Can high school students living in communes with difficulties in islands be exempted from tuition in Vietnam?

Can high school students living in communes with difficulties in islands be exempted from tuition in Vietnam?

Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP stipulates eligibility for tuition exemption as follows:

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

2. Preschool students and students with disabilities.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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).

7. 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.

8. 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).

9. 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).

10. 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.

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

12. 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.

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

14. 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.

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

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

17. Graduates of secondary education and pursuing intermediate education.

18. 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.

19. 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.

According to Clauses 8, 9 of this Article stipulate that 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).

Thus, lower secondary education students in communes with particular difficulty in coastal areas, and islands according to regulations of competent authorities will be eligible for exemption from tuition from the school year of 2022 – 2023 (starting from September 1, 2022). And from the school year 2025 - 2026, all junior high school students will be eligible for exemption from tuition.

However, high school students in communes with difficulties in islands are not eligible for exemption from tuition as prescribed in Article 5 of this article.

Under what circumstances will high school students be eligible for financing for studying costs in Vietnam?

In Article 18 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, eligibility for financing for studying costs, according to which:

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

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

3. 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.

4. 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, high school students in one of the four cases above will be eligible for financing for studying costs in Vietnam.

Best regards!