Will Tuition Regulation Be Lifted? Ministry of Education Says "Specific Measures Will Be Announced Soon"

Frozen for 14 Years, Universities Appeal Financial Hardship
Vice Minister Jang Sang-yoon "Considering Inflation and Student Burden Relief"
Higher Education Funding Excluded from National Agenda
"Exploring Alternatives for Stable Funding"

On the 23rd, Jang Sang-yoon, Vice Minister of Education, is answering questions at the Daekyo Association Summer Presidents' Seminar.

The Ministry of Education expressed sympathy for universities' demands for tuition autonomy but stated that alternative measures need to be explored considering inflation and student burdens.

At the summer presidents' seminar held on the 23rd by the University Education Council at the Inter-Burgo Hotel in Suseong-gu, Daegu, Vice Minister Jang Sang-yoon of the Ministry of Education said, "So far, tuition fees have been indirectly regulated through linkage with Type 2 National Scholarships, and there is a consensus within the government that this should be lifted," adding, "We are also consulting with the financial authorities and will soon finalize specific alternatives."

Vice Minister Jang explained, "We are considering two directions on how to lift tuition-related regulations. One is when to time the deregulation during a period of rising inflation, and the other is how to alleviate the burden on parents and students if the regulations are lifted."

The Ministry of Education supports universities with Type 2 National Scholarships on the condition that the average tuition fees are frozen or reduced. According to the Higher Education Act, tuition fees may be increased within the range of the inflation rate over the past three years.

Universities have appealed that their financial difficulties have become severe due to tuition fees being frozen for 14 years and that the government should increase financial support for higher education.

Kim Heon-young, president of Kangwon National University, pointed out, "The biggest issue for universities is financial problems, and universities are struggling financially as it has become difficult to use various operating expenses and funds," adding, "There is no specific financial support plan in the national agenda."

Vice Minister Jang said, "The government fully agrees that the scale of financial support for higher education is small and needs to be expanded. While expansion is necessary, it is more appropriate to establish a stable funding framework rather than making fine adjustments with a one-year budget," adding, "We are reviewing various alternatives for system design, including enacting special laws or creating separate accounts."

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has proposed easing the four major requirements for university establishment (campus land, campus buildings, faculty, and basic property for profit use) in its national agenda, and universities are highly interested in deregulation.

Vice Minister Jang said, "We will proceed with a complete overhaul and easing of the four major requirements," adding, "We are conducting policy research to prepare a comprehensive revision plan by the end of the year. Afterwards, a separate University Regulation Improvement Committee involving industry participants will be formed to identify regulatory improvement tasks."

Vice Minister Jang explained, "In the case of establishing graduate programs in advanced fields, if only the faculty securing rate among the four major requirements is met, the other regulations will be abolished to help activate the expansion of graduate schools in advanced fields," adding, "We have prepared a revision plan for the University Establishment and Operation Regulations, which is currently under review by the Ministry of Government Legislation."

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