Increase in University Innovation Project Labor Cost Limit to 30%... Inducing Tuition Freeze

Ministry of Education Raises Personnel Expense Execution Limit
from 25% to 30%

The Ministry of Education announced on the 17th that it plans to raise the personnel expense execution limits from 25% to 30% for universities that freeze or reduce tuition fees under the University Innovation Support Project and the Junior College Innovation Support Project this year.

This is interpreted as an effort to expand the financial execution autonomy of universities that freeze or reduce tuition fees, aiming to reduce factors that lead individual universities to increase tuition fees.

On the morning of the 8th, a poster urging the withdrawal of the tuition fee increase, written by a current student, was posted at the main gate of Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 799.5 billion KRW (138 universities) will be invested in the University Innovation Support Project this year, and 555.5 billion KRW (118 universities) in the Junior College Innovation Support Project.

The Ministry stated, "Since 2023, we have minimized regulations to support universities in utilizing budgets according to their circumstances for autonomous innovation based on their own development plans," adding, "We will also actively work with universities to extend and expand the Special Account for Higher and Lifelong Education Support, which was newly established in 2023."

Earlier, on the 10th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho said at a briefing on the '2025 Major Policy Implementation Plan,' "We intend to lower the barriers in financial support to ease the burden on universities," and added, "We are focusing on strengthening financial support and easing regulations to facilitate the smooth use of resources."

In response, the education sector interpreted this as a measure to prevent a chain reaction of tuition fee increases, mainly among private universities.

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