Government “Child Allowance” vs. Jeonnam “Student Allowance”: What’s the Difference?

Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education Adjusts Overlapping Support... Student Allowance Expanded to Second Year of Middle School

First and Second Graders Receive Unrestricted Government "Child Allowance"

"Student Allowance" Usable at Academies and Bookstores... "Beware of Year-End Expiration"

Support benefits that will help reduce the childcare and education expenses of parents in Jeonnam are being significantly expanded and restructured starting this year.

First and second graders in elementary school will receive the government’s “Child Allowance,” while students from third grade in elementary school to second grade in middle school will be provided with the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education’s “Student Education Allowance,” allowing for customized support and a more comprehensive welfare network for students in the province.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on February 28, starting March 1, the coverage of the Jeonnam Student Education Allowance (hereinafter referred to as “Student Allowance”) will be expanded from elementary school students to include “third grade of elementary school to second grade of middle school.” In exchange, first and second graders in elementary school will receive the government’s “Child Allowance” of 100,000 won per month instead of the Student Allowance.

Jeonnam Student Education Allowance support will be expanded and revised to cover '3rd grade of elementary school to 2nd grade of middle school.' Provided by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education

This is an adjustment aimed at preventing duplicate support between the national welfare system (Child Allowance) and the local government’s education welfare system (Student Allowance), so from the parents’ perspective, they will continue to receive 100,000 won per month as before.

Unlike the Student Allowance, which is provided in the form of a voucher and can only be used at approved educational merchants such as academies and bookstores, the Child Allowance is deposited as cash into the guardian’s account, allowing it to be spent freely on living expenses or meals, or even saved.

Superintendent Kim Daejung decided to use the budget saved by having lower elementary grades receive the government’s Child Allowance to expand the range of beneficiaries up to middle school students starting this year. As a result, third to sixth graders in elementary school will receive 100,000 won per month, and newly included first and second graders in middle school will receive 50,000 won per month, both provided as vouchers.

◆ Student Allowance Vouchers: “Check the List of Educational and Experience Merchants and Use Them by Year-End”

Parents of students from third grade in elementary school to second grade in middle school need to understand how to properly use the newly provided Student Allowance. Unlike the cash-based Child Allowance, the Student Allowance is credited as points to the Jeonnam Dream Realization Coexistence Card issued by NH Nonghyup Bank.

Since the budget is intended to support students’ self-development, its use is strictly limited. It can only be spent at places approved by the Office of Education, such as local bookstores, stationery stores, study rooms, as well as academies for arts and physical education like piano and art, swimming pools, sports equipment stores, movie theaters, travel agencies, and lodging businesses.

If a card is swiped at an unapproved merchant such as a regular supermarket or restaurant, the funds will be deducted from the linked guardian’s bank account instead of the allowance points, so caution is needed. To prevent such payment errors, it is advisable to apply for the “SMS notification” service through the NH Nonghyup Card customer center.

Additionally, Student Allowance points do not carry over and will expire in full if not used by December 15 every year, so it is essential to use them within the deadline.

An official from the Provincial Office of Education stated, “Since duplicate support is not possible, we have significantly expanded benefits up to middle school students through rational adjustment based on limited resources. We hope that parents will make effective use of the Child Allowance for lower elementary grades and the Student Allowance for upper elementary and middle school students without confusion.”

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