JOINT CIRCULAR No. 109/2009/TTLT/BTC-BGDĐT GUIDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL REGIMES FOR STUDENTS AT BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS AND PRE-UNIVERSITY ETHNIC MINORITY SCHOOLS

JOINT CIRCULAR

GUIDELINES ON CERTAIN FINANCIAL REGIMES FOR STUDENTS AT BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS AND PRE-UNIVERSITY ETHNIC MINORITY SCHOOLS

Pursuant to Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP of June 6, 2003 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the Law on State Budget;
Pursuant to Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP of August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Education;
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training hereby issue guidelines on certain financial regimes for students at boarding schools for ethnic minority students and pre-university ethnic minority schools, as follows:

Article 1. Eligible Subjects

The subjects entitled to the benefits prescribed in this Circular are students who meet the admission criteria and are currently enrolled in boarding schools for ethnic minorities directly under the Ministry of Education and Training, provincial and district-level boarding schools for ethnic minorities, and pre-university ethnic minority schools.

Article 2. Financial Regime for Students

Students enrolled in the aforementioned schools shall enjoy the following preferential regimes:

1. Tuition Fees:

Students within the above-mentioned category shall be exempt from tuition fees.

2. Scholarships:

- Students studying at boarding schools for ethnic minorities directly under the Ministry of Education and Training, provincial and district-level boarding schools, and pre-university ethnic minority schools shall receive policy scholarships equal to 80% of the national minimum wage and shall be eligible for 12 months per year. For training programs with a duration of less than one year or for the final year of study that does not last for 12 months, the scholarship will be granted according to the actual number of months of study in that academic year as stipulated in Section II of Joint Circular No. 23/2008/TTLT/BGDĐT-BLĐTBXH-BTC dated April 28, 2008 of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of Decision No. 152/2007/QĐ-TTg of September 14, 2007 of the Prime Minister regarding policy scholarships for students and trainees at educational institutions within the national education system.

- In cases where students are expelled due to disciplinary reasons, they shall not be eligible for policy scholarships.

- In cases where students are suspended from studies, they shall not be eligible for scholarships during the suspension period, except when the suspension is due to illness, accidents, repeating a grade, failing a grade, or other reasons (not due to disciplinary actions or voluntary withdrawal).

- In cases where students fail to advance to the next grade (repeat a grade), the year of repeating the grade shall only be eligible for half of the scholarship amount. If the student still fails to meet the requirements after three years, they shall be returned to their place of origin. Each student is only allowed to repeat a grade once per educational level.

- Students at boarding schools for ethnic minorities and pre-university ethnic minority schools who are eligible for policy scholarships but also qualify for social assistance and preferential allowances under Article 31 of Decree No. 54/2006/NĐ-CP of May 26, 2006 of the Government concerning "Guidelines for Implementing Certain Provisions of the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for Revolutionary Activists" shall continue to receive social assistance and preferential allowances as provided for in Decree No. 54/2006/NĐ-CP of May 26, 2006 of the Government and related guiding documents.

3. Reward System:

If students perform well in their studies and discipline, achieving satisfactory results or better (in the previous academic year), they shall be awarded a reward once per year as follows:

- VND 400,000 if they achieve satisfactory results;

- VND 600,000 if they achieve good results;

- VND 800,000 if they achieve excellent results.

4. Provision of Physical Items:

When entering school, students shall be provided with physical items such as personal bedding and clothing once as follows:

- Personal quilt;

- Personal curtain;

- Cotton jacket;

- Personal mat;

- Raincoat;

- Long-sleeved uniform shirt and pants;

5. Travel Expenses: Students shall be provided with travel expenses equivalent to the regular fare of public transportation, once per year (for both the trip to and return from home) to visit their families during Tet or summer vacation.

6. Learning Materials Support: Students shall be provided with learning materials in kind annually according to the standards for each educational level as follows:

7. Textbooks: The school shall establish a shared textbook library, allowing each student to borrow one set of textbooks corresponding to their current class. The school shall be responsible for organizing and managing the borrowing and preservation of textbooks to ensure long-term and effective use; the school may purchase additional textbooks annually, equivalent to 10% of the total number of textbooks in the shared library.

