Many schools publicly post lists of tuition debt online, making students angry, saying it is insensitive and makes them feel ashamed.
A few days ago, the University of Finance and Marketing published a list of nearly 2,500 students with tuition debt for 2023 on its website, attracting attention.
In fact, many schools do the same, such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Can Tho University, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Transport Technology, Dong Nai University... Depending on the school, the list is called "debt on tuition", "reminder on tuition payment", or "banned from taking exams due to debt on tuition". There are even classes of students who have graduated but the information about debt reminders is still online.
According to students, this has been happening for a long time, but now many people are aware of the risks of having their personal information "exposed" online, so they are upset.
On forums, the topic attracted thousands of interactions and discussions. The majority believed that schools publicly posting lists of students with tuition debts, including their full names, hometowns, and classes, was insensitive, making those involved feel ashamed and self-conscious in front of their friends.
Many universities have publicly posted lists of students with debts and requests for tuition extensions. Photo: Screenshot
Minh Huyen, a senior at a university, said she was sad because the incident was being widely discussed online. The student said her family had an emergency in their hometown so she was unable to pay her tuition for the last semester.
"I also work part-time, earning about 3-4 million per month, but after all, it's all just for rent and living expenses," Huyen said.
Thanh Hong, a student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, said that anyone who finds themselves in this situation would feel ashamed. According to Hong, "each tree has its own flower, each family has its own situation", many students have to pay for their own education and living expenses. Having debt for tuition is something no one wants, so it is easy to feel inferior and self-conscious when it is publicly posted.
"The school can send messages, emails or warnings to the student's personal account. After one or two times of not receiving a response, the academic advisor or homeroom teacher can be asked to find out the cause and take action," Hong suggested.
Hoang Phuoc, a senior student at the University of Finance and Marketing, said that students' personal information had been violated, which could pose risks in the future.
Associate Professor Dr. Quan Thanh Tho, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City National University, said that when information about students' year of birth, hometown, and class is posted online, bad guys can take advantage of it to commit fraud.
"It is also possible that your personal information will be used to register for loan apps," he said.
In principle, according to Mr. Tho, information about relatives is considered sensitive and cannot be stored or used without the permission of the owner. Schools that have students' consent to use personal data for learning management must ensure at least two requirements: it cannot be used for other purposes and it cannot be shared with third parties.
Parents pay tuition fees for students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, September 2023. Photo: HUIT
Master Pham Thai Son, Director of the Admissions and Communications Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, admitted that his school and many other schools still post lists of students who owe, have extended tuition fees, or have been disciplined (warned, forced to leave school) on their websites. Much of the students' information is made public, from their code, class, major, hometown, date of birth, and even their bank account numbers.
He said the school has an internal system, each student has an account to register for courses, view timetables, transcripts, tuition fees and receive school notifications. However, many students do not update regularly.
"When the list is posted publicly, students will compare or remind each other to do it, so many schools still keep the habit of posting the entire list on the web. However, this is not the right way to do it," he said.
Speed and efficiency may be the reason why many schools do this, according to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of Training Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry. However, in the current context of personal information floating on the Internet that can lead to many risks, this method is not correct and can hurt students.
Dr. Nhan said that schools still have many ways to remind students, such as through private accounts or academic advisors. In serious cases such as forced expulsion, schools must send letters to families.
Master Pham Thai Son said the school did not intentionally post the list of tuition debtors to collect debt or to deter, but was not aware of the consequences.
"Therefore, the school definitely needs to change its habits of informing and managing students," he said.
Le Nguyen
*Student name has been changed
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