The Ministry of Education and Training has proposed to maintain the same school fees for the 2023 - 2024 academic year.

In the draft proposal to amend the Government’s Decree 81/2021/NĐ-CP regarding the tuition fee mechanism for public educational institutions, the ministry explained that Decree 81, which aimed to raise tuition fees, was issued by the Government and came into effect in 2021.

However, due to the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of 2020, the Government issued Resolution 165, suspending the tuition fee increase. Tuition fees have remained unchanged for the past three years.

According to the ministry, if tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year were implemented following Decree 81, the maximum tuition fee for public university education would increase by an average of 45.7 per cent compared to previous years.

Particularly, the medical sector's tuition fees would rise by 93 per cent, and the humanities and social sciences sector would see a 53 per cent increase.

The ministry emphasised that, based on feedback and discussions with central and local authorities, the tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year needed to be increased to improve the quality of education, invest in infrastructure, especially in conditions of limited investment resources and annual budget cuts.

In particular, for public universities, tuition fees accounted for over 80 per cent of the total revenue for these institutions, and the ability to generate revenue from other sources remained very limited.

Many public universities have suggested applying the tuition fee schedule outlined in Decree 81 to offset regular operating costs, improve the quality of education, and implement autonomy plans. However, there are opinions that argue that if the new tuition fees were implemented for the 2023-2024 academic year, it would create financial difficulties for parents and students.

Therefore, there was a consensus that the tuition fee increase should be delayed by one year from the schedule outlined in Decree 81.

According to the draft proposal, the maximum fees for preschools and primary schools, which cannot ensure regular funding for the 2023-2024 academic year, are expected to remain unchanged.

For preschool students and urban primary school students, the monthly tuition fees range from VNĐ100,000-540,000 per student. In rural areas, the fees range from VNĐ50,000-220,000 (US$2-4.4) per student. For students from ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, the fees range from VNĐ30,000-110,000 ($1.2-4.4) per student.

For lower-secondary students in urban areas, tuition fees range from VNĐ100,000-650,000 ($4-26) per month per student. In rural areas, the fees range from VNĐ50,000-270,000 ($2-10.8) per student per month. For students from ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, the fees range from VNĐ30,000-170,000 ($1.2-6.8) per student per month.

At high schools, tuition fees for urban students range from VNĐ110,000-650,000 ($4.4-26) per month per student, while for rural students, they range from VNĐ70,000-330,000 ($2.8-13.2) per student per month. For students from ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, the fees range from VNĐ30,000-220,000 ($1.2-8.8) per student.

For schools that ensure regular expenditures, investment, and meet quality standards, the tuition fees can be determined based on their economic, technical standards, and cost standards.

Starting from the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition fee frameworks will be adjusted in accordance with local economic and social conditions and the ability of the population, but increases will not exceed 7.5 per cent per year.

For public universities that don't ensure regular expenditures, medical universities will have the highest tuition fee of VNĐ2.45 million per month per student for the 2023-2024 academic year. This amount will increase to VNĐ3.5 million per month per student by the 2026-2027 academic year.

In health-related schools, the tuition fee will be set at VNĐ1.85 million per month per student. Tuition fees for other academic fields range from VNĐ1.2-1.45 million per month per student. — VNS