Proposal to expand the subjects eligible for tuition exemption and reduction from the 2025-2026 school year

The Ministry of Education and Training is seeking public opinions on the draft decree replacing Decree No. 81/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 97/2023/ND-CP regulating the mechanism for collecting and managing tuition fees for educational institutions in the national education system and policies on tuition exemption and reduction, support for learning costs; and service prices in the field of education and training.

In the draft, the Ministryof Education and Training proposed expanding the subjects eligible for tuition exemption, reduction, and support from the 2025-2026 school year compared to Decree No. 81/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 97/2023/ND-CP.

Subjects not required to pay tuition

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

14 subjects are exempted from tuition fees

The draft clearly states that 14 subjects are exempted from tuition fees, including:

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 are disabled.

4. Students aged 16 to 22 who are studying for a first-degree university degree 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 of ethnic minorities 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 occupations that are difficult to recruit but are in demand by society according to the list prescribed by the state management agency of vocational education under 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.

Subjects eligible for tuition reduction and tuition support

According to the draft, the subjects eligible for a 70% tuition reduction include:

a- Students studying traditional and special arts in vocational education institutions, public and private universities that provide training in culture and arts, including: Traditional opera musicians, Hue traditional musicians, Southern amateur music, opera actors, folk performing arts, ca tru art, bai choi art, traditional musical instrument performance.

b- Students studying royal court music, opera, drama, reformed opera, dance, circus; some arduous, toxic, and dangerous occupations for vocational education according to the list of arduous, toxic, and dangerous occupations prescribed by the central state management agency of vocational education.

c- Students in vocational education institutions and universities who are ethnic minorities (except for very small ethnic minorities) with permanent residence in extremely disadvantaged villages/hamlets, communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and extremely disadvantaged communes in coastal and island areas according to regulations of competent authorities.

Subjects eligible for a 50% tuition reduction include : Students in vocational education institutions and universities whose parents have had work-related accidents or occupational diseases and are entitled to regular allowances.

Subjects supported to pay tuition fees include : Preschool children, high school students, students of general education programs (students studying regular education programs at junior high school level and students studying regular education programs at high school level) in private educational institutions in the national education system; postgraduate students with master's and doctoral degrees, level I specialists, level II specialists, resident physicians specializing in psychiatry, pathology, forensic medicine, forensic psychiatry, infectious diseases and emergency resuscitation at private educational institutions in the health sector.

Statues are supported with study costs

Preschool children, primary school students, and students studying at regular educational institutions under the general education program who are orphans of both parents.

Preschool children, primary school students, and students studying at regular educational institutions under general education programs are people with disabilities.

Preschool children, primary school students, and students studying at regular educational institutions under the general education program whose father or mother or both father and mother or grandparents (in case of living with grandparents) are poor households according to regulations of the Prime Minister.

Preschool children, general education students, and students studying at regular educational institutions following the general education program where they and their parents or guardians (in case they live with guardians) have permanent residence and are studying at an educational institution in a particularly disadvantaged village/hamlet, a commune in region III of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, a commune in coastal and island areas as prescribed by competent authorities, or studying at an educational institution in another area as prescribed by local authorities in the case where there is no educational institution in the particularly disadvantaged village/hamlet, a commune in region III of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, or a commune in coastal and island areas.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/de-xuat-mo-rong-cac-doi-tuong-huong-che-do-mien-giam-hoc-phi-tu-nam-hoc-2025-2026-20250711093516208.htm