Tuition-free, what fees do students still have to pay in the new school year?

Although tuition fees are exempted from the new school year 2025, students still have to pay other fees.

At the meeting on February 28, the Politburo decided to exempt all tuition fees for students from kindergarten to high school nationwide. The implementation time is from the beginning of the new school year 2025-2026 (from September 2025 onwards).

This means that parents do not have to pay tuition fees for their children in the coming school year. However, other fees must still be fully paid. Below are some fees that schools are allowed to collect and that parents must pay at the beginning of the new school year.

Even though tuition is exempted, students still have to pay other fees in the new school year. (Illustration photo)

Uniform

Pursuant to Article 9, Circular 26/2009, the budget for sewing, purchasing, renting, and borrowing uniforms and ceremonial costumes is taken from the school's regular expenditure budget, contributions from students or other legal sources of income and must be publicly disclosed.

Thus, the school is allowed to collect money for the student uniform list and parents must contribute in full.

Student health insurance

According to the Law on Health Insurance, students are required to participate in health insurance.

Meanwhile, Decree No. 188/2025 of the Government details and guides the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, including the content of increasing the level of health insurance support for students from 30% to a minimum of 50%.

Currently, the monthly health insurance premium for students is calculated at 4.5% of the basic salary. The current basic salary is 2,340,000 VND/month.

The health insurance premium for each student in one year is 4.5% x 2,340,000 x 12 months = 1,263,600 VND/year.

From the next school year, when implementing the new minimum support level of 50% from the state budget, students will pay a maximum of 631,800 VND/year.

Some other income

In addition, parents must pay a number of separate fees collected according to the agreement between the school and parents in each locality, or collected according to the Resolution of the People's Council of each province/city. These fees include: Meals, boarding care, boarding equipment, class fund, school supplies for preschool children, drinking water.

Previously, schools were allowed to collect tuition fees from students according to Circular 17/2012 of the Ministry of Education and Training promulgating regulations on extra teaching and learning. However, in the content of Circular 29/2024 recently issued to replace the old circular, the Ministry of Education and Training stipulates that schools are not allowed to collect tuition fees from students, and the cost of organizing extra teaching is taken from the budget.

Kim Anh

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/mien-hoc-phi-hoc-sinh-van-phai-dong-nhung-khoan-tien-nao-trong-nam-hoc-moi-ar960493.html