According to the reflection of student L.M. A (Cao Bang), Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP stipulates that students in vocational education institutions and higher education institutions who are ethnic minorities (except for very small ethnic minorities) who themselves and their parents have permanent residence in particularly difficult villages/hamlets, communes in region III of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and particularly difficult communes in coastal, coastal and island areas according to the regulations of competent authorities are eligible for a 70% tuition fee reduction.
However, according to Decision No. 861/2021/QD-TTg, communes in region III and region II approved in this Decision, if recognized as meeting new rural standards, will be identified as communes in region I and will no longer enjoy the policies applied to communes in region III and region II from the date the Decision of the competent authority recognizing communes meeting new rural standards takes effect.
Before the commune was merged, the old commune of student M.A belonged to the new rural area from 2021. Student M.A asked, based on Decision No. 861/2021/ND-TTg, will students no longer be entitled to the policy of 70% tuition fee reduction because the commune has been upgraded to Zone I, is that correct? Do students be entitled to this policy according to Decision No. 612/2021/QD-UBDT stipulating particularly difficult villages (villages)? Because according to Decision No. 612/2021/QD-UBDT, the student's hamlet is on the list of particularly difficult villages (villages) even though the commune has been upgraded to new rural areas.
Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Education and Training said that on January 29, 2026, the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions issued Decision No. 60/QD-BDTTG on announcing the list of villages and communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, particularly difficult villages; communes in regions I, II, III in the period 2026-2030.
Student L.M. A and her family are requested to review the list of particularly difficult villages in Decision No. 60/QD-BDTTG and compare it with the regulations on beneficiaries of the 70% tuition fee reduction policy in Clause 1, Article 16 of Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP, if they meet the conditions, they will be entitled to the policy.
