Hanoi prohibits private schools from collecting 10th-grade deposits

Hanoi's Department of Education requires private and high-quality high schools not to collect reservation fees or deposits, following reports of many schools collecting 2-113 million dong for these charges.

This directive is part of the guidelines for high schools registering 10th-grade enrollment quotas for the academic year 2026-2027, which the Department announced today.

Accordingly, private and high-quality high schools must conduct online admissions. They are prohibited from requiring students and parents to pay reservation fees, deposits, or any other unauthorized charges.

The guidelines did not specify penalties for non-compliant schools.

This is not the first time the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has instructed private schools not to collect deposits or reservation fees. In 2018, the Department issued a similar directive, but the practice continued, causing public frustration.

Most recently, in 2024, a Department leader stated that while deposits might be a civil agreement between schools and parents, from an educational perspective, it is "unsuitable" and "erodes the pedagogical and humane values within schools."

To date, many schools still maintain these deposits under various names, such as registration fees, admission fees, or reservation fees. These amounts are typically deducted from tuition, uniform costs, or textbooks when students enroll. However, they are non-refundable if a family decides not to enroll their child.

A leader at one private school explained that "deposits" help to curb inflated enrollment numbers, which can complicate admissions, and encourage families to consider their choices carefully and take responsibility for them.

According to a VnExpress survey, 10th-grade deposits at private schools this year are generally under 10 million dong, often involving only one payment. However, some institutions, such as Dwight Hanoi International School, have four separate charges: 9,8 million dong for registration, 28,8 million for admission, 30 million for a tuition deposit, and 45 million for a guarantee fee, totaling over 113 million dong – the highest reported amount.