Tuition fees will be waived starting from the 2025 academic year.

TP - The policy of waiving tuition fees for public school students nationwide is eagerly awaited and highly appreciated by the people. Experts hope to ensure a decent standard of living for teachers, and major cities need to ensure sufficient school places for students.

TP - The policy of waiving tuition fees for public school students nationwide is eagerly awaited and highly appreciated by the people. Experts hope to ensure a decent standard of living for teachers, and major cities need to ensure sufficient school places for students.

Investing for the future

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Hong, Principal of Chuong Duong Secondary School in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, shared that the school is located in a riverside area, so the students' circumstances are diverse. Despite being in an inner-city district, about 10% of the school's students are from disadvantaged backgrounds, with 1% (8-10 students) unable to pay tuition fees. The teachers and staff work together to support these students with tuition fees so they can focus on their studies. According to Ms. Van Hong, with the tuition fee waiver policy starting next school year, these students and their parents will feel more at ease. For the teachers, the monthly tuition fee waiver of 155,000 VND per student is not a large sum; they have been willing to do this for many years. However, with the government's tuition fee waiver policy, parents feel more confident and no longer feel indebted to their teachers.

Starting next school year, 100% of students from preschool to high school nationwide will be exempt from or receive tuition fee subsidies. Photo: Nhu Y

Speaking with reporters, National Assembly representative Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (from Hai Duong province) affirmed that the Politburo 's policy of waiving tuition fees for public school students nationwide is highly anticipated and appreciated by the people. This helps alleviate the economic burden on parents when sending their children to secondary school. It is also a way to encourage education and make a long-term investment in the future. Ms. Nga expressed her hope that alongside the tuition fee waiver for public schools, parallel solutions are needed. Specifically, a review should be conducted to supplement the school system and teachers for public schools to reduce pressure and strain.

Based on reports from 46 provinces/cities under the central government to date and recent documents and reports, the Ministry of Education and Training, using the minimum tuition fee stipulated in the Government Decree, estimates that the state budget needed to implement tuition fee exemption for all students from preschool to high school is approximately 30,000 billion VND.

Mr. Dinh Van Tan, former Principal of Ha Sen Primary and Secondary School in Cat Hai, Hai Phong, said that when the Hai Phong City People's Committee implemented a policy to support tuition fees for secondary school students, parents from disadvantaged backgrounds were very pleased because it reduced some of their monthly financial worries. The school also felt more at ease teaching, no longer worrying about collecting tuition fees, and the teachers' burdens were also lessened.

According to our investigation, in Hanoi's inner city, many parents struggle to afford the monthly tuition fees for their children attending public middle and high schools. While they may not be classified as poor households, their lives are very difficult. They become "uncollectible debts" when tuition fees are due. Homeroom teachers and the school often use their personal funds to support these students, ensuring they have the means to continue their studies and avoiding unnecessary controversy. Teachers even cover the cost of school meals.

According to Tran The Cuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the Politburo's decision reaffirms that investing in education is a national priority and will always be given priority. This is a humane decision, ensuring the best learning opportunities for students in all areas and of all ages, creating a solid foundation for improving the quality of human resources. The decision to waive tuition fees for students from preschool to high school in public schools is a humane policy that not only reduces the burden on families in disadvantaged areas but also contributes to the effective implementation of the policy of universal secondary education, thereby raising the intellectual level of the population and the quality of human resources.

Humanitarian policy

The Ministry of Education and Training announced that in the 2024-2025 school year, 10 provinces/cities will issue resolutions of the Provincial People's Council on tuition fee exemption for preschool and primary education: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Yen Bai, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Long An. However, many students and families in other localities are still paying tuition fees. The Government has issued regulations on tuition fee exemption for students. According to these regulations, from September 1, 2025, the State will exempt tuition fees for all public school students from 5-year-old preschool to junior high school (up to grade 9). In addition, the Government has also stipulated a policy of reducing tuition fees by 50%-70% and providing financial support for many poor students, students with difficult circumstances, students from social policy groups, and ethnic minority students (studying in public and private schools).

At the Politburo meeting on February 28, after hearing the Government's report on the financial balance during and after the streamlining of the political system's organizational structure, the Politburo decided to completely waive tuition fees for students from preschool (4-5 years old) to the end of public high school nationwide.

The implementation will begin at the start of the 2025-2026 school year (September 2025 onwards). Accordingly, all public kindergarten, primary, secondary, and high school students will be exempt from tuition fees. Students in private schools will receive tuition fee subsidies equivalent to the tuition fees of public schools as stipulated by law; the difference in tuition fees between public and private schools will be paid by the students' families.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 23.2 million students nationwide (excluding students attending vocational and continuing education centers). Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Psychological and Educational Sciences, affirmed that waiving tuition fees for students is a humane policy, showing care for the people's lives by the Party, State, and Government. This concern creates conditions for young workers (those with children attending primary and secondary school) to work and contribute with peace of mind.

Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam suggested that attention should be paid to teachers and schools because this force creates the quality of human resources. Schools must be autonomous, humane, creative, and integrated. Teachers must be cared for, trained, and selectively employed. “The use of teachers must avoid a situation where those who are not capable are dismissed. There should be no complacency after being appointed as a teacher and being on the payroll. We cannot allow the stagnation of innovation seen in the past,” said Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam. He affirmed that, after the economy, education must be prioritized for investment to produce a high-quality workforce for national development. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure school places for students in major cities.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/mien-hoc-phi-tu-nam-hoc-2025-2026-dam-bao-co-hoi-hoc-tap-cho-hoc-sinh-post1721961.tpo