The More Expensive the Laptop, the More Scholarship? Yonsei University Scholarship Controversy

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, universities have postponed the start of the semester and are conducting classes online. On the 17th of last month, Yonsei University campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, appeared quiet. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Recently, Yonsei University announced that it would support students by covering part of the cost of purchasing electronic devices as it conducts non-face-to-face online lectures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, the support is given on a first-come, first-served basis, and the criteria for scholarship distribution are ambiguous, causing controversy.

On the 27th, Yonsei University notified students of the "Notice on the Provision of Scholarships to Support Non-Face-to-Face Online Lecture Attendance." The announcement stated that all undergraduate students, except for graduates and those on leave, are eligible to apply, and the school will cover part of the cost of purchasing electronic devices for students struggling with online classes. The scholarships will be awarded to the first 1,200 applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to the notice, the application period starts without prior announcement from the day the notice is received and will end early once the quota is filled. When purchasing items on the cooperative store website, students must enter their department and student ID number to make the payment, and scholarships will be awarded differentially based on the price of the electronic device. If a product costing 1,000,000 KRW or more is purchased, 300,000 KRW will be supported; for products costing between 400,000 KRW and less than 1,000,000 KRW, 200,000 KRW; and for products under 400,000 KRW, 100,000 KRW will be supported.

Scholarship Announcement from Yonsei University

However, Yonsei University students have expressed dissatisfaction with the scholarship. They raised issues with the fact that the support is limited to the "first 1,200 applicants." Critics argue that distributing scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis without assessing whether the recipients are students genuinely facing difficulties defeats the purpose of the support. For example, if a low-income student without a laptop sees the notice late and misses the first-come, first-served window, they would not receive support.

Another problem is that the scholarship operates on a 'payback' system, where students must first purchase the electronic device and then receive partial reimbursement. Questions have been raised about whether students who truly have difficulty buying devices can afford to pay upfront. Moreover, since the support amount increases with the price of the device, there is concern that students from higher-income brackets with greater purchasing power may benefit more. Additionally, posts have appeared on Yonsei University's anonymous community claiming that some students plan to buy unnecessary laptops, receive the scholarship, and then resell the devices.

The timing of the support is also questionable. Online lectures have already been ongoing for over a month, and face-to-face classes are scheduled to resume around mid-May, making the school's support seem meaningless. This has led to criticism that the scholarship is essentially just a simple promotion rather than genuine financial aid.

For these reasons, controversy has arisen over whether this scholarship can truly be considered a 'scholarship.' The university initially used the term 'support scholarship' in the announcement but later removed the word 'scholarship' and changed it to 'support fund.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.