Budget Committee Approves 2.7 Trillion Won Increase for Half-Price Private University Tuition Program
The National Assembly Education Committee's Budget and Accounts Review Subcommittee held a meeting on the 13th and approved a 2 trillion 733.7 billion won budget increase for the 'half-price private university tuition' support program. The government had allocated 213 billion won to fully cover tuition for approximately 60,000 freshmen at 30 regional national universities starting next year, but it was pointed out that support for private university students was relatively insufficient, creating an equity issue. Accordingly, the Education Committee's budget subcommittee, at the request of Rep. Lee In-sun of the People Power Party, approved a budget increase to reduce the tuition burden for students at private general and junior colleges nationwide to the public university average of 4 million won.
The increased budget is expected to be used to lower private general university tuition, currently 8.23 million won—1.95 times the annual average tuition at public universities (4.23 million won)—to the public university level.
No agreement was reached with the ruling party on the People Power Party's long-standing demand to restore the Future Response Fund allocation (a total of 4 trillion 931.5 billion won) to the general account. This fund includes allocations for supporting science and engineering infrastructure at private universities (600 billion won), AI Re-leap Universities (2.07 trillion won), and regional balanced development scholarships (328 billion won). As no agreement was reached on the restoration issue, each committee member will attach an individual opinion, and the matter is set to be decided at the Education Committee's plenary meeting on the 16th.
