JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines on preferential treatment in education and training for persons who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution and their children

for persons who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution and their children

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Pursuant to Article 31 of Decree No. 54/2006/NĐ-CP dated May 26, 2006 of the Government guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for Persons Who Have Rendered Meritorious Service to the Revolution;

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Finance issue guidelines for implementing preferential treatment in education for persons who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution and their children as follows:

I. SUBJECTS AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION

1. Recipients

a) National Hero of Armed Forces, National Hero of Labor during the Resistance War; war invalids; persons enjoying benefits equivalent to war invalids; war invalids category B (hereinafter referred to collectively as war invalids).

b) Children of persons who were engaged in revolutionary activities before January 1, 1945; children of persons who were engaged in revolutionary activities from January 1, 1945 to before the August 19 Revolution in 1945; children of National Hero of Armed Forces; children of National Hero of Labor during the Resistance War; children of martyrs; children of war invalids; children with deformities or disabilities caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during the resistance war.

2. Scope of application

a) The preferential treatment in education prescribed in Decree No. 54/2006/NĐ-CP dated May 26, 2006 of the Government (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 54/2006/NĐ-CP) shall apply to students and trainees who are:

- Children of persons who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution as specified in point b, Clause 1, Section I (hereinafter referred to collectively as students eligible for preferential treatment) studying at preschool educational institutions and general education schools (hereinafter referred to collectively as educational institutions).

- Persons who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution and their children as specified in points a and b, Clause 1, Section I (hereinafter referred to collectively as students and trainees eligible for preferential treatment) studying full-time regular programs with a duration of one year or more at higher education institutions, colleges, vocational high schools, preparatory universities, boarding and semi-boarding ethnic minority secondary schools (hereinafter referred to collectively as training institutions); continuously upgrading to higher levels including: from intermediate college to college; from college to university.

- Students and trainees eligible for preferential treatment who simultaneously study at multiple schools (or multiple departments within the same school) shall only be entitled to the highest level of preferential treatment (including: one-time allowance, monthly allowance, and tuition support if applicable) at one school.

b) Monthly allowances shall not be provided to students and trainees eligible for preferential treatment who receive salaries or living expenses while studying.

c) Educational and training preferential treatment shall not be applied to students and trainees eligible for preferential treatment in the following cases:

- Studying at regular continuing education institutions.

- Already receiving educational and training preferential treatment at one training institution and now continue to study at another training institution of the same level and training program.

- Studying abroad.

d) The preferential treatments stipulated in this Circular do not replace policy scholarships, scholarships for academic achievement and discipline according to current regulations.

II. PREFERENTIAL TREATMENTS

1. Treatments for students eligible for preferential treatment studying at educational institutions

a) Tuition fees

- Exemption from tuition fees for students studying at public schools;

- Support for tuition fees for students studying at private and民办教育机构的学费标准由省级人民政府决定。帮助支付与公立学校相同级别的私立和民办教育机构的学费。

b) 一次性补助

每学年学生可以获得一次购买书籍和学习用品的一次性补助，具体如下：

- 学前教育机构：200,000越南盾；

- 普通教育机构：250,000越南盾。

2. 对在培训机构就读的享受优待的学生和学员的待遇

a) Tuition fees

- 免除公立培训机构的学生和学员的学费；

- 帮助支付私立和民办培训机构的学生和学员的学费，具体如下：

+ 中等专业学校：每月150,000越南盾；

+ 技工学校：每月200,000越南盾；

+ 高等专科学校：每月200,000越南盾；

+ 大学：每月250,000越南盾。

b) 一次性补助

每学年学生和学员可以获得300,000越南盾用于购买书籍和学习用品。

c) 月度补助

- 对于是二十一至六十岁伤残军人子女或重度残疾退伍军人子女；或因接触化学毒物而致严重畸形、残疾且生活自理能力下降的人员子女，每人每月补助180,000越南盾。

- 对于是武装力量英雄；抗美援朝劳动英雄；伤残军人；一九四五年一月一日以前参加革命活动人员的子女；一九四五年一月一日至一九四五年八月十九日总起义前参加革命活动人员的子女；武装力量英雄或抗美援朝劳动英雄的子女；烈士的子女；六十一岁以上伤残军人或重度残疾退伍军人的子女；因接触化学毒物而致严重畸形、残疾且生活无法自理的人员子女，每人每月补助355,000越南盾。

正在接受上述月度补助的学生和学员，在完成学业考试后可获得相当于两个月月度补助的一次性补助。

本通知第二部分规定的教育优待制度自二〇〇五年十月一日起实施。

III. 手续和档案

1. 教育培训优待档案

- 教育培训优待申请表，附上出生证明复印件（格式编号01-ƯĐGD）。

- 教育培训优待批准决定书（格式编号03-ƯĐGD）。

2. 教育培训优待档案的建立和管理手续及程序

2.1. 教育培训优待档案的建立手续及程序

a) 享受教育培训优待的革命功臣或其子女应填写教育培训优待申请表（格式编号01-ƯĐGD），并附上出生证明复印件，提交给有权确认的机关，然后转交到劳动和社会事务局或内务-劳动和社会事务局 （以下简称劳动和社会事务局） The place of permanent residence of persons with meritorious service or their dependents entitled to preferential treatment in education and training shall be used to process the issuance of educational and training preference books. The confirmation shall be carried out as follows:

- Persons with meritorious service to the revolution managed by the Center for the Care of Seriously Injured Veterans and Persons with Meritorious Service under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (hereinafter referred to as the Center) shall be confirmed by the Center.

