
Hanoi – From September 3, millions of students across Vietnam will benefit from tuition exemptions and reductions under Government Decree 238, which expands support for learners in public and private institutions.
14 Groups Fully Exempted from Tuition Fees
According to the new regulation, tuition exemptions will apply to the following:
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Preschool children, public school students, and continuing education learners at secondary and high school levels.
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Individuals entitled to preferential policies under the Ordinance on Persons with Meritorious Services to the Revolution.
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Students with disabilities.
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Youth aged 16–22 pursuing their first university degree while receiving social allowances.
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Orphans with no family support enrolled in intermediate or college programs.
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Quota-based admission students, including vocational learners in boarding schools with courses lasting three months or more.
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Students in preparatory universities and preparatory faculties.
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Ethnic minority students whose parents or grandparents are from poor or near-poor households.
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University students majoring in Marxism–Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought.
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Postgraduate students in specialized medical fields such as psychiatry, pathology, forensics, infectious diseases, and emergency medicine at public institutions.
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Students from extremely small ethnic groups in disadvantaged or special hardship areas.
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Learners under government-funded projects and programs.
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Graduates of lower secondary schools continuing to intermediate-level education.
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Students in hard-to-recruit but socially necessary fields, or in programs serving socio-economic development, national defense, and security.
Groups Eligible for Tuition Reductions
Decree 238 also provides tuition fee reductions:
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70% reduction: Students in traditional and unique arts such as “Đờn ca tài tử,” “ca trù,” “bài chòi,” folk opera, tuồng, chèo, cải lương, court music, traditional instruments, dance, and circus; as well as students in hazardous or physically demanding professions; and ethnic minority students (except extremely small groups) residing in highly disadvantaged areas.
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50% reduction: Students whose parents are receiving regular allowances due to occupational accidents or diseases.
Tuition Support for Private Institutions
For the first time, tuition support will also extend to preschool and general education students in non-public schools, as well as postgraduate students in special medical fields at private institutions.
With Decree 238, Vietnam aims to ease the financial burden on families, ensure greater access to education, and encourage students to pursue critical fields that serve both social needs and national development.
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Source: Vietnam Insider

