Joint Circular No. 21/2010/TTLT-BTC-BGDĐT stipulates the collection and use of examination fees and admission fees (enrollment fees) for universities, colleges, and vocational high schools.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Regulations on the collection and use of examination and admission fees (admission fees) for universities, colleges, and vocational colleges

(enrollment fees) for universities, colleges, and vocational colleges

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Pursuant to the Education Law, the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Education Law, Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law;

Pursuant to the Ordinance on Fees and Charges, Decree No. 57/2002/NĐ-CP dated June 3, 2002 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Ordinance on Fees and Charges, and Decree No. 24/2006/NĐ-CP dated March 6, 2006 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 57/2002/NĐ-CP dated June 3, 2002 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Ordinance on Fees and Charges;

Pursuant to Decree No. 178/2007/NĐ-CP dated December 3, 2007 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 32/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 19, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to the Decree No. 118/2008/NĐ-CP dated November 27, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training jointly issue regulations on the collection and use of examination and admission fees (admission fees) for universities and vocational colleges as follows:

I. SCOPE OF REGULATION AND APPLICABLE OBJECTS

1. Scope of application: This Circular regulates the collection and use of examination and admission fees (admission fees) for universities and vocational colleges, including: the subjects subject to fee collection, the level of fees, and the distribution, management, and use of collected funds.

2. Applicability: Candidates who actually register for admission examinations for vocational colleges, colleges, universities, and postgraduate studies at educational institutions within the national education system that must organize entrance examinations and admissions according to regulations.

II. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. Examination and admission fees (admission fees) for universities and vocational colleges are contributions from candidates participating in the admission examinations for vocational colleges, colleges, universities, and postgraduate studies at educational institutions within the national education system that must organize entrance examinations and admissions to ensure activities related to the admission process of relevant agencies and units directly involved in the admission process.

2. Departments, localities, and educational institutions within the national education system shall not independently establish and collect examination and admission fees for universities and vocational colleges contrary to the provisions of this Circular.

3. Examination and admission fees for universities and vocational colleges shall be collected at the prescribed levels, used for their intended purposes, and managed with frugality according to current financial regulations.

4. Examination and admission fees for universities and vocational colleges include: Fees for registration, examination, preliminary selection, admission, and entrance examinations.

III. SUBJECTS OF FEE COLLECTION AND LEVEL OF FEES

1. Subjects required to pay examination and admission fees (admission fees) for universities and vocational colleges as stipulated in Clause 2, Section III of this Circular include:

a) Candidates registering for and participating in admission examinations for higher education institutions at the university, college, and vocational college levels.

b) Candidates registering for and participating in admission examinations for postgraduate training.

c) Candidates registering for admission to overseas training funded by the state budget.

2. The level of examination and admission fees for universities and vocational colleges at educational institutions within the national education system is specified as follows:

a) Entrance examinations for universities, colleges, and vocational colleges:

a.1) Candidates eligible for direct admission or direct enrollment into universities and colleges: 15,000 (fifteen thousand) VND/application form. For candidates eligible for direct admission into vocational colleges and those applying for vocational college programs without entrance exams: 30,000 (thirty thousand) VND/application form (not applicable to vocational college programs with entrance exams).

a.2) Candidates registering for and participating in admission examinations for universities, colleges, and vocational colleges (for institutions conducting entrance exams):

- Registration for examination: 50,000 (fifty thousand) VND/application form.

b) Postgraduate admissions:

+ Preliminary selection for artistic and sports majors: 100,000 (one hundred thousand) VND/application form (including all subjects).

+ Preliminary selection for other majors: 40,000 (forty thousand) VND/application form (including all subjects).

- Doctoral candidate selection: 200,000 (two hundred thousand) VND/candidate.

+ Cultural examination: 30,000 (thirty thousand) VND/application form (including all subjects).

