Joint Circular No. 53/1998/TTLT/BGD&DT-BTC-BLDTBXH guiding the implementation of scholarship and social assistance regimes for students at public training institutions.

CIRCULAR

JOINT CIRCULAR NO. 53/1998/TT-LT/BGDĐT-BTC-BLDTBXH OF AUGUST 25, 1998 ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING - MINISTRY OF FINANCE - MINISTRY OF LABOR - INVALIDS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS GUIDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE REGIME FOR STUDENTS IN PUBLICLY FUNDED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Implementing Decision No. 1121/1997/QĐ-TTg dated December 23, 1997 of the Prime Minister regarding scholarships and social assistance for students in publicly funded educational institutions, the Joint Circular of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs guiding the implementation of scholarship and social assistance regime for students in publicly funded educational institutions is hereby issued as follows:

PART I. REGARDING SCHOLARSHIPS

 I. ENCOURAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS (ES)

1. Recipients and Scope of Application of Encouragement Scholarships.

Encouragement scholarships are granted based on academic performance and conduct of students to encourage them to achieve good results.

The recipients of encouragement scholarships are regular full-time students in public educational institutions who have achieved academic performance and conduct at least satisfactory-good levels:

- Students with satisfactory academic performance and conduct are those with an expanded weighted average score (EWAS) from 7 to less than 8 points, without any test scores below 5 (taking the first test score) and not having been disciplined with a warning or higher.

- Students with good academic performance and conduct are those with an EWAS from 8 to less than 9 points, without any test scores below 5 (taking the first test score) and not having been disciplined with a warning or higher.

- Students with excellent academic performance and conduct are those with an EWAS of 9 points or above, without any test scores below 5 (taking the first test score) and not having been disciplined with a warning or higher.

2. Amount of Encouragement Scholarships.

Based on the full scholarship amount of 120,000 VND/month for university and college students and 110,000 VND/month for vocational high school and vocational training students, depending on their current classification of academic performance and conduct, students will receive the following amounts of encouragement scholarships:

- For satisfactory performance, they receive 120,000 VND/month for university and college students and 110,000 VND/month for vocational high school and vocational training students.

- For good performance, they receive 180,000 VND/month for university and college students and 165,000 VND/month for vocational high school and vocational training students.

- For excellent performance, they receive 240,000 VND/month for university and college students and 220,000 VND/month for vocational high school and vocational training students.

II. POLICY SCHOLARSHIPS (PS)

1. Recipients and Scope of Application of Policy Scholarships.

a. University students in special recruitment programs (studying in separate classes approved by authorized agencies) for highland and deep regions (the list of communes, wards, and towns in highland and deep regions recognized and promulgated by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas according to Decision No. 42/UB-QĐ dated May 23, 1997), trained at state expense.

b. Students in preparatory universities for ethnic minorities.

c. Students in boarding schools for ethnic minorities.

d. Students with disabilities studying at central vocational schools for war invalids and people with disabilities (who do not receive salary and living expenses while studying), managed by the Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs sector.

2. Amount of Policy Scholarships.

The policy scholarship is uniformly 120,000 VND/month.

If students eligible for policy scholarships achieve satisfactory-good academic performance and conduct, in addition to the monthly policy scholarship, they will also receive additional awards for encouragement based on the scholarship budget with specific amounts as follows:

+ 30% of the full encouragement scholarship amount if they achieve satisfactory performance,

+ 80% of the full encouragement scholarship amount if they achieve good performance,

+ 120% of the full encouragement scholarship amount if they achieve excellent performance.

PART II. ON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

I. OBJECTS AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

The objects entitled to social assistance are students enrolled in public schools under regular centralized long-term programs within the following categories:

1. Students who are ethnic minorities residing in mountainous areas. The basis for identifying ethnic minority individuals is their original birth certificate, or their parents' marriage certificate (if the original birth certificate is lost), which must indicate that either the father or mother is an ethnic minority individual. Ethnic minority individuals in mountainous areas are those who have continuously lived in mountainous regions or have permanent residence registration in mountainous areas for at least three years (as of the time of enrollment in the training institution).

2. Students who are orphans without any support. These are individuals without a formal guardian and without a regular source of support (students must present a confirmation letter from the district, county, or town-level veterans and social affairs authority based on the recommendation of the commune or ward where the student resides).

3. Students who are disabled according to the provisions of the State in Decree No. 81/CP dated November 23, 1995, those facing economic difficulties with labor capacity reduced by 41% or more due to disability, confirmed by a competent medical board (medical examination procedures follow the guidelines set out in Circular No. 34/TT-LB dated December 29, 1993 issued by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health). Such students must present a medical examination report and an economic hardship confirmation from the People's Committee of the commune or ward.

4. Students from families classified as poverty reduction targets, facing significant economic hardships and overcoming difficulties to study (must present a poverty household certification issued by the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs).

Students eligible for social assistance must submit an application for social assistance and provide all required documents as stipulated before being considered for social assistance by the school.

II. AMOUNT OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

The amount of social assistance is 100,000 VND/month.

