Are students from ethnic minorities entitled to tuition exemption/reduction and financing for studying costs in Vietnam?

Hello, Lawnet would like to answer your questions as follows:

1. Are students from ethnic minorities entitled to tuition exemption in Vietnam?

According to the provisions of Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, the subjects eligible for tuition exemption in Vietnam include:

- 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 20/2021/ND-CP 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 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 57/2017/ND-CP.

- 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.

Thus, the subjects are pupils and students studying at vocational and higher education institutions of ethnic minorities who have a parent or both parents or grandparents (in the case of living with grandparents) belonging to a poor or near-poverty household according to the regulations of the Prime Minister of Vietnam and will be exempt from tuition fees. Students from ethnic minorities who are not ethnic minorities will not be exempted from tuition fees.

2. Are ethnic minority students entitled to tuition reduction in Vietnam?

In Clause 1, Article 16 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, eligibility for a tuition reduction of 70% includes:

- Students pursuing traditional arts and specific majors in public, private vocational education institutions and higher education institutions providing cultural - artistic training;

- Students pursuing traditional art forms or taxing, toxic, or hazardous occupations in case of vocational education as per lists of taxing, toxic, or hazardous occupations regulated by Ministry of Labor – War Invalids and Social Affairs;

- Kindergarten children and students who are ethnic minorities (other than very minor ethnic minorities) in hamlets with particular difficulties, communes in category III areas, ethnic regions and mountainous regions, communes with difficulties in coastal regions and islands according to regulations of competent authority.

Thus, in the case of students who are ethnic minorities (apart from very few ethnic minorities) in extremely difficult villages and communes in area III, ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas and communes with special difficulties in coastal areas and islands, according to regulations of competent authorities, 70% of tuition fees will be reduced.

3. Are ethnic minority students eligible to receive financing for studying costs in Vietnam?

Article 18 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP stipulates the eligibility for financing for studying costs as follows:

- Kindergarten children, students in formal education institutions, and students in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education programs are left without both parents.

- Kindergarten children, students in formal education institutions, and students in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education programs suffer from disabilities.

- Preschool students, students of formal education, learners in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education program whose parents are poor households according to regulations of Prime Minister.

- Kindergarten children, students in formal education institutions, and learners in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education institutions in particularly difficult hamlets, communes in category III areas in ethnic regions and mountainous regions, particularly difficult hamlets in coastal regions and islands according to regulations of competent authority.

Thus, the subjects are ethnic minority students who are not very ethnic minorities who are not eligible for financing for studying costs. This support only applies to children in kindergarten and high school, students studying at continuing education institutions.

Best regards!

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