Students of public and private schools receive tuition support.

The Government has just issued Decree 238/2025/ND-CP regulating policies on tuition fees, exemptions, reductions, tuition support, support for learning costs and service prices in the field of education and training. Accordingly, students of private schools are also supported with tuition fees.

This Decree takes effect from September 3, 2025, replacing Government Decrees 81/2021/ND-CP and 97/2023/ND-CP. The Decree consists of 6 chapters and 29 articles.

According to this new Decree, the regulations on tuition fee frameworks (floor and ceiling levels) or tuition fee ceilings for different educational levels, and the tuition fee roadmap, inherit the provisions of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP and Decree 97/2023/ND-CP.

In addition to inheriting previous regulations, the new decree supplements and provides specific guidance in accordance with Resolution No. 217/2025/QH15, such as waiving tuition fees for preschool children, primary and secondary school students, and learners in general education programs at public educational institutions.

Additionally, the decree specifies the categories of people eligible for tuition fee support, including:

- Preschool children, primary and secondary school students, and learners in general education programs (students enrolled in continuing education programs at the lower and upper secondary levels) in private and non-governmental educational institutions within the national education system.

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

According to the Decree, the State directly provides tuition fee exemptions, reductions, and support to eligible students studying in private and non-profit educational institutions within the national education system as follows:

- The level of tuition fee support for students at private preschools, private primary and secondary schools, and private schools implementing the general education program is regulated by the Provincial/City People's Council according to the Government's tuition fee framework, but shall not exceed the tuition fee level of private institutions.

- The amount of tuition fee exemption and reduction granted to students at private vocational education institutions and private higher education institutions shall be based on the actual tuition fees of the training institution for each ngành (field of study) and chuyên ngành (specialization), but shall not exceed the tuition fee ceiling of public vocational education and higher education institutions that have not yet become self-sufficient in covering their operating expenses, corresponding to each ngành (field of study) and khối ngành (group of fields of study) as stipulated in Articles 9 and 10 of this Decree.

Illustration photo: Thanh Hung.

The method for providing tuition fee exemptions and support to students is also regulated with a view to maximizing administrative procedure reform. Specifically, preschool children and primary and secondary school students do not need to submit applications for tuition fee exemptions or support; at the same time, the regulations stipulate that administrative procedures will be handled through the exploitation of electronic data already available in the National Population Database and other specialized databases, and the option of submitting applications through the national public service portal will be added to facilitate students.

To be implemented starting from the 2025-2026 school year.

The decree clearly defines the state management authority, the principles for determining prices, the pricing roadmap, and clarifies the content of services supporting educational activities to ensure uniformity in implementation.

Based on Decree 238/2025/ND-CP, the Government assigns ministries, central agencies, local authorities, and educational institutions to urgently prepare all necessary conditions and resources to implement policies on tuition fees, tuition fee exemptions, reductions, and support, as well as support for learning costs and service prices in the field of education and training, starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, ensuring full and timely implementation.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hoc-sinh-truong-dan-lap-tu-thuc-duoc-ho-tro-hoc-phi-2439305.html