Tuition fees are officially waived for public school students.

This afternoon (June 26), the National Assembly passed a Resolution on tuition fee exemption and support for preschool children, primary and secondary school students, and learners in general education programs in educational institutions within the national education system.

Officially waiving tuition fees for public school students, providing tuition support for private schools. (Source: National Assembly )

The resolution takes effect from the date of its adoption by the National Assembly and will be applied from the 2025-2026 academic year.

According to the Resolution, tuition fees will be waived or subsidized for preschool children, primary and secondary school students, and learners in general education programs who are Vietnamese citizens or people of Vietnamese origin whose nationality has not been determined and who are living in Vietnam, in educational institutions belonging to the national education system.

The resolution stipulates that tuition fees will be waived for preschool children, primary and secondary school students, and learners enrolled in general education programs at public educational institutions.

Tuition fee support is provided to preschool children, primary and secondary school students, and learners in general education programs at private and non-governmental educational institutions. The amount of tuition fee support is decided by the Provincial/City People's Council based on the tuition fee framework stipulated by the Government , but it must not exceed the tuition fee charged by the private or non-governmental educational institution.

The resolution states that the funding for the policy of tuition fee exemption and support is guaranteed by the state budget in accordance with the law on budget management decentralization.

The central government provides support to localities that have not yet balanced their budgets to implement the policy of tuition fee exemption and support as prescribed by law.

The government stated that the policy of tuition fee exemption in the resolution fully covers preschool children from 3 months to 6 years old, primary and secondary school students (grades 1 to 12), and those studying general education programs in educational institutions within the national education system.

With the view of ensuring equal and equitable access to education, and "leaving no one behind," waiving or subsidizing tuition fees for all children and students is also a political responsibility and a determination of the Party and the State in caring for the younger generation, the future of the country.

This regulation is consistent with the authority and socio-economic conditions, as well as the budgetary capacity of each locality, avoiding disparities and imbalances between localities in terms of tuition fee support levels.

The provincial People's Council is tasked with deciding on the level of support, ensuring that it is not lower than the minimum level, does not exceed the maximum level (according to the framework stipulated by the Government), and the support level does not exceed the tuition fees of private and non-governmental educational institutions.

Students in public schools are officially exempt from tuition fees. (Photo: Ngoc Long)

By 2030, 100% of localities will have achieved universal preschool education standards.

Later that same day, the National Assembly passed a Resolution on universal preschool education for children aged 3 to 5. Accordingly, by 2030, 100% of provinces and centrally-administered cities must achieve the standard of universal preschool education for children in this age group.

Universal education will be implemented according to a roadmap, in line with the socio-economic development conditions of each locality, ensuring that the criteria for universal education are met as prescribed. The State will invest in developing the network of schools and classrooms; ensuring that facilities, teaching equipment, and the teaching staff are sufficient in quantity and meet quality requirements.

The resolution requires ensuring appropriate policies and benefits for children aged 3 to 5, as well as for administrators, teachers, and staff in preschools. Simultaneously, it calls for mobilizing social resources to participate in the development of preschool education; prioritizing investment in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, ethnic minority regions, mountainous areas, border regions, islands, densely populated areas, and areas with industrial zones and export processing zones.

Funding for implementation will be guaranteed by the state budget; the central budget will provide support to localities that have not yet balanced their resources for implementation.

At the end of 2024, during a group discussion in the National Assembly, General Secretary To Lam affirmed that the State's universal education policy aims to ensure that all children have access to schooling and opportunities for learning. This process is implemented step by step, starting from primary school and then expanding to higher levels. The State not only creates conditions for children to attend school but also aims to provide financial support, such as tuition fee waivers and free meals.

On February 28, 2025, the Politburo decided that students from preschool to high school in public schools nationwide would be exempt from tuition fees starting from the 2025-2026 school year, after reviewing the Government's report on the financial balance during and after the streamlining of the political system's organizational structure.

Each year, there are approximately 23 million preschool and primary/secondary school children nationwide. According to current regulations, tuition fees for preschool students range from 50,000 to 540,000 VND per month; for primary and secondary school students, from 50,000 to 650,000 VND per month, depending on the grade level, urban or rural area, ethnic minority group, and mountainous region. The specific tuition fees for each locality are decided by the People's Council and are within the framework set by the Government.

The government estimates the total cost for implementing the policy of tuition fee exemption and support for students from preschool to grade 12 nationwide to be 30,600 billion VND. The projected budget for tuition fee exemption for 5-year-old preschool children, primary and secondary school students in the 2025-2026 school year is 22,500 billion VND. To fully implement the policy of expanding tuition fee exemption and support as concluded by the Politburo, the state budget needs an additional 8,200 billion VND.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chinh-thuc-mien-hoc-phi-cho-hoc-sinh-cong-lap-319046.html