Tuition Fees Raised at 103 of 190 Universities Nationwide... Over Half Increase by More Than 5%

This year, as universities have successively joined the ranks of tuition fee increases, it has been revealed that 103 universities nationwide have decided to raise their tuition fees.

원본보기 아이콘

According to the Korea Association of Private University Presidents (KAPUP) on the 4th, out of 190 universities nationwide (151 private and 39 national/public), 103 universities, accounting for 54.2%, will increase tuition fees this year.

By location, 52 universities are in the metropolitan area, and 51 are outside the metropolitan area.

By type, 94 are private universities and 9 are national/public universities.

The most common increase rate was '5.00?5.49%' with 47 universities (45.6%). The Ministry of Education set the upper limit for tuition fee increases at 5.49% this year.

Next were '4.00?4.99%' with 37 universities (35.9%), '3.00?3.99%' with 8 universities (7.6%), '2.00?2.00%' with 2 universities (2.0%), and '1.00?1.99%' with 1 university (1.0%).

Universities located in the metropolitan area that raised tuition fees include Sungshin Women’s University (5.3%), Kyung Hee University (5.1%), Sungkonghoe University (5.1%), Korea University (5.0%), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (5.0%), Yonsei University (4.98%), Dongguk University (4.98%), Chung-Ang University (4.95%), Hanyang University (4.9%), Sungkyunkwan University (4.9%), Sogang University (4.85%), and Sookmyung Women’s University (4.85%).

There are 43 universities that froze tuition fees, with 7 located in the metropolitan area and 36 outside the metropolitan area. Among these, 27 are national/public universities.

Forty-four universities have yet to decide whether to increase tuition fees.

KAPUP cited reasons for the tuition fee increases including worsening financial difficulties due to tuition freezes over the past 16 years, declining university competitiveness, difficulties in normal university operations and talent cultivation. Continuous student demands for welfare improvements and facility investments were also pointed out as reasons that made raising tuition unavoidable.

Each university stated that the increased tuition fees will be used to improve educational conditions such as enhancing the educational environment and educational services.

KAPUP argued that to fundamentally resolve the recurring tuition fee controversies every year, financial support for private universities, which account for 80% of all universities, must be expanded.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.