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Ho Chi Minh City parents face high fees at public schools
Parents in Ho Chi Minh City are facing significant financial pressure due to a wide array of fees at public schools. While official tuition is strictly controlled or subsidized, the total monthly cost per student often ranges from 2 million to over 4 million VND.
Many of these costs stem from services labeled as voluntary or agreed-upon, accounting for 70% to 80% of the total financial burden. These include extracurricular programs such as STEM education, digital citizenship, foreign languages with native speakers, and various sports like swimming, basketball, or pickleball. In one preschool instance, a single notice listed 20 different items, totaling approximately 4.4 million VND per month.
In response to these trends, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has issued guidance for the 2026-2027 school year. The guidelines permit 14 specific groups of educational services that schools may organize and charge for, including arts, sports, clubs, and high-quality international integration programs.
Entities
Ho Chi Minh City · Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Monthly payments at public schools range from 2 million to over 4 million VND per student. afamily.vn · cafebiz.vn · kenh14.vn
- [● 3 SOURCES] Parents in Ho Chi Minh City report high monthly fees at public schools. afamily.vn · cafebiz.vn · kenh14.vn
- [● 3 SOURCES] Between 70% and 80% of the financial burden comes from voluntary and agreed services. afamily.vn · cafebiz.vn · kenh14.vn
- [● 3 SOURCES] There are 14 approved groups of educational services that schools can organize and charge for. afamily.vn · cafebiz.vn · kenh14.vn
- [● 3 SOURCES] One preschool reported 20 different fee items totaling approximately 4.4 million VND per month. afamily.vn · cafebiz.vn · kenh14.vn
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Department issued guidance for the 2026-2027 school year regarding non-tuition service fees. afamily.vn · cafebiz.vn · kenh14.vn