Ms. Nguyen Thi Man, 40 years old, from Ngoc Trao commune (Thanh Hoa province) currently works as a garment worker at Bim Son Industrial Park (Quang Trung ward, Thanh Hoa province).
Ms. Man said that she has been a garment worker for 10 years, her current income is about 10 million VND/month. Her husband and friends organize wedding services, with an income of about 8 million VND/month. The total income of the couple is about 18 million VND per month.
Ms. Man and her husband have 2 children, the eldest child just passed the Hong Duc University (Thanh Hoa) entrance exam, the youngest child is in 9th grade this year. Ms. Man just paid 20 million VND in tuition fees for the whole school year for her eldest child.
My child's tuition fee each month accounts for about 20% of my salary. This year, my eldest child passed university, my husband and I are both happy and worried about saving spending, balancing expenses to have money for our child to study far from home with many incurred expenses," Ms. Man said.
Also according to Ms. Man, tuition fees are only a part of the cost when her child goes to school far from home. Her child also has to spend money on rent, food, living expenses... She determines that the total cost for her child going to school will cover all of her husband's income.
The whole family balances spending, wrapped up in my salary and also has to save money to take care of my young children's education," Ms. Man shared.
Ms. Man added that before her eldest child enrolled in school, she followed her child to the city and had to spend nearly 6 million VND to buy many personal items for her child. To avoid borrowing money, in the August 2026 salary period, Ms. Man combined savings to try to prepare for her child a full opening ceremony.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Dung, worker of group 2, garment workshop, Chien Thang Branch - MTV 19. 5 Co., Ltd., Ministry of Public Security (An Ninh Industrial Park, Son Dong commune, Hanoi) also has a salary of more than 10 million VND/month.
This school year, Ms. Dung's eldest child just enrolled in university, and the second child is in 7th grade. To have money to pay tuition fees per semester for her child, Ms. Dung saves money and expects additional welfare expenses from the company every time she receives a salary in September or October every year.
My child pays tuition fees per semester, each semester is about 20 million VND. Fortunately, my young child in 7th grade is exempt from tuition fees, so I am somewhat relieved," Ms. Dung expressed.
Ms. Ngo Thi Loan, born in 1981, is currently the Head of the Garment Team, Central Enterprise (19.5 MTV Co., Ltd.) and her eldest child is in his 4th year of university, and the second child is in 5th grade.
According to Ms. Loan, her eldest child has to pay tuition fees of more than 10 million VND each semester; tuition fees for the whole year are more than 20 million VND.
For workers and laborers like us, everyone tries to educate their children properly to have jobs and stable incomes. For my family, with only 1 child studying at university, it is even lighter.
Many of my colleagues have 2 children studying at university together, tuition fees cost more than 4 million VND per month. While the total income of both parents is less than 20 million VND/month, life is very difficult, basic spending," Ms. Loan said.
