Under the proposal, will lower secondary school students at Ho Chi Minh City be eligible for tuition exemption from the 2024-2025 academic year? Who is eligible for tuition exemption in the 2024-2025 academic year?

Under the proposal, will lower secondary school students at Ho Chi Minh City be eligible for tuition exemption from the 2024-2025 academic year?

On December 9, 2024, at the 20th session of the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City, 10th session, 2021 - 2026 term, the Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City proposed financing tuition for lower secondary school students (from grades 6-9) and learners in the lower secondary education segment for the 2024 - 2025 academic year.

The content is stated in the draft policy for specific tuition financing for public and private lower secondary school students for the 2024 - 2025 academic year. The total projected expenditure is approximately 237 billion VND.

To be specific, according to the proposal, each student will receive support ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 VND per month, depending on the locality, equivalent to 100% of the public school tuition for over 490,000 lower secondary school students.

Particularly, private school students (excluding foreign-invested schools) will receive the same level of support. Specifically:

- Group 1 includes students from schools in Thu Duc City and districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, and Binh Tan with tuition of 60,000 VND per student.

- Group 2 includes students from Nha Be, Hoc Mon, Can Gio, Cu Chi, and Binh Chanh with tuition of 30,000 VND per student.

- The estimated funding for implementing this policy is 237 billion VND, of which 221 billion VND is for financing tuition for public lower secondary school students (over 464,000 students). The remaining 16 billion VND is used for financing tuition for non-public lower secondary school students (over 30,000 students).

Previously, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City also piloted tuition financing for lower secondary school students from the 2021 - 2022 academic year to the 2023 - 2024 academic year. In the 2021 - 2022 academic year, 100% public school tuition was financed.

In the 2022 - 2023 academic year, partial support for the difference due to tuition adjustments was provided. In the 2023 - 2024 academic year, the city financed a part of the difference due to tuition adjustments for preschool and upper secondary, and 100% tuition for lower secondary.

After three academic years of implementing the tuition financing policy, the authorities state that this has had consent from the people. Continuing tuition exemption at the lower secondary level is necessary, showing the city's care and determination in implementing the roadmap and educational development goals.

Currently, there are 8 localities nationwide that exempt tuition from preschool to the end of grade 12 for public schools, including Vinh Phuc, Khanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, and Yen Bai. Additionally, Long An reduces 50% for preschool children under 5 years old and exempts tuition for lower secondary school students.

Under the proposal, will lower secondary school students at Ho Chi Minh City be eligible for tuition exemption from the 2024-2025 academic year? (Image from the Internet)

Who is not required to pay tuition in the 2024-2025 academic year in Vietnam?

Under Article 14 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, the following entities are not required to pay tuition:

-  Students of public primary schools.

- Learners studying in specific majors satisfying socio-economic development demands, national defense and security according to Law on Higher Education. Specific majors regulated by the Prime Minister of Vietnam.

Who is eligible for tuition exemption in the 2024-2025 academic year in Vietnam?

Under the provisions of Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, the entities eligible for tuition exemption in Vietnam are as follows:

- Individuals mentioned under Ordinance on benefits for people with meritorious services to the revolution when studying in education institutions affiliated to national education system.

- Preschool students and students with disabilities.

- Preschools students and students under 16 years of age lacking any care and individuals from 16 years of age to 22 years of age and studying in formal education, the first degree of higher education and eligible for monthly social benefits according to Clause 1 and Clause 2 Article 5 of Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021 of the Government on social benefit policies for social protection beneficiaries. Learners in intermediate-education level or college level who are left without both parents and shelter according to Law on Vocational Education.

- Preschool students, students of formal education, learners in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education program whose parent or parents or grandparents (if living with grandparents) are poor households according to regulations of Prime Minister.

- Preschool children with 5 years of age living in hamlets with difficulties, communes in category III areas with ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, communes with particularly difficulties in coastal areas and islands according regulations of competent authority.

- Preschool children with 5 years of age not specified under Clause 5 of this Article shall be exempted from tuition for the school year of 2024 - 2025 (starting from September 1, 2024).

- Preschool children, students of formal education, and learners in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education program who are foster children or biological children of active servicemen and soldiers according to Clause 2 Article 6 of Decree No. 27/2016/ND-CP dated April 6, 2016 of the Government.

- Students in lower secondary education in particularly difficult hamlets, communes in category III areas with ethnic minorities in mountainous regions, communes with particular difficulty in coastal areas, and islands according to regulations of competent authority are eligible for exemption from tuition from the school year of 2022 – 2023 (starting from September 1, 2022).

- Lower secondary education students not specified under Clause 8 of this Article shall be exempted from tuition for the school year of 2025 - 2026 (starting from September 1, 2025).

- Students pursuing education via special admission (including students pursuing boarding vocational education under special admission method for 3 months or higher) according to regulations of the Government on special admission to higher education institutions and vocational education institutions affiliated to national education system.

- Students in secondary boarding schools for ethnic minorities, pre-universities:

- Students in vocation education institutions and higher education institutions, ethnic minorities whose parent, parents, or grandparents (if living with grandparents) in poor households or near-poor households according to regulations of Prime Minister.

- Students pursuing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thought.

- Students, higher education students, and researchers specialized in tuberculosis, leprosy, psychology, forensic examination, psychology examination, and autopsy in public medical personnel training facilities as per order of the Government.

- Ethnic students under Clause 1 Article 2 of Decree No. 57/2017/ND-CP dated May 9, 2017 of the Government.

- Learners subject to tuition exemption programs or schemes according to regulations of the Government.

- Graduates of secondary education and pursuing intermediate education.

- Learners pursuing intermediate-level education, college level education for majors that have difficulty in students but are required by the society according to lists regulated by Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs.

- Learners studying in specific majors satisfying socio-economic development demands, national defense and security according to Law on Vocational Education. Specific majors regulated by Prime Minister.