Your Passion for Learning, Together with the Lifelong Education Voucher

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The Ministry of Education announced on the 16th that, together with the National Institute for Lifelong Education, it will accept applications for the 2023 Lifelong Education Voucher from the 17th of this month until the 3rd of next month.

The Lifelong Education Voucher is a system that supports education expenses to expand opportunities for lifelong education participation among low-income adults, such as basic livelihood security recipients and near-poverty groups.

In particular, the number of beneficiaries eligible for the Lifelong Education Voucher this year has increased by 27,000 compared to last year, reaching 57,000. The Ministry of Education will also provide recharge opportunities for outstanding users to expand the base of lifelong education.

Applicants eligible for the Lifelong Education Voucher are members of households with basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty groups, or those with household income below 65% of the median income, aged 19 or older. Applications can be submitted through the Lifelong Education Voucher website.

Selected beneficiaries will receive a Lifelong Education Hope Card, which can be used for up to 350,000 KRW annually for tuition fees and textbook costs (excluding material costs) for lifelong education courses.

Meanwhile, with the revision of the Lifelong Education Act, local governments will also be able to issue Lifelong Education Vouchers, and separate support plans reflecting regional characteristics will be established and promoted.

Additionally, lifelong education courses considering the lifelong learning demands of local residents will be opened, institutions accepting Lifelong Education Vouchers will be discovered, and dedicated local agencies will be designated to support learners’ study planning and counseling.

The 2023 Lifelong Education Voucher beneficiaries will be primarily selected from basic livelihood security recipients and near-poverty groups (about 60% of the support scale), and selection will consider study plans and previous year’s education completion records to ensure that learners with strong educational intentions benefit.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, stated, “The need for lifelong education throughout life is growing stronger to prepare for the rapidly changing future due to demographic changes and technological innovation,” adding, “We will significantly expand the scale of Lifelong Education Voucher support to increase participation of marginalized groups, and in the long term, comprehensively promote budget securing, system improvement, and cooperation between central and local governments to guarantee lifelong learning opportunities for all citizens.”

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