HCM City (VNS/VNA) - A number of dorms atuniversities in Ho Chi Minh City have set up programmes to offer free orlow-cost dormitory rooms for eligible students.
Students from poor families such as Nguyen Minh Nghia from theMekong Delta province of Dong Thap are given first priority.
“My brother and I study at university, but my family is too poorto afford the costs for our tuition and accommodation,” Nghia said.
Nghia, a second-year student at the HCM City University ofArchitecture, studies at a branch campus in the outlying district of Thu Ducnear Binh Duong province.
During his freshman year, he stayed at one of the 44 dormsbelonging to the Vietnam National University-HCM City at a discounted rate. Hetook a bus every day to his university.
Nghia is now living at Co May Dormitory, founded by the late PhamVan Ben, a humanitarian and businessman whose mission was to help thedisadvantaged attend university.
The dormitory is located on the campus of Nong Lam University inThu Duc district. This year, free accommodations will be given to 100 newstudents at universities in HCM City.
To qualify, the students must have a high score on the NationalHigh School Graduation Examination and show that their family is unable to pay.
The 44 dormitories belonging to the Vietnam NationalUniversity-HCM City have a total of 52,000 spaces in a variety of rooms. Theyalso have yards for playing sports and green outdoor areas, as well as canteensand outside food areas.
The Management Centre for Dormitories said the monthly price for aroom containing eight students in the 2017-2018 academic year is 130,000 VND (5.7USD) per student.
Students who share rooms with five others pay 175,000 VND a montheach. Four students sharing an air-conditioned room pay 540,000 VND monthly,and 325,000 VND for an un-air-conditioned room.
Besides these dorms, the HCM City University of Technology andEducation has two dorms that can accommodate 2,800 students in districts 9 andThu Duc.
Priority is given to children of families covered by Statepolicies, or to those whose families are poor, or to female students. Theprices are 230,000 VND to 340,000 monthly per student.
The University of Transport and Communication’s branch in District9 has a dormitory that provides accommodations for 1,024 students.
Students at universities in the city’s inner districts can applyfor one of the 1,000 spaces at 135A Tran Hung Dao Dormitory in District 1 for 150,000VND per month
Priority is given to children of families covered by Statepolicies. For students who are not given priority, the cost is 200,000 VND permonth.
Other dorms that follow the low-cost policy are in District 5. Aseven-storey dormitory at 43-45 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street houses 800 students,while HCM City University of Technology has a modern dorm with more than 2,500rooms in District 10.
Do Thi Minh of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, whose son attends the HCMCity University of Technology and Education, said the dorm was a safer optionthan a rented room.-VNA