Free public tuition, support for private students from the 2025-2026 school year

According to the Government , up to now, the state budget has exempted, reduced, and not collected tuition fees for 5 groups of subjects.

Specifically, tuition is exempted or supported for all 5-year-old preschool children (including children in private and non-public schools). Public primary school students do not have to pay tuition, and tuition is supported for primary school students in privateeducational institutions in areas without enough public schools.

The Government submitted to the National Assembly tuition exemption for preschool children and primary school students from the 2025-2026 school year.

PHOTO: TN

Exemption of tuition fees for secondary school students in extremely disadvantaged villages, communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, extremely disadvantaged communes in coastal and island areas according to regulations of competent authorities... Currently, there are 10 provinces and cities with policies to support preschool and general education tuition fees for the 2024-2025 school year for preschool children and general education students in the area.

In addition, from September 1, 2025, the number of secondary school students outside ethnic minority mountainous areas, especially disadvantaged areas, and coastal areas (including private schools) will be exempted from or supported with tuition fees.

However, according to the Ministry of Education and Training, there are still many preschool children under 5 years old, high school students, and people studying general education programs at educational institutions who still have to pay tuition fees.

Therefore, the resolution on tuition exemption and reduction will ensure fairness in access to education, gradually achieving the goal of universalizing 9-year education.

The Resolution adds subjects exempted from and supported to pay tuition fees, including: preschool children under 5 years old and high school students, and those studying general education programs. Resources for implementation come from the central and local budgets. After being approved by the National Assembly, it will be applied from the 2025-2026 school year.

Regarding policy impact, according to the Ministry of Education and Training, the country has 23.2 million students. The total funding requirement calculated based on the average minimum tuition fee of the three regions (urban, rural, mountainous) is about 30,600 billion VND (of which the public sector is 28,700 billion VND; the private sector is 1,900 billion VND).

The total state budget that has been and will be exempted, not collected, and supported tuition fees since September 1 according to current regulations is 22,400 billion VND (of which public sector is 21,800 billion VND; support for private sector is 600 billion VND).

The estimated additional state budget is 8,200 billion VND (public is 6,900 billion VND; private is 1,300 billion VND).

Giving its opinion on the review, the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society said that it basically agreed with the policy of exempting and supporting tuition fees for preschool children and public, private, and public secondary school students of the draft resolution.

Regarding the method of paying tuition support, the review agency also proposed that the Government study and regulate the payment of tuition support for this group of subjects by directly providing it to learners.

In addition, it is recommended to carefully assess the budget balancing capacity of localities, especially localities with difficult socio-economic conditions; add the implementation budget for students studying the General Education Program at continuing education institutions and other educational institutions to the total state budget demand to implement tuition exemption and support from the 2025-2026 school year for the subjects according to the draft.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mien-hoc-phi-cong-lap-ho-tro-hoc-sinh-tu-thuc-tu-nam-hoc-2025-2026-18525052123505035.htm