Government strongly supports vocational students and pedagogical students

In recent years, many public colleges and universities have implemented policies on tuition waivers and reductions, and even provided living expense support for students in line with government regulations. As a result, the number of students enrolling in vocational fields that are in high demand in the labor market has steadily increased.

Thanks to this policy, colleges and universities have also improved the quality of "input", "output", and training.

Medical profession, training human resources for Long Thanh airport... 70% tuition fee reduced

Public colleges across Dong Nai province have implemented a 70% tuition reduction for students in accordance with Decree No. 81/2021/ND-CP, which outlines the framework for tuition collection and management at institutions within the national education system, along with policies on tuition waivers, reductions, study cost support, and service pricing in the education and training sector.

Registering for study at Dong Nai Medical College. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

Among many groups of professions with a 70% reduction, Dong Nai Medical College also has 5 majors in this category.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Quang, Meritorious Physician, Rector of the school, said that over the past three years, students enrolled in five majors, Nursing, Pharmacy, Midwifery, General Medicine, and Medical Laboratory Technology, have received a 70% tuition reduction. As a result, each student pays only 1.7 million VND per semester.

Thanks to this policy, the number of people registering to study medicine at the school has increased again after many years of sharp decline.

Offering programs eligible for a 70% tuition reduction, Lilama 2 International College of Technology (under the Ministry of Education and Training) in Dong Nai province has seen increased student enrollment. Specifically, the college offers six majors: Automotive Technology, Industrial Electricity, Welding Technology, CNC Metal Cutting, Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing, and Mechanical Equipment Installation.

Students practicing at Lilama 2 International College of Technology, Dong Nai province. Photo: Bich Nhan

M.A. Vo Van Long, Deputy Head of Training Department, Lilama 2 International College of Technology, said: The above majors are classified as hazardous and arduous professions, so few people register to study them. With the policy of supporting most of the tuition fees as regulated, each student only has to pay 2.7 million VND/semester. Without this support, it would be almost impossible to recruit students for these majors. According to the school's calculations, the number of students registering for these majors has increased by 30-40% compared to before.

Pedagogical students: Both tuition fee exemption and living expense support

Since the 2021–2022 academic year, public universities have begun implementing Decree No. 116/2020/ND-CP, dated September 25, 2020, issued by the Government to regulate policies on tuition and living expense support for students majoring in pedagogy. However, during the implementation process, a number of difficulties and limitations arose. As a result, on March 3, 2025, the Government issued Decree No. 60/2025/ND-CP (Decree 60), amending and supplementing several articles of Decree No. 116/2020/ND-CP regarding policies on tuition and living expense support for pedagogical students.

Students of preschool education in class at Dong Nai University. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

M.A. Pham Minh Dung, Head of Student Affairs Department, Dong Nai University, said: In the first year of implementing this regulation, the academic year 2021-2022, the school had more than 700 registered students. In addition to not having to pay tuition fees, each student registered to study under Decree 116 (now Decree 60) also received nearly 3.7 million VND/month in living expenses.

According to M.A. Pham Minh Dung, thanks to this policy, many young people no longer turn away from the teaching profession. On the contrary, the number of applications for pedagogy programs has increased in recent years, leading to higher admission scores. Notably, in the 2025–2026 academic year, the top scorer in the school's Literature Pedagogy program earned 28.55 points.

"When the 'input' quality is high, the 'output' will be of higher quality. From here, the professional qualifications of future teachers will be better ensured," Dung commented.

One of the highlights of the Government's Decree 116/2020/ND-CP (now Decree 60) is the policy of supporting tuition fees and living expenses for pedagogical students. With this regulation, pedagogical students can register for training in the following forms: task assignment, order placement, bidding according to the needs announced by localities; training according to social needs... to enjoy tuition fee exemption and living expense support.

Not having to pay tuition fees and receiving living expense support are important factors that led student Gia Huy, from Tan Trieu ward, Dong Nai province, to decide to study pedagogy at Dong Nai University. When choosing to study under the provisions of Decree 60, Gia Huy must commit: After graduation, for the first 2 years, they must have a job, and the working time in the education sector must be double the training time, meaning they must work at educational institutions for 8 years after graduation.

Wider employment opportunities

Since the implementation of tuition reduction policies under Decree No. 81/2021/ND-CP, many young people have applied to study medicine. For the 2025–2026 academic year, as of now, Dong Nai Medical College has admitted more than 1,000 students across various majors, marking an increase from the previous year. In addition to the tuition exemption and reduction policy, the college allocates around 1.5 billion VND per year to award scholarships to students who excel academically and lead upstanding lives.

In recent years, many hospitals have faced a shortage of nurses, making graduates of Dong Nai Medical College highly sought after. In the photo: Nurses work at Dong Nai Children's Hospital. Photo: Bich Nhan

Born and raised in an economically disadvantaged family in Tan Phu commune, Dong Nai province, both Nguyen Van Nam and his sister enrolled in the college-level nursing program at Dong Nai Medical College after finishing high school. The main reason was a 70% tuition reduction, which helped ease the financial burden on their parents.

"I am in my final year, and my younger sister is starting her first year of nursing. In reality, we get to practice on patients in large hospitals, which helps students feel more confident when they graduate. Although I haven't graduated yet, I have researched the recruitment needs of medical facilities. I plan to work at a provincial hospital to improve my professional skills," said student Nguyen Van Nam.

According to MSc. Vo Van Long, Deputy Head of the Training Department, Lilama 2 International College of Technology, many families with difficult economic conditions have registered their children to study majors where the state supports tuition fees instead of having to drop out of school.

These preferential policies not only reduce the financial burden but also demonstrate the government's commitment to training high-quality human resources for many industries.

By Bich Nhan-Translated by Mai Nga, Minho