+ Artistic and sports examination: 200,000 (two hundred thousand) VND/application form (including all subjects).

b) Entrance examinations for postgraduate training:

- Registration for examination: 50,000 (fifty thousand) VND/candidate/application form.

- Postgraduate examination: 100,000 (one hundred thousand) VND/candidate/exam subject.

+ 8,000 (eight thousand) VND/application for applications for university and college examinations.

+ 4,000 (four thousand) VND/application for applications for vocational college admissions.

- Registration for admission: 200,000 (two hundred thousand) VND/candidate/application form.

3. Examination and admission fees (admission fees) for universities and vocational colleges shall be paid in Vietnamese Dong. Examination fees shall be submitted together with registration fees to the educational institution where the candidate registers for the examination; admission fees shall be submitted together with the admission application form to the educational institution where the candidate registers for admission; for educational institutions that conduct preliminary selection before the formal examination, candidates only need to pay examination fees after passing the preliminary selection round.

IV. DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT, AND USE OF COLLECTED FEES

1. Distribution of examination and admission fees for universities and vocational colleges:

a) All fees collected for registration for admission examinations at universities, colleges, and vocational colleges, and for direct admission or direct enrollment into vocational colleges by provincial Departments of Education and Training shall be distributed as follows:

- A portion shall be remitted to the Ministry of Education and Training to supplement funds for the implementation of admission work and other related work of the Ministry as follows:

+ 6,000 (six thousand) VND/application form for applications for admission examinations at universities, colleges, and vocational colleges (for vocational college programs with entrance exams).

+ 4,000 (four thousand) VND/application form for applications for admission into vocational colleges (for vocational college programs without entrance exams).

1. This circular takes effect from April 25, 2013, and applies to recruitment periods starting from 2013.

+ 7,000 (seven thousand) VND/application form for applications for admission examinations at universities, colleges, and vocational colleges (for vocational college programs with entrance exams).

+ 6,500 (six thousand five hundred) VND/application form for applications for admission into vocational colleges (for vocational college programs without entrance exams).

- The remaining fees collected for registration for admission examinations shall be transferred to the educational institution where the candidate registers for the examination.

- After allocating funds for enrollment activities at educational and training institutions, if the remaining amount from examination fees and application fees (enrollment fees) has not been fully utilized, it shall be deposited into the state budget in accordance with the provisions of the law.

b) The entire amount of registration fees collected for university, college, and vocational college entrance examinations directly by educational and training institutions shall be distributed as follows:

- A portion shall be remitted to the Ministry of Education and Training to supplement funds for the implementation of admission work and other related work of the Ministry as follows:

+ 6,000 (six thousand) VND/application form for applications for admission examinations at universities, colleges, and vocational colleges (for vocational college programs with entrance exams).

+ 4,000 (four thousand) VND/application form for applications for admission into vocational colleges (for vocational college programs without entrance exams).

- The remaining amount shall be allocated for enrollment activities at educational and training institutions.

- After allocating funds for enrollment activities at educational and training institutions, if the remaining amount from examination fees and application fees (enrollment fees) has not been fully utilized, it shall be deposited into the state budget in accordance with the provisions of the law.

c) The entire amount of examination fees for postgraduate education and overseas training funded by the state budget, collected and expended directly by agencies, units, and educational and training institutions organizing such examinations, shall be managed in accordance with the provisions of the law.

2. Utilization of Examination and Application Fees for University and Vocational College Entrance Examinations:

Agencies and units directly involved in enrollment activities may use the portion of the examination fees allocated according to Clause 1, Section IV of this Circular to cover expenses related to enrollment activities as specified below:

a) Organizing candidates to register for the examination and serving preparatory work for the examination, including:

- Expenses for implementing enrollment activities from the Ministry down to provincial departments and educational and training institutions;

- Expenses for meetings, training staff, inspections, and audits;

- Expenses for receiving and processing registration applications;

- Expenses for entering and processing data on computers;

- Expenses for preparing, printing, and securing examination questions;

