Pham Van Long, the former principal of Hanoi Tourism College, is currently facing trial for his involvement in the misappropriation of funds allocated for 984 students participating in the A80 event. The trial, which began on August 24, includes Long and two of his subordinates, Nguyen Tuan Ngoc and Nguyen Van Sang, who are charged with abusing their positions while executing public duties.

The investigation revealed that in November, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism approved a budget of over 1.9 billion VND for the students' participation in A80. Following this approval, Ngoc instructed Sang to prepare the necessary documentation for the financial settlement. However, the documentation submitted by Sang was incomplete, lacking the specific amount of money received.

After the students signed for their funds, Sang allegedly added amounts to the documentation based on the costs of training sessions. This inflated financial report was then submitted to the school's financial department for settlement, claiming a total of over 1.9 billion VND, which equated to approximately 1.96 million VND per student.

Before disbursing the funds to the students, Sang reported to Ngoc that approximately 924 million VND would be allocated to the 984 students, which translates to about 940,000 VND per individual. Additionally, over 800 million VND was earmarked for food expenses during training sessions. The remaining balance of over 202 million VND was retained by the accused for future allocations to school staff.

Authorities have determined that Long, Ngoc, and Sang conspired to exploit their positions in the distribution of funds intended for the students, leading to significant dissatisfaction among the student body and damaging the institution's reputation. Students from Hanoi Tourism College expressed their outrage, noting that they received only 940,000 VND for their participation, while students from other institutions received between 1.6 and 2.2 million VND.

In a dialogue with students on December 1, 2025, Long referred to the situation as a mere oversight, attributing it to a misunderstanding among the students. The trial is ongoing, and further developments are anticipated.