HCMC – Starting September this year, all K-12 students at public schools across Vietnam will no longer pay tuition fees and the Government will also cover half of students’ health insurance payments and ban other kinds of fee within schools.
The move, approved by the Politburo, will take effect nationwide in the 2025-2026 academic year, according to the Government news website (baochinhphu.vn).
The state budget is expected to allocate around VND30 trillion annually to implement the tuition waiver.
In addition, under Decree 188, the state will increase its contribution to student health insurance to at least 50%, up from the previous 30%. This will lower monthly payments for students from VND73,710 to a maximum of VND52,650, or roughly VND253,000 less per student each year. The Ministry of Health estimated the additional budget required at VND3.7 trillion per year.
In addition, under Circular 29, the Ministry of Education and Training permits only three types of supplementary classes in schools, all of which must be offered free of charge: remedial lessons for students who fail a subject, training for students selected for gifted programs, and voluntary exam preparation classes for final-year students. These sessions must be part of the school’s official curriculum and free of charge.
In previous years, final-year students often had to pay fees for intensive review classes before graduation or entrance exams. From the upcoming school year, such programs will be provided without extra cost.
