Reasons for the Ministry of Education and Training's proposal to exempt tuition fees
On February 28, 2025, the Politburo agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) on exempting tuition fees for students from preschool to general education.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the basis for the Ministry's proposal is Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW dated November 4, 2013 of the 11th Party Central Committee on "Bundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training, meeting the requirements of industrialization and modernization in the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration" (Resolution No. 29) which stipulates "Completing the universal education of preschool for 5-year-old children in 2015, improving the quality of universal education in the following years and exempting tuition fees before 2020".
Implementing Resolution No. 29 and Resolution No. 35/2009/QH12 dated June 19, 2009 of the National Assembly on policies and orientations for innovating a number of financial mechanisms in education and training from the 2010-11 school year to the 2014-2015 school year, the Government has issued regulations on tuition fees, including annual tuition plans and tuition exemption and reduction policies, support for study costs for poor students, students in difficult circumstances, students subject to social policies, and ethnic minority students.
In 2024, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 91-KL/TW on continuing to implement Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW, which continues to orient "The State ensures funding for compulsory education, general education, exempts tuition fees for 5-year-old preschool children and carries out key tasks in the field of education; prioritizes investment in education and training for ethnic minority, mountainous, border, and island areas"; "lest gradually implementing universal preschool education for children aged 3 and 4".
Currently, 10 provinces/cities have issued Resolutions of the Provincial People's Council on exempting preschool and general education tuition fees for the 2024-2025 school year, namely Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Yen Bai, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong and Long An. However, there are still many students and families in other localities who are having to pay tuition fees.
Pursuant to Resolution No. 29, Conclusion No. 91-KL/TW dated August 12, 2024 of the Politburo on continuing to implement Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW, Resolution 42-NQ/TW dated November 24, 2023 The 8th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee on continuing to innovate and improve the quality of social policies, meeting the requirements of the cause of building and defending the fatherland in the new period, to demonstrate the superiority of the regime and the policy of ensuring fairness in access to education, "leaving no one behind", the Ministry of Education and Training has proposed that the Politburo and the Government Party Committee consider a tuition exemption policy for students from preschool to general education.
Supplementing tuition exemption for preschool students (from 3 months to 4 years old) and high school students
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the Government has issued regulations to exempt tuition fees for students. According to current regulations, from September 1, 2025, the State will exempt tuition fees for all public students from 5-year-old preschool to junior high school (until the end of grade 9). The Government has also introduced a policy of reducing tuition fees by 50%-70%, supporting learning costs for many poor students, students in difficult circumstances, students subject to social policies, ethnic minority students (study in public schools and private schools).
In addition to the subjects exempted from tuition fees according to the above current regulations, the Ministry of Education and Training proposed and was approved by the Politburo to supplement tuition exemption for preschool students from 3 months to 4 years old and high school students. Accordingly, all preschool students, primary school students, secondary school students and public high school students will be exempted from tuition fees. Students of private and public schools are compensated for tuition fees equal to the tuition fees of public schools according to the provisions of law; the tuition difference between public and private schools will be paid by students' families.
According to statistics, the country currently has 23.2 million students (excluding students studying at vocational and continuing education centers), including: 3.1 million preschool students under 5 years old; 1.7 million 5-year-old preschool students; 8.9 million primary school students; 6.5 million secondary school students and 3 million high school students.
