The cost of primary school in Ho Chi Minh City is much more than tuition. Families typically meet one-off charges on entry, such as application, enrolment and development or capital fees, a deposit, and then recurring costs for meals, transport, uniforms, trips, after-school activities and, at some schools, English or learning support. Tuition itself usually rises each year. A realistic budget adds all of these over the number of years your child is likely to attend, and checks the refund terms before anything is paid.
Figures vary so much between schools, and change so often, that a list of prices would be out of date before it was useful. What does not change is the structure of the costs. This guide sets out the fee lines families most often overlook, how they differ between international, bilingual and Vietnamese schools, and the questions that let you compare schools on a like-for-like basis.
One-off costs on entry
These are paid once, or once per stage, and are often the largest single payments a family makes. Not every school charges all of them.
| Charge | What it usually covers | Refundable? | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Processing the application and sometimes the assessment | Almost never | Is there a separate assessment fee? |
| Enrolment or registration fee | Securing the place once offered | Usually not | Is it charged again when moving from preschool to primary at the same school? |
| Development, capital or facilities fee | Contribution to buildings and facilities | Sometimes partly, if the child leaves early | Is it charged once, annually, or per stage? |
| Deposit or security bond | Held against unpaid fees or damage | Often, on leaving with notice | What deductions can be made, and how quickly is it returned? |
| Debenture or long-term bond | At some schools, a large refundable sum in exchange for a place or a discount | Usually, on terms set in the agreement | Is it transferable or redeemable early? |
The development or capital fee is the line that most often surprises families. At some schools it is charged once; at others it is charged annually or again at the start of a new school stage. Ask for the policy in writing, since it can change the total for five or six years of primary school considerably.
Recurring costs beyond tuition
Meals and snacks. Many international schools charge for lunch separately, often through a catering contractor, while bilingual and Vietnamese schools commonly charge for meals as part of semi-boarding. Ask whether meals are compulsory and how dietary needs are handled.
Transport. School buses usually charge by zone and term. In a city where the daily journey can be long, this is a significant line, and prices rise with distance. Some families compare the cost with a driver or a closer school.
Uniforms and equipment. Uniforms, sports kit, shoes and bags are bought at the start and replaced as children grow. Some schools sell uniforms only through their own shop.
After-school activities. Some activities are included; others, such as swimming lessons, music tuition or specialist sports, are charged per term.
Trips and camps. Day trips are common throughout primary school, and residential camps often begin in the upper years. Ask whether these are included in tuition, and whether a child can stay at school if the family chooses not to pay for a particular trip.
Learning materials and devices. Some schools include books and digital resources in tuition; others charge separately or ask families to provide a tablet or laptop in the upper grades.
Support fees: EAL and learning support
For families whose child is still developing English, or has additional learning needs, two lines deserve special attention. Some international schools include English as an additional language support in tuition; others charge a separate fee, sometimes by term, sometimes by level of need. Learning support for children with diagnosed needs may also be included up to a point and charged beyond it, or provided by outside specialists whom the family pays directly.
These costs can be substantial and long-lasting, and they are easy to overlook in the excitement of an offer. Before accepting a place, ask whether your child is likely to need either form of support, how long it usually lasts, how the fee is calculated and whether it changes as your child progresses. A school that can answer clearly, with its policy in writing, is easier to plan around than one that promises to discuss it later.
If your employer pays an education allowance, check whether it covers these fees. Some allowances cover tuition only, leaving support fees, meals and transport to the family. Clarifying this early avoids an unwelcome surprise in the first invoice. It also helps to know whether the allowance continues if your child moves school mid-posting, or whether a new school must be approved first.
How fees change over the years
Tuition at private and international schools in the city usually rises each year, and the increase is applied to every year group. The amount varies by school and by year. Ask each school you are considering how its tuition has changed over recent years and how much notice it gives before an increase, then build an assumed annual rise into your budget for the whole primary stage.
Tuition also tends to rise by year group, with higher fees in upper primary than in Year 1 or Grade 1. A budget based on first-year tuition alone will underestimate the later years. Ask for the fee schedule for every year group, not only the one your child is joining.
Payment schedules matter as well. Schools commonly offer annual, termly or sometimes monthly payment, with a discount for paying a full year in advance. An early payment discount can be worthwhile, but read the refund terms: if your posting ends early, a family that paid a full year upfront may recover less than one that paid termly.
Finally, look at how the school communicates changes. A school that publishes its fee schedule well before the new school year, explains what has changed and why, and keeps the same structure from year to year makes long-term planning much easier than one whose charges appear piecemeal in the weeks before term.
Vietnamese schools: lower costs, different lines
Tuition at public Vietnamese primary schools is free under the education law, which makes them by far the lowest-cost option. Families still pay for a set of services and items, typically meals and supervision for semi-boarding, uniforms, insurance, some learning materials and optional activities, as well as contributions to the class or parent association, which in principle are voluntary.
