND/year (technical and engineering majors); and 53.5 million VND/year in pharmacy. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of the school's Training Department, said: "Students studying at the Quang Ngai branch only pay half the tuition fee compared to students studying at the main campus. This policy of the school aims to create favorable conditions for students to study on-site. Although the enrollment scope is nationwide, students studying at the branch mainly have household registration in Quang Ngai and neighboring localities."

LOCAL UNIVERSITY , IS TUITION LOWER?

Besides branch campuses, tuition fees of universities headquartered in non-major cities are also a concern for learners.

Regarding this issue, Dr. Tran Huu Duy, Head of Training Department of Da Lat University, said that university tuition fees depend on the type of school, whether it is public or private, with many private schools charging higher tuition fees. In the public school system, tuition fees also vary depending on the level of full autonomy, partial autonomy or no autonomy.

Dr. Duy gave an example of Da Lat University, a public school under the Ministry of Education and Training and is partially autonomous in regular expenses. Because the school still receives a part of the state budget for regular expenses, the average tuition fee is only about 15-18 million VND/year depending on the major. "However, the school's view is that if it is completely autonomous, it will only apply tuition fees appropriate to the income of families in the Central and Central Highlands regions. Because this region is the main source of students for the school, it is necessary to create opportunities for children in the region to access university education," Dr. Duy added.

Some universities located in other localities also have relatively low tuition fees compared to the general level because they have not yet switched to autonomy. For example, Nha Trang University (Khanh Hoa) is currently collecting tuition fees according to the group of non-autonomous public schools, averaging about 12-13 million VND/year. Tay Nguyen University also announced tuition fees for the 2024-2025 school year for all majors from 14-20 million VND/year. Notably, the tuition fee for the medical major at this school is only 27.6 million VND/year, much lower than the tuition fee for the medical major of other public and private universities.

Dalat University applies tuition fees suitable for the income of families in the Central and Central Highlands regions.

EACH OPTION HAS ITS OWN ADVANTAGES

According to representatives of many universities, studying at a university near home or in a big city both have their own advantages.

Dr. Tran Huu Duy analyzed: "Studying at a local school or going to a big city depends on many factors, including the wishes of the family and the student, economic conditions, or the reputation of the university to choose". Regarding big cities, Dr. Duy said: "In general, the standard of living and tuition fees will be higher. Big cities are attractive to everyone, but they come with challenges in terms of living environment and costs, so students must make great efforts. Regional schools located in localities are also good choices".

Sharing the same perspective, Dr. To Van Phuong, Head of Training Department of Nha Trang University, said that whether candidates choose to study in big cities or in the local area, near home, is a problem with many solutions and options. "Studying at a school near home greatly reduces the cost of food, accommodation, travel, and even does not have to rent a house, while studying in a big city will have quite high costs. Especially, in the context of autonomous universities as it is today, having to pay a large tuition fee will increase financial pressure for most families in rural areas," Dr. Phuong analyzed.

Comparing the main campus and the branch campus of a university, Dr. Vo Thai Dan, Head of Training Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, said there is no difference in degrees and training programs between the two places. "Students still tend to choose to study in big cities. In fact, each place has its own strengths. If studying locally is more economical, in big cities there are more opportunities for part-time work and opportunities to experience and participate in activities," Dr. Dan added.

However, an easily noticeable difference that also significantly affects the choice of study location is the entrance score, especially between the branch and the main campus of the same university. In particular, the standard scores for majors at the branch are always lower than at the main campus. In addition, some branches have mandatory admission criteria such as permanent residence. For example, Vinh Long Branch of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics requires candidates for admission to some majors to have permanent residence in 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta.

Master Nguyen Hua Duy Khang, Deputy Head of Training Department of Can Tho University, also said that choosing which school to study at requires evaluating and considering many factors. In particular, tuition and study costs also have big differences, depending on each school, each major and each training program. "Studying near home has many advantages, especially living expenses. Studying far from home will require more effort, but the student himself will also be more mature, have better independence...", Master Khang shared more.

According to the Draft Summary Report on the Planning of the University and Pedagogical Education Network for the 2021-2030 Period, with a Vision to 2050 by the Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 244 universities nationwide. Of which, 172 are public universities and 67 are non-public universities (5 are foreign-invested universities). Universities are mainly distributed in the Red River Delta (44.3%), Southeast (18.4%); the lowest is in the Central Highlands (1.6%); Northern Midlands and Mountains (5.7%), North Central and Central Coast (18.4%); Mekong Delta (7.0%).

There are currently 30 branches of higher education institutions nationwide. Of these, 20 are newly established (including 6 branches of private higher education institutions), 4 branches are established on the basis of pedagogical colleges, and 9 branches are established on the basis of universities.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-phi-dh-tang-cao-chon-truong-gan-nha-hay-thanh-pho-lon-185241224221234646.htm