The Ministry of Education and Training has issued regulations on university admissions in 2026 with many new points, including amending regulations on the policy of adding priority points by region.
Accordingly, candidates in priority areas are given a bonus of 0.25 - 0.75 points.
Candidates in area 2 are given the lowest priority score of 0.25 points; candidates in rural area 2 are given 0.5 points; candidates in area 1 are given the highest priority score of 0.75 points.
The enrollment area of each candidate is determined according to the school location where the candidate has studied for the longest time in high school (or intermediate, vocational high school). If the study time (longest) in the areas is equivalent, it is determined according to the area of the school where the candidate studied last.
Candidates are entitled to regional priority policies according to regulations in the year of high school graduation (or intermediate, vocational high school) and one year afterwards.
Previously, according to the draft, the Ministry of Education and Training only added priority points from 0.25 - 0.5 points for candidates who have permanent residence during their high school years from 3 years or more in particularly difficult areas, border communes, coastal and island communes... and study at general schools not located in districts of centrally-run cities at least 2/3 of their high school time.
Explaining the reason for the amendment, the Ministry of Education and Training said that this content received many recommendations for reconsideration because after the process of arranging and merging commune-level administrative units, the comparison of candidates' residences with priority area lists in the past is no longer convenient.
In addition, in reality, there is a situation where candidates change their permanent residence but have not fully updated it in the national population database, causing confusion for schools when confirming priority subjects. Therefore, opinions suggested considering priority based on the location of the high school where students study instead of their residence.
In addition, the Ministry of Education and Training also stipulates priority points according to policy beneficiaries with a bonus point level of 1 to 2 points.
In which, priority group 1 is added 2 points including: ethnic minority candidates who enjoy priority area 1; military personnel, officers, and soldiers who are demobilized and are recognized as completing their military service...
Other priority subjects who are given 1 point include: People with severe disabilities with certificates, teachers who have taught for 3 years or more applying for teacher training programs, children of wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, children of people entitled to policies like wounded soldiers with a working capacity reduction of less than 81%...
Candidates belonging to many policy beneficiaries are only entitled to one highest priority score.
