Ensuring minimum learning conditions and supporting living costs have contributed to reducing the burden on families; simultaneously helping to expand learning opportunities for children of ethnic minorities and creating quality human resources to serve local socio-economic development.

At Điện Biên College, priority policies for vocational students have brought about tangible impacts. In Semester I of the 2025 - 2026 school year, the entire school has 1,610 ethnic minority students receiving social allowances according to the Prime Minister’s decision on adjusting policy scholarships and social allowances for ethnic minority subjects. 772 students from poor households and 349 from near-poor households benefit from the boarding policy, helping to alleviate the burden of living costs during their studies. The tuition exemption policy supports 1,267 students, and 262 students receive a 70% tuition reduction; 1,168 cases benefit from the boarding policy. Students receive study support, scholarship regimes, and social allowances, contributing to ensuring minimum conditions so they can peace of mind pursuing the vocational path.

Lò Minh Nghĩa, a student of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics (Điện Biên College), shared: “My family is in the highlands; before, I never thought I could go to vocational school far from home. But thanks to boarding support and tuition exemption, I have the conditions to study the major I love, and my family doesn’t have to worry much about study costs anymore...”

Priority policies have contributed significantly to financial support, creating trust for students and parents to rest assured in choosing the vocational training path, opening up practical directions suitable for the economic conditions of many families in remote and isolated areas.

Trần Bá Uẩn, Principal of Điện Biên College, assessed: “State policies, from tuition support and boarding to social scholarships, have created huge motivation for students in specially difficult areas. Thanks to this, many students are given more motivation to register and pursue the vocational learning path.”

Especially from May 1, 2025, Decree No.66/2025/ND-CP stipulating policies for preschool children, pupils, and students in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, coastal flat sandbanks, coastal areas, and islands, and educational institutions with preschool children and pupils enjoying policies officially took effect. Thanks to this, many important policies providing practical support for pupils and students in ethnic minority and mountainous areas are applied in the 2025 - 2026 school year. Among them, the group of students following the high school level continuing education program enjoys many new benefits, aiming to ensure fair learning opportunities with standard high school students.

According to the Decree, students in the high school level continuing education program are supported with 15kg of rice/month, provided for 9 months/school year; meal support according to the standard level prescribed by the State; and housing support of over VND 360,000/month for students who do not have conditions to stay in boarding. Additionally, children from poor households, near-poor households, or those living in specially difficult communes continue to receive study cost support to reduce the economic burden on their families.

Although support policies for vocational students have not seen many changes, according to previous support levels, vocational students are still supported with VND 30,000 for meals per day; and study cost support. Especially, poor and near-poor students and students in specially difficult communes are supported with VND 150,000 for study costs monthly.

Since Decree No.66/2025/ND-CP took effect, it has brought many benefits to the group of students following the high school level continuing education program. Although the support level of Decree No.66 only applies to cultural students and does not include vocational students, this also demonstrates the State’s concern, creating an important step in narrowing the educational gap, helping students in the high school level continuing education program in difficult areas to have conditions to maintain their studies, limiting early dropouts, and promoting local human resource development.

Trần Thanh Hà, Deputy Director of the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education No. 4, emphasized: “The area where the unit is stationed consists mostly of ethnic minorities, so the center’s students are largely children of ethnic groups (Hmong, Thai, Ha Nhi...). Now, when going to school, they enjoy many regimes, priority policies, and the concern of the Party and State. Thanks to support policies, many children no longer have to drop out halfway to work in the upland fields but can continue vocational training or complete their cultural education. Each support regime, from rice and food money to study costs, helps them overcome difficulties, continue the path of cultural learning or vocational training, and serve their lives in the future...”

In recent years, State policies for highland students have been increasingly perfected, creating favorable conditions for both cultural learning and vocational training. Thanks to this, many students throughout the province following high school level continuing education programs are supported with rice, food money, and housing money along with many priority regimes for poor households, near-poor households, and students in specially difficult areas. The concern of the Party and State is opening the door of knowledge for children of ethnic minorities, helping them continue to pursue their dreams of learning and building a better future.