Vietnam: Shall ethnic minorities students be exempted/reduced tuition fees and eligible for studying financing costs?

LawNet would like to answer your question as follows:

1. Shall ethnic minorities students be exempted from tuition fees?

According Article 15 of the Decree No. 81/2021/NĐ-CP, eligibility for tuition exemption in Vietnam including:

- Individuals mentioned in the Ordinance on benefits for people with meritorious services to the revolution of Vietnam when studying in education institutions affiliated to the 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 the Decree No. 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 the Law on Vocational Education of Vietnam.

- 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 the 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 to 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 the Decree No. 27/2016/ND-CP on provision of benefits for active and discharged non-commissioned officers and soldiers and families of active non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

- 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 the national education system.

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

- Students in vocational 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 the Prime Minister of Vietnam.

- 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 of Vietnam.

- Ethnic students under Clause 1 Article 2 of the 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 the Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs.

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

Thus, students in vocational 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 the Prime Minister of Vietnam shall be exempted from tuition fees. Students from ethnic minorities who are not very ethnic minorities will not be exempted from tuition fees.

2. Shall ethnic minorities students be eligible for tuition reduction?

According to Clause 1 Article 16 of the Decree No. 81/2021/NĐ-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 the Ministry of Labor – War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam;

- 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, 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 shall be eligible for a tuition reduction of 70%.

3. Shall ethnic minorities students be eligible for financing for studying costs?

According to Article 18 of the Decree No. 81/2021/NĐ-CP, eligibility for financing for studying costs includes:

- 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 the Prime Minister of Vietnam.

- 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, ethnic minorities students are not eligible for financing for studying costs. Financing for studying costs is only applied for kindergarten children, students in formal education institutions, and students in continuous education facilities.

Regards!

Key word: ethnic minorities | tuition | tuiton exemption | tuition reduction | ethnic students |

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