[What's Changing in the Second Half of the Year] Up to 400,000 Won More in National Scholarships

National Scholarship Support Increased for 1 Million University Students
Advance Child Support Payment System Introduced for Households Below 150% of Median Income

Starting from the second semester of this year, approximately 1 million university students?about 50% of all university students?who fall within income brackets 1 to 8 will receive increased national scholarships. In particular, for families with multiple children, the first and second children in income brackets 1 to 3 will be eligible to receive up to an additional 400,000 won per year.

A university campus in Seoul last March. Photo by Yonhap News

The national scholarship is a program that provides differentiated support for university tuition fees based on income level. Students from basic livelihood and near-poverty households, as well as third or subsequent children in families with multiple children, receive full tuition support. For students in income brackets 1 to 9 and the first and second children in families with multiple children, the amount of tuition support varies according to their income bracket.

With the increase in national scholarship support, students in income brackets 1 to 3 will receive an additional 300,000 won per year on top of the previous 6 million won. Students in brackets 4 to 6 will receive an additional 200,000 won, raising their support from 4.4 million won to 4.6 million won. Those in brackets 7 to 8 will receive an additional 100,000 won, for a total of 3.7 million won. However, students in bracket 9 will continue to receive 1 million won without any additional support.

The amount of support for the first and second children in families with multiple children also varies according to income bracket. For brackets 1 to 3, the amount will increase by 400,000 won from 6.1 million won. For brackets 4 to 6, support increases by 250,000 won from 5.05 million won. For brackets 7 to 8, the increase is 150,000 won from 4.65 million won. Students in bracket 9 (2 million won) will not receive any additional support.

The government announced, "The new support amounts will be applied starting from the second semester of this year," and added, "Applications can be submitted through the Korea Student Aid Foundation website." Since the increases are presented on an annual basis, the government explained that "only half of the increased amount for each bracket will apply for the second semester of this year."

Starting next month, the government will also introduce an advance child support payment system. Under this system, the government will provide child support in advance to single-parent families who have not received child support payments, and will then collect the amount from the non-custodial parent. This measure is intended to help create a stable child-rearing environment for single-parent families.

The government will provide 200,000 won per month per child up to the age of 18 (child's age) for children in households with income at or below 150% of the median income who have child support claims but have not received payment. For a two-person household, 150% of the median income is 5,898,987 won. For a three-person household, it is 7,538,030 won.

The government stated, "If advance child support is paid, the amount will be collected from the non-custodial parent, and if this is not complied with, collection will proceed in accordance with the procedures for compulsory collection of national taxes." Applications can be submitted online or by mail via the Child Support Agency website.

Additionally, the government will revise and distribute integrated high school marine education textbooks next year. The plan is to expand content on environmental and ecological education and to introduce supplementary career guidance materials to foster talent in the maritime and fisheries sectors.