The Korea Student Aid Foundation (Chairman Bae Byungil), together with the Ministry of Education (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Juhho) and 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education, is accepting applications for the 2024 Education Benefit Voucher for students from low-income families (recipients of education benefits) until June 30, 2025.
The Korea Student Aid Foundation is a quasi-governmental institution under the Ministry of Education, established in 2009 to provide professional and comprehensive financial aid so that everyone, regardless of economic circumstances, can have access to higher education based on their will and ability. With an annual budget exceeding 11 trillion won, the foundation implements a variety of programs for nurturing future talent, including national scholarships, student loans, national work-study scholarships, national excellence scholarships, donations, and mentoring.
In particular, the foundation is taking the lead in alleviating the financial burden of primary and secondary education and providing equal educational opportunities by offering vouchers in the form of card points. This allows students from families receiving education benefits to concentrate on various educational activities and use the support funds accordingly.
Applications for the Education Benefit Voucher can be submitted via the official voucher website or mobile app after identity verification (such as simple authentication or joint/financial certificate authentication). Eligible applicants include education benefit recipients (students) aged 14 or older, the person who initially applied for welfare benefits, and the head of household or adult household members listed in the resident registration information.
For the 2024 academic year, the Education Benefit Voucher provides support amounts of 461,000 won for elementary school students, 654,000 won for middle school students, and 727,000 won for high school students (amounts vary by school level). Each recipient can receive support once per academic year. The allocated amount can be used by the recipient (student) to purchase goods and services for educational activities until August 31, 2025.
The payment method can be selected by the voucher applicant from among credit/debit cards, simple payment (Payco), or a dedicated card (registered prepaid card). However, in cases where card issuance is difficult due to low credit or similar reasons, payment can be made exceptionally via a dedicated card (registered prepaid card) or simple payment.
As there may be heavy traffic on the website on the application deadline, families receiving education benefits who have not yet applied for the 2024 Education Benefit Voucher are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications cannot be accepted after the deadline.
Bae Byungil, Chairman of the Korea Student Aid Foundation, stated, "The Education Benefit Voucher is an essential system that ensures students from families with a heavy educational burden are not left behind and can focus on their studies. As the application deadline for the 2024 Education Benefit Voucher is approaching, I hope that as many students as possible will apply within the deadline and benefit from the voucher."
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