Vietnam: What will be the tuition framework for secondary schools and tuition exemption subjects from 2024 onwards?

How are secondary school fees understood?

According to Clause 2, Article 3 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP of Vietnam's Government:

- “Tuition” refers to the amount of money paid by the learners to cover fees of education and training services in part or in whole.

- Tuition amount shall be determined according to roadmap for guaranteeing education and training service according to Decree 81/2021/ND-CP.

What will be the tuition framework for secondary schools that self-finance regular expenses from 2024 onward?

According to Clause 3, Article 9 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, amended by Clause 1, Article 1 of Decree 97/2023/ND-CP:

Tuition for preschools and formal education institutions

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3. Tuition fees from the 2023-2024 academic year:

a) Regarding educational institutions that have yet to cover their recurrent expenditures: Maintain the stable tuition fees of the 2023-2024 academic year equal to the tuition fees of the 2021-2022 academic year promulgated by provincial People's Councils that have been locally applied.

b) Regarding educational institutions that have guaranteed their recurrent expenditures or recurrent expenditures and investment expenditures: they shall determine the tuition fees based on the technical-economic norms and cost norms and submit reports to the People’s Committees for presentation to provincial People’s Councils for consideration and approva

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Thus, the tuition framework for secondary schools that self-finance regular expenses from 2024 onward will be independently constructed by the school based on economic-technical norms and cost norms.

Afterward, it must be submitted to the People's Committee to propose for approval by the provincial People's Council.

Tuition framework for secondary schools and fee exemption objects from 2024 onward (Image from the Internet)

What students are exempt from secondary school fees?

According to Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP regarding the objects exempt from tuition fees in the 2023 - 2024 school year as follows:

(1) Objects as stipulated in the Ordinance on Preferences for People with Meritorious Services to the Revolution if they are studying at educational institutions within the national education system.

(2) Preschool children and disabled students.

(3) Preschool children and students under 16 years old without any support and individuals from 16 to 22 years old studying in general education, university education for the first degree who are entitled to monthly social allowances as stipulated in Clauses 1 and 2, Article 5 of Decree 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021, of the Government of Vietnam regarding social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries. Students of intermediate and college levels who are orphans of both parents, with no one to rely on as stipulated in the Law on Vocational Education.

(4) Preschool children and general education students, learners in continuous education programs according to general education curricula whose parents or grandparents (in case of living with grandparents) belong to poor households as defined by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

(5) Five-year-old preschool children in particularly difficult communes/villages, zone III areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, particularly difficult coastal and island communes as defined by competent authorities.

(6) Five-year-old preschool children not falling under Clause 5 of this Article are entitled to tuition fee exemptions from the 2024 - 2025 school year (applicable from September 1, 2024).

(7) Preschool and general education students, learners in continuous education institutions according to general education curricula who are biological or legally adopted children of non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 6 of Decree 27/2016/ND-CP dated April 6, 2016, of the Government of Vietnam regulating some policies for non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers on active duty, discharge, and their relatives.

(8) Secondary school students in particularly difficult communes/villages, zone III areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, particularly difficult coastal and island communes as defined by competent authorities are eligible for tuition fee exemptions from the 2022 - 2023 school year (applicable from September 1, 2022).

(9) Secondary school students not falling under Clause 8 of this Article will be eligible for tuition fee exemptions from the 2025 - 2026 school year (applicable from September 1, 2025).

(10) Students in the pre-university education system (including students receiving internal grants for vocational training with training durations of three months or more) as defined by the Government of Vietnam regarding pre-university policies in higher education and vocational training within the national education system.

(11) Students of ethnic minority boarding schools, pre-university schools, and pre-university faculties.

(12) Ethnic minority students learning in vocational education and higher education institutions whose parents or grandparents (in case of living with grandparents) fall into poor and near-poor categories as defined by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

(13) Students majoring in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought.

(14) Students, post-graduate learners, research fellows learning one of the specializations in Leprosy, Mental Health, Forensic Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry, and Pathological Anatomy at public health workforce training institutions according to state-ordered quotas.

(15) Students of ethnic minority groups with very few people as defined in Clause 1, Article 2 of Decree 57/2017/ND-CP dated May 9, 2017, of the Government of Vietnam on preferential policies for admission and study support for preschool children, students of ethnic minority groups with very few people in areas with difficult or especially difficult socio-economic conditions as defined by competent authorities.

(16) Learners belonging to objects of programs and projects who are exempt from tuition fees as defined by the Government of Vietnam.

(17) Graduates from secondary school proceeding to intermediate level.

(18) Learners at intermediate and college levels, in subjects and professions with enrollment difficulties but needed by society according to the list issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

(19) Learners in special professions and occupations meeting socio-economic, defense, and security development requirements as defined by the Law on Vocational Education. Special professions and occupations are defined by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

Thus, secondary schools have waived tuition fees from the 2022 - 2023 school year (applicable from September 1, 2022) for remote area objects as per (8). In the upcoming period, they will proceed to waive tuition fees from the 2025 - 2026 school year (applicable from September 1, 2025) for the remaining objects outside of (8).