Currently, these subjects are clearly stated in Decree 81/2021/ND-CP of the Government regulating the mechanism for collecting and managing tuition fees for educational institutions in the national education system and policies on tuition exemption and reduction, support for learning costs; service prices in the field of education and training.
Accordingly, students majoring in special special majors that meet the requirements of socio-economic development, national defense and security according to the provisions of the Law on Higher Education are not required to pay tuition fees. Specific professional majors are regulated by the Prime Minister.

In addition, the following subjects are exempted from university tuition fees, specifically:
- Subjects specified in the Ordinance on Preferential treatment for people with revolutionary contributions if studying at educational institutions in the national education system;
- Students with disabilities;
- People aged 16 to 22 who are in high school or university education with a first degree are eligible for monthly social allowances as prescribed in Clause 1 and Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021 of the Government on social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries. Students of intermediate and college levels are orphaned, without a place to depend according to the provisions of the Law on Vocational Education;
- Students admitted according to Government regulations on admission to higher education institutions in the national education system;
- Students of pre-university schools, pre-university faculties;
- Students studying at ethnic minority higher education institutions whose father or mother or both father and mother or grandparents (in case of living with grandparents) are from poor and near-poor households as prescribed by the Prime Minister;
- Students majoring in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought;
- Students studying one of the majors of Labor, Phong, Mental Health, Forensic therapeutics, Forensic psychiatry and pathology at public health human resource training institutions according to the State's ordering quota;
- There are very few ethnic minority students as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 2 of Decree No. 57/2017/ND-CP dated May 9, 2017 of the Government;
- Students who are subjects of programs and projects are exempted from tuition fees according to Government regulations.
Important timelines for university admission in 2025:
- 8am on July 16: More than 1 million students nationwide are looking up their high school graduation exam scores in 2025.
- Before July 15: Candidates practice registering for admission wishes.
- September 16 - 28: Candidates officially register and adjust their admission wishes.
- July 29 - August 5: Candidates pay online admission fees.
- August 20: Universities announce admission scores (expected).
- Before 5:00 p.m. on August 30: Candidates complete online admission confirmation.
- In September 2025: Universities conduct additional admission (if any).