Freshmen to universities with financial autonomy have called on the universities to publicise tuition fees so that they and their families can manage the sum actively.

A local newspaper on Friday reported that some universities “forget” to publicise tuition fees, which made students and their families confused and worried about transparency at the universities.

Trần Thu Hiền, from Hà Nội’s Sóc Sơn District, said on the Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper her daughter was enrolled in Electric Power University but her family was not sure about the tuition fees there.

“Some volunteer students told me about it when we arrived at the university for the first time,” she said.

Another mother Trần Thị Ngoãn from northern Hưng Yên Province was astonished when hearing about the tuition fee of VNĐ13 million (US$584) per year, and that it will possibly increase yearly at the Việt Nam University of Commerce where her son would study.

“We do farming. The tuition fee will add a financial burden we have to manage,” she said.

In the middle of last month, second-year students at the National Economics University were shocked when the university announced a 30 per cent increase in tuition fees in the coming academic year.

The university’s vice principal Phạm Hồng Chương said that the university that has been granted autonomy can adjust tuition fees to balance its funding and spending.

He admitted that tuition fee information was posted on its news board, but not yet on its website.

A Government resolution in 2014 allows 14 public universities nationwide to join a pilot autonomy programme until 2017 including Electric Power University, Hà Nội University, HCM City Economic University, the Foreign Trade University and the National Economics University.

Universities with autonomy, for example, have the right to use tuition fees as well as funds from enterprises and the Government without asking permission from the Ministry of Education and Training.

The universities also have the right to make decisions on human resources and organisational structure. They were allowed to collect higher tuition fees than tertiary institutions without autonomy.

The newspaper reported that few universities posted tuition fee information online or in brochures despite the fact that students are encouraged to apply for university courses online.