Private Vietnamese and bilingual schools charge tuition, and their fee structures vary from simple monthly fees to schedules that resemble those of international schools, with enrolment charges and separate fees for English programmes, meals and transport. Ask for the full list at the start, in writing, and ask which items are compulsory.
In all cases, keep receipts. Some employers reimburse school costs only against invoices, and receipts are also useful if you need to query a charge later. Vietnamese schools commonly provide receipts for each payment; ask if they do not.
If you are new to the Vietnamese system, ask another parent in the class, or the class teacher, which charges are standard for the year. Payment requests usually arrive at the start of the school year and of each term, and knowing what to expect makes it easier to spot anything unusual and ask about it politely.
Building a budget for the whole primary stage
A spreadsheet with one row per year makes it easy to compare schools fairly.
- List the years your child is likely to attend, from the first primary year to the expected end of your time in Vietnam.
- Enter tuition for each year group, using the school's full fee schedule, and add an assumed annual increase based on recent history.
- Add one-off charges in the year they fall due, including any repeat development or enrolment fees at the start of new stages.
- Add recurring extras: meals, transport, uniforms, activities, trips and devices.
- Add support fees if your child is likely to need them, with a realistic duration.
- Subtract what an employer allowance covers, line by line, not as a lump sum.
- Compare the total for each school, then look again at the refund terms in case you leave early.
This exercise often changes a family's ranking of schools. A school with higher tuition but fewer extras can cost less over five years than one with lower headline fees and many separate lines. The comparison is only fair when every school is measured the same way. Update the sheet each year when new fee schedules come out, so that it stays a working tool rather than a one-off estimate.
Refunds, notice and leaving early
Families in an expat city often leave before the end of a school year. The terms for leaving are as important as the fees for joining.
- Notice period: many schools require a full term's written notice, or charge a term's fees in lieu.
- Tuition refunds: some schools refund unused tuition on a pro-rata basis, others refund nothing after a certain date.
- Deposits: usually returned after leaving, minus any outstanding amounts; ask how long it takes.
- Development fees: occasionally partly refundable if a child leaves in the first year or two.
- Siblings: discounts for second and third children are common, but they may change if one child leaves.
- Mid-year arrivals: ask whether one-off fees are reduced for a child joining part way through a year, and whether tuition is charged for the whole term in which your child starts.
Read these terms before signing the contract and keep a copy. If your employer is paying, check whether it expects a refund to be returned, and to whom. Families who leave at short notice sometimes find that the notice period, not the tuition, is the largest unexpected cost, so it is worth telling the school as soon as a move becomes likely, even before it is confirmed.
Payment practicalities: invoices, currency and timing
Beyond the amounts, the mechanics of payment can cause friction. Ask each school how it invoices, whether invoices can be issued in the name of an employer if the company pays, and what documentation an employer typically needs. Some companies pay schools directly; others reimburse the family, which means the family carries the cost until the claim is processed. Know which applies before the first large invoice arrives.
If your salary is paid in a currency other than the Vietnamese dong, exchange rate movements affect the real cost of school over several years. This is not something a school can help with, but it is worth including in a long-term budget, particularly if fees are a large share of household spending.
Timing matters too. The largest payments often fall together in the months before the school year: enrolment fees, development fees, the first term or year of tuition, uniforms and the bus. Families who arrive in summer, with relocation costs of their own, can find this cluster difficult. Ask the school for its payment calendar, and whether any items can be spread out.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Why do international schools charge a development or capital fee?
Schools use it to fund buildings and facilities without loading the full cost onto annual tuition. Policies differ: some charge it once on entry, others yearly or at the start of each school stage. Ask whether it is refundable if you leave early and whether siblings pay it again.
Are meals and buses included in tuition?
At many international schools they are not, and they are charged by term through separate contracts. At bilingual and Vietnamese schools meals are often part of a semi-boarding charge. Ask each school for a complete list of what tuition includes, so that you compare like with like.
How much do fees usually rise each year?
It varies by school and by year, and no single figure applies. Ask each school how its fees have changed over the last several years and how much notice it gives. Build an assumed increase into your budget for every year your child is likely to attend.
Does an employer education allowance usually cover everything?
Often not. Many allowances cover tuition and perhaps the main one-off fees, leaving meals, transport, trips, activities and support fees to the family. Ask your employer for the policy in writing, line by line, before you accept a school place.
Is a Vietnamese public primary school really free?
Tuition is free at public primary schools under Vietnamese law, but families pay for services such as meals and supervision for semi-boarding, uniforms, insurance and optional activities. These costs are modest compared with private schools but are worth budgeting. Ask the school for its list at the start of the year.
Should we pay a full year in advance for the discount?
It can save money if you are confident of staying the whole year. If there is a chance of leaving early, compare the discount with the school's refund terms. Paying termly costs a little more but can limit what you lose if plans change.