- Military and police units authorized according to regulations of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall confirm persons with meritorious service to the revolution managed by military and police units.

- The People's Committee of communes shall confirm persons with meritorious service to the revolution for those cases remaining who are permanently residing in communes.

b) Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs:

- Check the declaration form already confirmed by the competent authority, compare it with the file of persons with meritorious service within its management scope to establish two lists requesting issuance of educational and training preference books (Form No. 02-ƯĐGD) along with the application form for issuance of the book, copies of birth certificates sent to the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs for review;

- Issue educational and training preference books; establish and monitor issuance lists (Form No. 05-ƯĐGD), retain files, and manage payment of allowances as prescribed.

c) Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs:

Review and approve lists requesting issuance of books; issue Decisions (Form No. 03-ƯĐGD) and issue educational and training preference books to students eligible for preferential treatment (Form No. 04-ƯĐGD); transfer preference books for education and training together with the Decision on issuance of the book and one approved list requesting issuance of the book back to the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

2. 2. Management, retention, and transfer of preferential education and training files.

- Preferential education and training files (including the application form for issuance of the preference book, copies of birth certificates, Decision on issuance of the book) shall be retained like files of persons with meritorious service.

When persons with meritorious service to the revolution move to another province or city, their preferential education and training files shall be transferred together with their files of persons with meritorious service according to Circular No. 07/2006/TT-BLĐTBXH dated July 26, 2006 issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

The Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall confirm the time for continued payment of allowances into the educational and training preference book for students eligible for preferential treatment moving from another province or city.

- In cases where persons with meritorious service to the revolution are currently managed by military or police units but the family moves to reside in another province or city, the beneficiaries of preferential treatment in education and training must complete procedures to transfer their preferential files to the new location to follow the procedures for receiving them as with the transfer of files of persons with meritorious service to the revolution.

3. Procedures and formalities for implementing preferential treatment in education and training.

- According to the regular payment schedule for preferential education and training allowances, students eligible for preferential treatment shall present their Educational and Training Preference Book to the educational and training institution they are attending for confirmation (signature, stamp) in the Educational and Training Preference Book as the basis for implementing preferential treatment.

In cases where students are disciplined with suspension of studies or forced withdrawal, the educational and training institution where the students are studying shall send a notification to the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to stop the implementation of preferential treatment. When students are re-admitted after the disciplinary period, the educational and training institution where the students are studying shall send a notification to the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to continue the implementation of preferential treatment.

In cases where students are deprived of preferential treatment for persons with meritorious service to the revolution while still studying, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall complete procedures to stop preferential treatment and notify the educational and training institution where the students are studying.

- According to the regular payment schedule for preferential education and training allowances, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall implement preferential treatment based on the Educational and Training Preference Book confirmed by the educational and training institution where the students are studying; recover the Educational and Training Preference Book at the last allowance payment period within the timeframe for enjoying preferential education and training.

IV. EXPENSES AND METHODS OF PAYMENT

1. Funding sources

The source of funds for implementing preferential treatment in education according to this Circular shall be guaranteed by the central budget. The method of preparing budgets, issuing, managing, and settling accounts shall be in accordance with Circular No. 84/2005/TTLT/BTC-BLĐTBXH dated September 23, 2005 issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs and current regulations.

2. Methods of disbursement

a) Implementing agency for payments

The Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs manages and organizes the payment of allowances and tuition support for students eligible for preferential treatment.

b) Payment time

- One-time allowance: paid at the beginning of the academic year or course.

+ Paid in October for students studying at educational institutions.

+ Paid in November for students and trainees studying at training institutions.

- Monthly allowance: paid twice a year.

+ First payment in October or November;

+ Second payment in March or April.

Students who have not received monthly allowances according to the specified deadline may claim them in the next payment period.

- Tuition support: provided according to the actual study period and paid concurrently with the monthly allowance period.

Students who have not received tuition support according to the specified deadline may claim them in the next payment period.

c) Study period framework

The study period framework for each course at various levels and degrees of education and training is according to the Education Law 2005 dated June 14, 2005. This study period does not include additional study periods due to repeating courses, suspending studies, or supplementary studies according to the current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Students will continue to receive monthly allowances during periods of suspension due to illness or accidents and during periods of repeating courses, supplementary studies if the cause is not due to disciplinary actions.

 V. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall guide the authority to confirm declarations requesting preferential treatment in education stipulated in this Circular for students who are children of persons with meritorious service to the revolution working in the military or police.

2. The People's Committee of the province shall direct the organization and implementation of all contents prescribed in this Circular.

3. The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Department of Education and Training, and the Department of Finance shall cooperate with relevant agencies to guide and organize the correct implementation of the contents prescribed in this Circular, compile and report annually as required; at the same time, they shall be responsible for inspecting and auditing the compliance with preferential policies in education at the local level.

4. This Circular shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette and shall replace Circular No. 26/1999/TTLB/BLDTB &XH-BTC-BGD&ĐT issued on November 2, 1999 and Joint Circular No. 23/2001/TTLT/BTC-BLDTB&XH issued on April 6, 2001 of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs regarding guidance on implementing preferential policies in education for persons who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution and their children.

Any difficulties encountered during the implementation process shall be promptly reported to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Finance for resolution.