April 20, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Students from low-income homes make up only about a 10th of South Korea’s top universities, a local daily reported on Feb. 10.

According to Kukmin Ilbo, only 11.48 percent of students of Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University are from homes in the bottom four income groups. 

Seoul National University

Using the number of students who applied for national grants from the Korea Student Aid Foundation, the daily estimated that 11.48 percent of the three universities’ 56,392 students were from the bottom four income groups.

The Korea Student Aid Foundation provides grants of varying amounts based on their family income. The top two groups, those with monthly household income exceeding 9.82 million won (US$8,540), are ineligible.

However, the data obtained by the daily showed that about 40 percent last year’s grant applicants fell into the top two groups.

Using the figures, the daily estimated that at least 70 percent of the students at these universities do not require state aid in covering the hefty fees.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)