- Expenses for renting examination rooms, transportation, medical care, drinking water, security, and office supplies;

- Expenses for printing examination notices and room lists;

- Expenses for public relations on mass media (including the Internet);

- Expenses for purchasing scratch paper, examination paper, and fee receipts;

- Other expenses directly related to organizing admission work.

b) Serving the examination process, including:

- Expenses for organizing examination supervision;

- Expenses for grading, rechecking, and reviewing grades;

- Expenses for preliminary screening, assessment, and summoning successful candidates;

- Expenses for printing scores and certificates of examination results;

- Expenses for verifying the results of successful candidates;

- Expenses for reviewing research and internship proposals;

- Expenses for public relations on mass media (including the Internet);

- Expenses for purchasing fee receipts and office supplies;

- Other expenses directly related to examination and selection activities.

The expenditure standards for the aforementioned items under Clause 2, Section IV of this Circular shall be established by the Ministry of Education and Training after obtaining written consensus from the Ministry of Finance.

3. Management of Examination and Application Fees for University and Vocational College Entrance Examinations:

Agencies and units directly involved in admission work shall be responsible for:

a) Publicly display the fee levels for university and vocational college entrance examinations at the collection points and collect fees strictly in accordance with the prescribed rates under Clause 2, Section III of this Circular. When collecting examination and application fees, issue a receipt to the payer in compliance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance. Receipts should be obtained from local tax authorities where the entity is headquartered (or self-printed receipts after agreement with the Provincial Tax Bureau) and managed and used in accordance with the receipt management system for fees and charges stipulated by the Ministry of Finance.

b) Agencies and units collecting fees must deposit all collected examination and application fees for university and vocational college entrance examinations into their temporary holding account titled "fees and charges" at the State Treasury within ten days.

c) Maintain accounting records and vouchers to track the collection and management of examination and application fees for university and vocational college entrance examinations in accordance with the Accounting System for Administrative and Public Institutions issued together with Decision No. 19/2006/QD-BTC dated March 30, 2006, of the Minister of Finance (for public educational and training institutions) and Circular No. 140/2007/TT-BTC dated November 30, 2007, of the Ministry of Finance (for non-public educational and training institutions). Recording income and expenditures from the state budget for examination and application fees of public educational and training institutions shall be carried out when the unit is assigned an annual budget revenue and expenditure plan regarding the amount of income and expenses for examinations and applications.

d) Each year, prepare a budget for the collection and expenditure of examination and application fees for university and vocational college entrance examinations concurrently with the financial budget. The preparation and implementation of the budget, as well as the management of collected funds, must comply with current financial regulations and be consolidated into periodic financial reports of the agency or unit according to the budget management hierarchy, ensuring transparency and democratic principles in financial matters.

đ) Balance the revenue sources to cover expenses for organizing university and vocational college entrance examinations. In cases where revenue is insufficient to cover expenses, educational and training institutions may use existing funds of the unit to cover enrollment expenses; for institutions tasked with overseas training using state budget funding, supplementary funding will be provided by the state budget.

The excess examination and admission fees for universities and vocational colleges (if any) shall be supplemented to the operating budget of the unit.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

1. This Circular shall take effect 45 days from the date of signature. The Joint Circular No. 28/2003/TTLT/BTC-BGD&ĐT dated April 4, 2003, issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training on the collection and use of examination and admission fees (admission fees) at educational institutions under the national education system, the Joint Circular No. 71/2004/TTLT/BTC-BGD&ĐT dated July 14, 2004, and the Joint Circular No. 69/2005/TTLT/BTC-BGD&ĐT dated August 29, 2005, amending and supplementing the Joint Circular No. 28/2003/TTLT/BTC-BGD&ĐT dated April 4, 2003, issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training on the collection and use of examination and admission fees (admission fees) at educational institutions under the national education system, are hereby abolished.

In the course of implementation, if there are any difficulties, it is recommended that agencies, units, and individuals report them to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training for research and resolution./.