328 billion won regional scholarship fund to be established

Full tuition for freshmen at 30 national universities regardless of income

Regional talent scholarship slots at private universities to expand from 4,000 to 10,000

Students in field training to receive 2.3 million won per month

Starting next year, freshmen admitted to 30 regional national universities will receive full tuition coverage regardless of income level. [Generated with ChatGPT]
Starting next year, freshmen admitted to 30 regional national universities will receive full tuition coverage regardless of income level. [Generated with ChatGPT]

Starting next year, freshmen entering any of 30 regional national universities will have their full tuition covered regardless of income level. A separate initiative will give 60,000 university students hands-on training placements at companies and institutions for up to five months, with a monthly stipend of 2.3 million won ($1,670).

The Ministry of Education unveiled the measures Friday at its "Youth Budget Unboxing 2027" event, presenting them as the centerpiece of its 2027 youth support agenda. The two flagship programs are a 328 billion won regional balanced-development scholarship fund and a 465 billion won "First Career Project" for university students.

The regional scholarship fund has two components: full-tuition grants for students at regional national universities and regional-talent scholarships for students at regional private universities. The national university portion is budgeted at 213 billion won. Freshmen entering regional national universities from the 2027 academic year onward can apply for the national scholarship and receive full tuition coverage regardless of income bracket. Medical, dental, pharmacy and veterinary programs are excluded.

Eligibility will start with first-year students in 2027 and expand by one grade each year, reaching all undergraduate years by 2030. Existing academic requirements for national scholarships — completing at least 12 credit hours the previous semester and maintaining a grade of B or above — will continue to apply.

The regional-talent scholarship for private university students will grow from 80 billion won this year to 115 billion won next year, with the number of new recipients rising roughly 2.5 times, from about 4,000 to 10,000. To encourage top students from the greater Seoul area to enroll at regional universities, the restriction requiring applicants to have attended a high school in the same region will be lifted.

The First Career Project will provide 60,000 students at four-year and two-year colleges with field training placements at companies and public institutions for up to five months.

The 2.3 million won monthly stipend will be split equally between the government and the participating company, at 1.15 million won each. Students will also receive an additional 100,000 won per month for transportation and accommodation, while companies will receive 100,000 won per student per month to cover mentoring costs. Universities will receive roughly 900,000 won per student to cover operating expenses such as student selection, company matching, counseling and safety management.

The 60,000-student target, however, is a policy goal set by the government rather than a figure derived from actual demand expressed by participating companies. "It is better understood as a target than a measure of demand," a ministry official said, adding that the ministry plans to actively secure and manage high-quality training sites and partner companies as it scales up the program.

Students who receive the full national university scholarship and later withdraw will be required to return the supplemental grant — everything beyond the standard Type I national scholarship. "In principle, the scholarship will be recouped before any change in enrollment status such as withdrawal," a ministry official said, adding that cases where immediate recovery is not possible will be tracked and resolved by the Korea Student Aid Foundation.

In response to criticism that the youth support measures are concentrated on enrolled university students, the ministry said the package also includes a voucher program for young people not attending university. It did not, however, provide specific figures on the program's scale or the number of beneficiaries, as youth-related spending is not tracked under a separate budget category.


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