Circular 55/2020/TT-BTC training expenses management for international students

CIRCULAR

On guiding the management of the training expenses for international students under agreements on studying in Vietnam

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Pursuant to the Law on the State Budget dated June 25, 2015;

Pursuant to the Decree No. 163/2016/ND-CP dated December 21, 2016 of the Government on detailing a number of articles of the Law on the State Budget;

Pursuant to the Decree No. 87/2017/ND-CP dated July 26, 2017 of the Government on defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

At the proposal of Director General of the Department of Public Expenditure;

Minister of Finance promulgates the Circular on guiding the management of the training expenses for international students under agreements on studying in Vietnam.

Article 1. Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. Scope of regulation

This Circular guides the management of the training expenses for international students sent by the Governments of foreign countries to study in Vietnam as prescribed in the agreements on education and training between the State or the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the State or Governments of the other country (hereinafter referred collectively to asinternational students under agreements).

2. Subjects of application:

a) This Circular applies to educational institutions in Vietnam that traininternational studentsunder agreements; international students under agreements that are sent to study in Vietnam and related organizations and individuals.

b) This Circular does not apply to Laos and Cambodian students that are sent to study in Vietnam under agreements between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Laos Government and the Government of Cambodia.

Article 2. Interpretation of terms

In this Circular, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. Agreement on education and training: means a written agreement signed between a part being on behalf of the State or Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and a foreign contracting part in the field of education and training that gives rise to, changes or terminates rights, obligations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under international law, regardless of the name of the document as treaty, convention, agreement, compact, protocol, memorandum, diplomatic notes or its’ other names.

2. Educational institution in Vietnam that trains international students: educational institution that is legally operating in Vietnam and assigned by competent state agencies to train international students under agreements.

3. International students under agreements: are international students accepted to study in Vietnam and granted scholarships by Vietnamese Government according to the international treaties to which Vietnam is a contracting party, including graduate students, masters and postgraduate students, international students studying Vietnamese for admission exams to graduate and postgraduate levels, and international students of courses of training and improving professional knowledge with a training period of less than 12 months.

Article 3. Principles of managing the training expenses for international students under agreements

1. Sources of expenses for international students under agreements

a) State budget sources (budgets for education - training and vocational training in the central and local budgets according to the budget decentralization) shall be allocated to educational institutions as prescribed the Law on the State Budget;

b) Revenue from non-business activities of educational institutions;

c) Financial support and assistance of domestic and foreign organizations and individuals; socializing capital, legally mobilized capital and other revenue sources of educational institutions in accordance with law provisions.

2. Content of training expenses of international students under agreements

a) The educational institutions assigned by competent authorities to train international students under agreements use the expenses from the sources as prescribed in Point a, Clause 1, Article 3 of this Circular to cover the following contents: training the international students under agreement; supporting initial equipment for international students when they come to study in Vietnam; monthly subsistence expenses (scholarships) for international students during official study in Vietnam.

b) Encouraging educational institutions to use the sources specified at Points b and c, Clause 1, Article 3 of this Circular to spend on training international students under agreements.

3. For international students under agreements that don’t learn full-time program, the training expenses shall be calculated according to the number of months or the number of days (in case of less than 01 month) international students actually present to study in Vietnam.

4. Educational institutions shall take responsibility for managing and using the expenses for the right purposes, with efficiency, publicity, transparency, right regime.

5. The formulation of estimates and payment and finalization of training expenses of international students under agreements shall implement in accordance with law provisions.

Article 4. Training expenses for international students

1. Content of training expense for international students

a) Regular expenses include expenses for teaching and learning, including cost of interpretation, document translation (if any), expenses for field surveys of short-term improving courses (if any), accommodation expenses for international students.

b) One-time expenses for the whole course: financial support for equipment used for teaching, practice and equipment for living activities of international students in dormitories; sightseeing expenses; expenses for admission procedures; expenses for summation, end of course and thesis defense; expenses for gifts; expenses for welcoming and seeing off international students at Vietnam international airports.

c) Other expenses: health insurance for international students during their actual study in Vietnam (premium rate of health insurance accords with the provisions of law on health insurance for pupils and students); expenses for general medical examination at the beginning of the course, expenses for annual medical examination; expenses for the National Day of Vietnam and of the international students’ countries.

2. Spending norms for training for international students

a) Teaching Vietnamese to international students to attend undergraduate and postgraduate admission exams: VND 2,576,000/student/month;

b) Graduate and postgraduate training according to the law on education and training: VND 2,576,000/student/month;

c) Training courses to improve professional knowledge with training period of less than 12 months: VND 5,485,000/student/month;

d) Educational institutions of national defense, security, cipher, physical training sports, culture and arts are provided additionally with 10% of expenses for those at similar training system as prescribed in Points b and c, Clause 2, Article 4 of this Circular.

3. For specific spending norms of the spending items mentioned in Clause 1, Article 4 of this Circular: to apply educational institution s norms (if any) in accordance with the provisions of law; in the absence of specific norms, educational institutions may actively spend. The total expenses do not exceed the spending norms specified in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Circular.

4. If educational institutions don’t have enough accommodation conditions for international students, the educational institutions shall negotiate and sign contracts with suppliers to ensure accommodation of international students in accordance with the spending norms prescribed in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Circular.

Article 5. Expenses for support of initial equipment of international students

1. Content of expenses for support of initial equipment

a) As entry, international students shall receive one-time initial equipment support in cash to purchase necessary personal items for studying and stabilizing their life in Vietnam. Educational institutions shall directly provide these expenses for international students.

b) International students who have been supported with the initial equipment when studying Vietnamese for admission exam shall not be supported these items when they enter the official program.

2. Spending norms for support of initial equipment

a) For graduate international students, postgraduate international students and international students who study Vietnamese for graduate or postgraduate admission exam: VND 4,480,000/student;

b) For international students of training courses to improve professional knowledge for less than 12 months: VND 3,580,000/student;

c) International students of national defense, security and cipher are provided with additional military equipment worth VND 55,000/student/month.

Article 6. Subsistence expenses for international students

1. Content of subsistence expenses for international students

International students are provided with a subsistence allowance (scholarship) to help covering subsistence and studying expenses. This subsistence expenses is paid for 12 months/year during the official study duration in Vietnam. Educational institutions shall directly provide subsistence expenses to international students.

2. Spending norms of subsistence expenses

a) Graduate international students: VND 3,630,000/student/month;

b) Postgraduate international students: VND 4,110,000/student/month;

c) International students of training courses to improve professional knowledge for less than 12 months: VND 4,820,000/student;

d) International students who study Vietnamese for graduate admission exam: VND 2,460,000/student/month;

dd) Vietnamese students who study Vietnamese for postgraduate admission exam: VND 2,900,000/student/month;

Article 7. Effect

1. This Circular takes effect on July 30, 2020.

2. The Circular No. 133/2008/TT-BTC dated December 31, 2008 of the Ministry of Finance on guiding the management of the training expenses for international students under agreements on studying at universities in Vietnam ceases to be effective from the effective date of this Circular.

3. Any difficulty and problem arising in the course of implementation should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Finance for study and settlement.