8. Expenditure for Lunar New Year and Ethnic Festivals:

The school may organize two events per year for students who remain at school instead of returning home during Lunar New Year and ethnic festivals, with an expenditure of VND 50,000 per student per stay.

9. Expenditure for Cultural and Sports Activities:

- Each class shall be provided with:

+ One local newspaper;

+ One youth or teenage newspaper or the "Education and Era" newspaper or a cultural arts magazine dedicated to ethnic minorities for special educational activities of the school.

- Expenditure for recreational and entertainment activities: cultural, artistic, and sports activities, as well as mass propaganda and mobilization activities of the school (budgeted at up to 5% of the scholarship fund).

10. Health Protection Expenditure:

- Expenditure for purchasing health check-up books and organizing annual health check-ups for students.

- Expenditure for purchasing health insurance and common medicines for students stored in the school's medicine cabinet.

11. Expenditure for Admissions and Graduation Examinations:

Admission work and examinations for promotion, graduation, and transfer shall be carried out in accordance with existing regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. The school may prepare budgets for the following expenditures:

- Preparation of admission, enrollment, and graduation files according to current regulations.

- Issuance of student identity cards and personal badges.

12. Expenditure for Electricity and Water for Study and Living Purposes:

The school shall prepare a budget for electricity and water expenses for students' study and living purposes as follows:

- Lighting electricity: an average of 25 kilowatt-hours per month per student at the local electricity rate.

- Domestic water: an average of 4 cubic meters of water per month per student at the local water rate.

In places where conditions for providing electricity and water services are not available or where power outages occur due to floods or natural disasters, schools may allocate funds to purchase oil lamps for lighting or to install water pumps or dig wells. Individual electricity and water bills shall not be issued.

13. Collective dining hall expenses: Each year, schools are allowed to purchase, supplement, repair collective dining hall equipment at a rate of 50,000 VND per student per year.

14. Other provisions:

- Students who cannot continue their studies at school due to non-completion, disciplinary expulsion, or long-term illness shall follow the current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training and shall not continue to receive stipends as specified in this Circular.

- In cases of temporary detention, stipends shall not be provided during the period of detention.

- Students who take leave to recover from illness still receive stipends but not exceeding three months in total. If students must return home, travel expenses including those for accompanying personnel shall be reimbursed.

Article 3. Financial Management Work

1. Budget Preparation Work:

Public boarding schools under the Ministry of Education and Training, provincial and district public boarding schools, and preparatory universities for ethnic minorities shall prepare annual expenditure budgets according to Circular No. 59/2003/TT-BTC dated June 23, 2003, issued by the Ministry of Finance, guiding the implementation of Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 6, 2003, of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the State Budget Law and current regulations.

2. Accounting and Settlement Work:

Public boarding schools and preparatory universities for ethnic minorities must comply with Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 6, 2003, of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the State Budget Law; they must also maintain accounting books to record, account for, and settle accounts in accordance with the current regulations of the Administrative and Public Service Accounting System issued by Decision No. 19/2006/QĐ-BTC dated March 30, 2006, of the Minister of Finance and other current regulations.

3. Financial Inspection and Audit Work:

Schools must implement transparent financial management systems, regularly organize self-inspections of accounting records and the use of funds within the school.

The higher-level education management authority shall cooperate with the finance department at the same level to conduct regular inspections and approve settlement reports of the schools according to current regulations.

Article 4. Organization of Implementation

1. Expenditures for students in public boarding schools and preparatory universities for ethnic minorities shall be included in the annual education and training budget according to the state budget allocation levels.

2. For additional expenditures arising in 2009, the following measures shall be taken:

- Additional expenditures for students currently studying at preparatory universities and public boarding schools under the Ministry of Education and Training: additional expenditures shall be arranged within the state budget allocated to the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Additional expenditures for students currently studying at public boarding schools managed by localities: local budgets shall ensure these additional expenditures within the local budgets already allocated.

3. This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of signature and replaces Circular No. 126/1998/TTLT-BTC-BGDĐT dated September 9, 1998, jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training, guiding certain financial regulations for students in public boarding schools and preparatory universities.

During implementation, if any issues arise, please report them to the relevant authorities for timely research and supplementation or amendment.