Who is exempted from tuition fees for the 2025-2026 school year?

The Decree consists of 6 chapters and 29 articles regulating tuition fee framework, tuition fee collection and management mechanism, tuition fee exemption, reduction and support policies, support for study costs in educational institutions in the national education system and service prices in the field of education and training.

Regulations on tuition fee framework (floor - ceiling) or tuition fee ceiling of all levels and tuition fee roadmap inherit the provisions of Decree No. 81/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 97/2023/ND-CP.

The goal is to ensure stable tuition policy, create initiative and convenience for learners, educational institutions and management agencies, and at the same time implement a roadmap to gradually compensate for salary costs, direct costs, management costs and depreciation of fixed assets, and other costs according to regulations of the law on prices.

In addition to inheriting previous regulations, Decree 238/2025/ND-CP supplements and provides specific guidance according to Resolution No. 217/2025/QH15: (1) exempting tuition fees for preschool children, primary school students, and students studying general education programs at public educational institutions; (2) supporting tuition fees for preschool children, primary school students, and students studying general education programs at private educational institutions at a level prescribed by the Provincial People's Council, but not exceeding the tuition fees of private educational institutions.

The new Decree also adds policies to encourage the development of high-quality human resources, meeting the human resource needs for new occupations and economic breakthroughs according to Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW such as: Article 14 "Students studying specialized majors that meet the requirements of socio-economic development, national defense and security according to the provisions of the Law on Higher Education. The list of specialized majors is prescribed by the Government and the Prime Minister" and Clause 11, Article 15 "Students who are subjects of programs and projects are exempted from tuition fees according to the provisions of the Government and the Prime Minister".

The method of implementing tuition exemption and support for learners is regulated in the direction of maximum administrative procedure reform, specifically: preschool children and high school students do not need to submit applications for tuition exemption and support; at the same time, it is regulated the method of handling administrative procedures through exploiting electronic data available in the National Population Database, other specialized databases and adding the form of submitting documents through the national public service portal to facilitate learners.

Implemented from the 2025 - 2026 school year

Pursuant to Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP, the Government assigns ministries, central agencies, local authorities and educational institutions to urgently prepare sufficient conditions and resources to implement policies on tuition fees, exemption, reduction, support for tuition fees, support for study costs and service prices in the field of education and training from the 2025-2026 school year, ensuring full and timely implementation.

Accordingly, those who do not have to pay tuition fees are those studying specialized majors that meet the requirements of socio-economic development, national defense and security as prescribed by the Law on Higher Education. The list of specialized majors is prescribed by the Government and the Prime Minister.

Tuition exemption subjects include:

1. Preschool children, general education students, and students of general education programs (students studying regular secondary education programs and students studying regular high school education programs) in public educational institutions in the national education system.

2. Subjects as prescribed in the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for People with Revolutionary Contributions if they are studying at educational institutions in the national education system.

3. Students in vocational and higher education institutions who are disabled.

4. Students aged 16 to 22 who are studying for a first degree in higher education are eligible for monthly social allowances as prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2, Article 5 of Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021 of the Government on social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries. Students of intermediate and college levels who are orphans of both parents and have no one to rely on as prescribed by the Law on Vocational Education.

5. Students of the nomination system (including students of nomination for vocational boarding with a training period of 3 months or more) according to Government regulations on nomination for admission to higher education and vocational education institutions in the national education system.

6. Students of preparatory schools, preparatory departments.

7. Students studying at vocational and higher education institutions who are ethnic minorities and whose father or mother or both father and mother or grandparents (in case of living with grandparents) are from poor or near-poor households according to regulations of the Prime Minister.

8. Students majoring in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought.

9. Postgraduate students with master's, doctoral, level I specialist, level II specialist, resident physician specializing in psychiatry, pathology, forensic medicine, forensic psychiatry, infectious diseases and emergency resuscitation at public educational institutions in the health sector.

10. Ethnic minority students with very few people according to Government regulations on policies for preschool children, ethnic minority students with very few people in areas with difficult or especially difficult socio-economic conditions according to current regulations of competent authorities.

11. Students who are eligible for programs and projects are exempted from tuition fees according to regulations of the Government and the Prime Minister.

12. Junior high school graduates continue to study at intermediate level.

13. Students at intermediate and college levels, for fields and professions that are difficult to recruit but are in demand by society according to the list prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training.

14. Students of specialized majors and occupations that meet the requirements of socio-economic development, national defense and security as prescribed by the Law on Vocational Education. Specialized majors and occupations are prescribed by the Government and the Prime Minister.

In addition, the decree stipulates subjects eligible for tuition reduction and tuition support from 50-70%.