First year of school with special joy free of tuition

With 3 children studying in grades 2, 4, and 8 in Hanoi , Ms. Nguyen Thu Thao said that in previous school years, the monthly tuition fee alone was about 500,000 VND. For many people, this number may not be too large, but when added together with other expenses such as textbooks, uniforms, boarding... it becomes a big burden, especially for families with many children like hers.

In addition to free tuition, Hanoi also supports boarding meals from 20,000-30,000 VND.

When the tuition exemption policy was implemented, Ms. Nguyen Thu Thao said that each family felt like it had a burden relieved, although not much, but "anything that can be exempted is a blessing". Not to mention that from this school year, in addition to tuition exemption, primary school students in Hanoi will be supported with meals from 20,000 to 30,000 VND.

According to Ms. Thao, these are all practical policies, especially for families who are having to worry about many other expenses in life.

“I am very happy that this school year my children will be exempted from many expenses. Thanks to that, parents can reduce the burden of spending, work with peace of mind, and stabilize their lives. I can save this money for my children to learn foreign languages, participate in extracurricular activities, or simply supplement their nutrition. Because education now requires more than just book knowledge, it also requires cultivating skills and improving physical and mental health,” said Ms. Thao.

Ms. Thao's joy is also the common mood of many other parents in the new school year. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hien (from Hung Yen), who is working in Binh Duong , said that because of the circumstances of working far away, she and her husband have to leave their children with their grandparents to look after. Every month, in addition to food and living expenses, she also has to worry about the education costs for her two children.

“In fact, the children’s tuition fees are not too high, but there are many other expenses besides tuition. As workers like us, we can avoid any expense we can. That money can be saved for the children to buy reference books or learn additional skills,” she said.

First graders in Hanoi at the opening ceremony of the 2024-2025 school year. Photo: Pham Hai

Meanwhile, according to Ms. Nguyen Mai Loan (Hanoi), tuition fees only account for a very small part of parents' expenses, but parents still feel very happy because of "the State's concern for education with practical policies".

“It can be said that this school year is very special for students across the country, especially in the capital. From the policy of free tuition, support for boarding meals for students in many localities… parents can rest assured, breathe a sigh of relief, and trust their children to enter the new school year. These are all humane policies, demonstrating responsibility in caring for future generations,” said Ms. Loan.

Less worries about tuition fees, families have more conditions to take care of their children

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, the country currently has about 23.2 million students. It is estimated that the total budget to implement the policy of exempting and supporting tuition fees for students from kindergarten to grade 12 is about 30 trillion VND.

Tuition-free subjects include preschool children, high school students, and those studying general education programs in public educational institutions. Photo: Thach Thao

Ms. Hoang Thi Trinh, a primary school teacher in Hung Yen province, said that when the new school year comes, along with the excitement of the back-to-school season, the tuition-free policy has become a common joy for many parents.

“This not only removes economic barriers, creating conditions for all students to go to school without interruption in their studies, but also creates more belief that education is truly a right that all children enjoy equally,” said Ms. Trinh.

Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Educational Psychology, acknowledged that the tuition-free policy for the new school year not only brings direct benefits in reducing the financial burden on families, especially those with low or middle incomes, but also contributes to building a progressive and sustainably developed society.

“This policy aims for an equal education - where all students, regardless of their family's economic situation, have the opportunity to access quality education. This contributes to "erasing" the educational gap between social classes.

In the long run, when students do not have to worry about tuition fees, they will focus more on studying and improve their academic performance, reducing the rate of dropping out of school for economic reasons. Thus, this is a humane, correct and popular policy, especially in the period when the country is entering an era of development," said Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam.

At the end of June 2025, the 15th National Assembly passed a Resolution on tuition exemption and support in the national education system nationwide. The subjects include: preschool children, high school students, and people studying general education programs in public educational institutions.

In addition, the policy also supports tuition fees for preschool children, high school students, and those studying general education programs in private and non-public educational institutions. The level of tuition support is decided by the People's Councils of provinces and centrally-run cities according to the tuition fee framework prescribed by the Government, but must not exceed the tuition fee level of private and non-public educational institutions.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nam-hoc-moi-dau-tien-voi-niem-vui-dac-biet-mien-hoc-phi-2438940.html