During the 4th session of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council in its 10th tenure for the 2021-2026 term held on September 29, the People’s Committee of the city proposed tuition fees and support measures for the 2025-2026 school year, with the budget expected to allocate over VND2,600 billion (US$98.4 million) to assist students in both public and private schools, aiming to ensure fairness and equality in access to education.
The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has submitted a proposal to the People’s Council regarding tuition fees for public preschools and general education institutions starting from the 2025-2026 school year.
According to the draft, tuition fees for public educational institutions that are not yet financially self-sufficient are set in VND per student per month, including VND180,000 per preschool child, VND80,000 per elementary student, VND100,000 per secondary school student, and VND120,000 per high school student.
For online learning, tuition fees will be calculated at 75 percent of the official rates, rounded to the nearest thousand VND. The funding for implementing the resolution will come from the city’s budget.
The total estimated budget for the new policy in the 2025-2026 school year is VND2,019 billion (US$76.4 million).
The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has also submitted a proposal to set tuition support for preschool children, general education students, and learners enrolled in general education programs at private and non-public educational institutions, as well as institutions affiliated with universities, colleges, and research institutes within the city, effective from the 2025-2026 school year.
According to the Ho Chi Minh People’s Committee, the resolution is necessary to meet legal requirements and reflect practical realities following the administrative boundary adjustment that expanded the city to 6,772.59 square kilometers with a population exceeding 14 million. The resolution aims to ensure fairness and equality in access to education while implementing the National Assembly and Government’s policies on tuition exemption and support for non-public educational institutions.
The draft resolution stipulates that preschool children, general education students, and learners enrolled in general education programs at private and non-public educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City will receive tuition support equal to 100 percent of the fees charged by public institutions that are not yet financially self-sufficient.
In cases where the tuition fees for public preschools and general education institutions, that have not yet achieved full operational cost, exceed those of private and non-public educational institutions at the same level, the support amount will be equal to 100 percent of the tuition fees charged by these private institutions.
The policy is expected to take effect starting from the 2025-2026 school year. Funding will come from the city’s budget, estimated at approximately VND624 billion, covering tuition fees for over 430,000 students in private and non-public institutions, as well as around 14,000 students at educational institutions affiliated with universities, colleges, and research institutes.
