The Director of Professional
Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science,
M.Baasanjav, met with administration officials of State-owned universities and
institutes on Wednesday to review how they are implementing the Government decision
to transfer 50 percent of school tuition fees from the Human Development Fund.
Some universities said they had taken the full fees before the Government
announced its decision and will now keep the amount due under new regulations
and return the rest to the student.

Director of University of
Health Science Ts.Lhagvasuren said, “Some media reports are   misrepresenting
events without checking facts with us. It is irresponsible to report that some
universities have raised tuition more than the inflation rate.” His university has
raised tuition fees by 13 percent over last year’s rates.

The Director of the National
University of Mongolia, S.Tumur-Ochir, said they had decided in the spring to
raise tuition fees but, instead of increasing them by the planned 20%, they
kept it at 13.4 percent, which was then the rate of inflation. This was in
accordance with the minister’s directive. Of the 16 branches of NUM, the
Institute of Trade and Industry has the highest tuition but this has not been
increased this year at all, as it was raised sharply last year.

He added that it was not
possible to follow the Government’s decision to raise salaries of teachers by
30 percent because the tuition fees are not being received in full. The NUM will
pay teachers 20 percent more in October and another 10 percent more in
November.

According to the principal
of Mongolian Education University, B.Jadamba, they have not taken full tuition
from even a single student, after raising fees by 13.7 percent.

D.Narantsetseg of The Mongolian
University of Science and Technology said their tuition fess have gone up 13.6
percent. Mining, engineering and construction faculties have the highest
tuition, with an average of MNT 517,000 for half a year. MUST has 13 schools
that offer 134 professional courses. Fees at the College of Construction that has
become part of MUST is MNT420,000.

The Principal of University
of Culture, E.Sonintogos, said they raised tuition by 20 percent on July 8 and
many students had already paid full tuition when the government decision became
known. Refund to students has begun and the fees are likely to be reduced.

B.Baasansukh of the
University of Agriculture said tuition per credit had been raised by 20 percent
to MNT34,000 last year but has now been brought down to MNT32,250 per credit,
which is 13% more than last year’s fees.