If students belonging to the category entitled to social assistance achieve academic results and discipline performance rated as good or excellent, they will receive additional educational encouragement awards from scholarship funds, with specific levels as follows:

- Equal to 30% of the full scholarship amount if they achieve a good rating,

- Equal to 80% of the full scholarship amount if they achieve an excellent rating,

- Equal to 120% of the full scholarship amount if they achieve a distinguished rating.

PART III. STUDENTS AND STUDENTS IN THE CATEGORY OF POLICY BENEFITS

1. Students benefiting from policy benefits under Article 66 of Decree No. 28/CP dated April 29, 1995 of the Government, if they achieve academic results and discipline performance rated as good or excellent, will receive additional educational encouragement awards from scholarship funds, with specific levels as follows:

- Equal to 40% of the full scholarship amount if they achieve a good rating,

- Equal to 90% of the full scholarship amount if they achieve an excellent rating,

- Equal to 140% of the full scholarship amount if they achieve a distinguished rating.

2. Students benefiting from policy benefits under Article 66 of Decree No. 28/CP dated April 29, 1995 of the Government, but also receiving scholarships and social assistance (as stipulated in Clause b of Article 1 and Article 2 of Decision No. 1121/1997/QĐ-TTg dated December 23, 1997) shall only be entitled to one benefit at the highest level.

PART IV. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

Scholarships and social allowances are budgeted separately into two items and consolidated into the annual state education and training expenditure budget.

Based on the annual student enrollment quotas assigned by the State and in accordance with scholarship and social allowance issuance regulations, educational institutions organize the review and registration of students eligible for policy scholarships and social allowances, and estimate the number of students to be awarded academic encouragement scholarships and awards. These estimates are used to prepare the scholarship and social allowance expenditure budget, which is then integrated into the annual state education and training expenditure budget of the unit, submitted to the supervising authority for examination and consolidation to establish the annual budget to be sent to the financial authority. After receiving the annual budget allocation, educational institutions prepare detailed expenditure budgets, including scholarship and social allowance expenditure budgets, submitted to the financial authority as the basis for disbursement, concurrently submitted to the State Treasury for payment and expenditure control.

Students studying multiple fields or schools simultaneously, if meeting the conditions, can only receive one scholarship or one social allowance from one field or one school.

Academic encouragement scholarship reviews are conducted after each semester. This scholarship is issued monthly and for eleven months annually. For the final semester of the program, immediately following the release of academic performance and discipline results, the educational institution must conduct a comprehensive review to issue the full academic encouragement scholarship and award to the students of that semester.

Policy scholarships are issued monthly and for twelve months annually.

Social allowances are issued monthly and for twelve months annually.

Academic encouragement awards are issued monthly and for eleven months annually, together with scholarships and social allowances.

(Specific scholarship amounts for each category are attached as an appendix).

Based on general regulations and the situation of the school, the Rector issues a decision to establish a Scholarship and Social Allowance Review Board. The Board consists of representatives from relevant departments, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and the Student Association, chaired by the Rector or Deputy Rector.

The issuance of academic encouragement scholarships must be promptly conducted immediately after the release of academic performance and discipline results of each semester.

The preparation, disbursement, and settlement of scholarship and social allowance budgets are carried out according to current financial regulations.

Staff members dispatched to study who were previously receiving living expenses at public schools before Decision No. 1121/1997/QĐ-TTg dated December 23, 1997 of the Prime Minister on scholarships and social allowances will continue to receive living expenses until the completion of their program.

For staff members dispatched to study after January 1, 1998, salary payments are regulated as follows: staff members dispatched to study with continuous service of three years or more will have their salaries paid by the dispatching agency, and upon graduation, they will return to the dispatching agency for work; staff members with less than three years of continuous service will not have their salaries paid by the agency but will receive academic encouragement scholarships according to the stipulated system.

PART V. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

1. This Circular shall take effect from January 1, 1998.

In 1998, the scholarship fund and social assistance fund will be taken from the budget for education and training activities in 1998 that has been allocated.

2. The provisions of this Circular replace the relevant provisions on scholarship and social assistance for students in public training institutions set forth in the following documents: Joint Circular No. 19/TT-LB dated September 16, 1989 of the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Industry and the Ministry of Finance regarding scholarships and living expenses for students at universities, colleges, vocational schools, and technical schools; Circular No. 18/TT-BĐH dated September 18, 1989 of the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Industry guiding "scholarships and living expenses for students at universities, colleges, and vocational schools and technical schools"; Joint Circular No. 25/TT-LB dated September 15, 1990 of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Finance regarding guidance on implementing Decisions No. 72/HĐBT and No. 253/CT of the Council of Ministers on scholarships for students at teacher training schools and mountainous area students; Circular No. 21/TT dated September 15, 1990 guiding the provision of scholarships to students at teacher training schools and mountainous area students; and Circular No. 7322/HS-SV dated November 23, 1993 of the Ministry of Education and Training temporarily adjusting full scholarships and living expenses.

During implementation, if any difficulties arise, they should be reported to the relevant ministries for study and resolution.

NEW SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNTS FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS

Appendix to the Joint Circular No. 53/1998/TT-LT/BGD&ĐT-BTC-BLĐ-TB&XH dated August 25, 1998

Full scholarship amount for encouraging academic performance of 120,000 VND/month for university and college students

Full scholarship amount for encouraging academic performance of 110,000 VND/month for vocational high school and technical school students