Ms. H.T. H (Lao Cai) asked, are children of nurseries, permanently residing in particularly difficult areas who have received money to buy school supplies according to Decree No. 66/2025/ND-CP entitled to study expenses according to Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP?
Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Education and Training answers as follows:
Clause 4, Article 17 of Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP dated September 3, 2025 of the Government on tuition policies, exemption, reduction, tuition fee support, learning cost support and service prices in the field of education and training stipulates the beneficiaries of tuition fee support policies as follows:
Preschool children, general education students, students studying at continuing education institutions under the general education program whose parents or guardians (in case they live with guardians) have permanent residence and are studying at educational institutions in extremely difficult villages, communes in region III of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas, extremely difficult communes in coastal, coastal and island areas according to regulations of competent authorities or studying at educational institutions in other areas according to local regulations in cases where there are no educational institutions in extremely difficult villages/hamlets, communes in region III of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas, extremely difficult communes in coastal, coastal and island areas".
Clause 10, Article 19 of Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP stipulates: "The State directly provides tuition fee support for subjects specified in Article 17 of this Decree at a rate of 150,000 VND/student/month to purchase books, notebooks and other school supplies. The time to be enjoyed is based on the actual study time and not exceeding 9 months/school year and is paid twice a year at the beginning of the semesters of the school year".
Thus, policy beneficiaries will receive 1,350,000 VND/year in tuition fee support.
At the same time, Clause 4, Article 19 of Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP also stipulates: "In case there is a duplication in the beneficiaries of tuition fee exemption, reduction, and support policies and learning cost support specified in this Decree with other legal documents being implemented with higher support levels, they are entitled to higher support levels specified in other legal documents".
Regarding the regulations on supporting the purchase of school supplies, supplies, and personal supplies for nursery children in Decree No. 66/2025/ND-CP, point a, clause 1, Article 7 of Decree 66/2025/ND-CP stipulates the support policy for preschool education institutions with nursery children as follows:
Being supported with money to buy paper, comics, crayons, pencils, toys and other school supplies; blankets, mosquito nets and personal belongings for boarding nursery children with a budget of 1,350,000 VND/boarding nursery child/school year".
Clause 1, Article 5 of Decree No. 66/2025/ND-CP stipulates: "Children of nurseries, students, and trainees who are subject to the policies specified in this Decree, and are also subject to the application of policies of the same type specified in other legal documents, are only entitled to the highest level of that policy".
Based on the above regulations, children of nurseries permanently residing in particularly difficult areas are only entitled to one of two policies: the policy of providing personal belongings and school supplies as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 7 of Decree No. 66/2025/ND-CP or the policy of supporting tuition fees as prescribed in Clause 4, Article 17 of Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP if they meet the conditions as prescribed.
