"Half-Price Tuition and Expanded Support for Low-Income Groups" Ministry of Education's Budget Increased by 12.1773 Trillion Won Next Year to 88.6418 Trillion Won

Ministry of Education Budget and Fund Operation Plan Formulation
Expansion of National Scholarships to Support Half-Price Tuition for Low- and Middle-Income Households
Expansion of University Innovation Support Projects to Strengthen University Competency and Foster Future Talent
Promotion of Education Recovery to Overcome COVID-19 and Strengthening of Educational Support for Low-Income Groups

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Education announced on the 31st that it has prepared the budget for next year at 88.6418 trillion won, an increase of 12.1773 trillion won compared to this year's 76.4645 trillion won.

This budget plan focuses on ▲realizing half-price tuition for low- and middle-income households ▲strengthening university capabilities and supporting future talent development as a driving force for national innovation growth ▲promoting educational recovery to overcome COVID-19 and ensuring educational opportunities for low-income groups ▲full-scale promotion of Green Smart Future Schools ▲expanding and revitalizing lifelong education. The Ministry of Education's budget for next year will be submitted to the National Assembly and finalized in early December after government and parliamentary review.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye explained, "With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the tuition burden on university students is increasing," adding, "We have increased the national scholarship budget to realize half-price tuition that low- and middle-income households can feel and to provide practical help to the youth."

The Ministry of Education plans to realize half-price tuition for one million university students by expanding national scholarship support to low- and middle-income households to alleviate the tangible burden of education expenses. The scholarship support amount will be significantly increased to 3.9 million won for income brackets 5 and 6, up by 220,000 won, and to 3.5 million won for brackets 7 and 8, increased by 2.3 million won and 2.825 million won respectively, easing the educational cost burden for low- and middle-income families. In particular, the first child in basic and near-poverty households will receive 7 million won annually, and full tuition will be supported for the second and subsequent children. Full tuition will also be supported for the third and subsequent children in multi-child families in income bracket 8 or below, strengthening the state's responsibility for socially vulnerable groups.

In response to the sharp decline in the school-age population and changes in the industrial structure, the budget for university and junior college innovation support projects has been increased to enhance university capabilities and advance talent development. The Ministry of Education plans to actively support structural improvements of universities and junior colleges through expanded general financial support, enabling autonomous innovation according to each university's circumstances, appropriate scaling, and strategic specialization.

Additionally, to nurture timely talent in response to industrial structural changes, a new 'Inter-Ministerial Innovative Talent Development Project' will be established to focus on cultivating talent in new industrial sectors necessary for national and social development in collaboration with related ministries. To respond to the crisis faced by regional universities and areas, the budget will be increased by 33 billion won to expand the regional innovation platform from four to five, enabling local governments and universities to cooperate in nurturing core talents in the region.

Expansion of educational support for low-income groups... Full-scale promotion of Green Smart Future Schools

The Ministry of Education will support academic recovery for elementary and secondary students affected by COVID-19 learning loss through 'tutoring by university students including future teachers.' Prospective teachers and other university students will be selected as tutors to provide small-group (3-5 students) academic tutoring to elementary and secondary students, and participating university students will receive work-study scholarships.

To expand educational support for low-income groups, the education benefit for elementary, middle, and high school students has been increased by an average of 21%, from 103 billion won to 122.2 billion won. Accordingly, the per-student support amount for education benefits will increase from 286,000 won to 331,000 won for elementary school, from 376,000 won to 466,000 won for middle school, and from 448,000 won to 554,000 won for high school. In particular, 300,000 low-income students (education benefit recipients) in elementary, middle, and high school will receive an additional temporary support of 100,000 won per person for textbooks and other expenses to ensure educational opportunities for vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 period.

The Ministry of Education will also launch the 'Green Smart Future School' project in earnest, converting 2,835 old elementary, middle, and high school buildings into eco-friendly spaces with digital infrastructure capable of future-oriented teaching and learning by 2025. To this end, the budget for next year will be increased by 513.2 billion won to carry out user-participatory design for 484 schools and begin construction. Through this project, school spaces will transform from standardized past spaces into advanced digital-based smart classrooms capable of future-oriented teaching and learning, green schools aiming for low-carbon zero energy, and innovative spaces designed through student-centered user participation.

To substantially expand lifelong learning access for the public, the scale of the 'Lifelong Education Voucher Support Project,' which supports increased participation in lifelong learning for marginalized groups such as low-income individuals, will be doubled. Starting next year, the 'On-Gukmin Lifelong Learning Center,' selected through the National Participation Budget system, will be newly established and operated to enable anyone to easily access necessary lifelong education and training information online.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo emphasized, "Based on this Ministry of Education budget plan, we expect to lead inclusive recovery and leap forward after COVID-19, fulfill national tasks through the expansion of national scholarships, and visualize the achievements of New Deal 2.0."

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