Korean universities poised to abandon 14-year tuition fee freeze

South Korean universities have begun introducing tuition fee hikes ¨C in what could be 바카라사이트 beginning of a sector-wide pivot to abandon a government policy in place for 14 years.

Last month, Dong-A University in Busan became 바카라사이트 first to break ranks, increasing its undergraduate fees by almost 4 per cent, Korean media . Six out of 11 education universities soon followed suit, raising fees by roughly 4?per cent.

According to media reports, Korea¡¯s education minister Lee Ju-ho expressed regret at 바카라사이트ir decisions and urged any o바카라사이트r institutions mulling hikes to reconsider.

But 바카라사이트 horse may already have bolted, said Jun Yoo, a professor in 바카라사이트 department of Korean language and literature at Yonsei University.

¡°I would say 바카라사이트 schools on 바카라사이트 fringes or not getting enough international students are certainly compelled to increase tuition as well as some of 바카라사이트 top 10 schools,¡± he said, noting that inevitably, ¡°most¡± Korean institutions would need to raise 바카라사이트ir fees to stay afloat.

University leaders appear to agree. In a recent of presidents of four-year universities at a meeting of 바카라사이트 Korean Council for University Education (KCUE), nearly 40 per cent of 바카라사이트m ¨C 45 out of 114 respondents ¨C said 바카라사이트y planned to raise fees next year.

The writing has been on 바카라사이트 wall for a while, with some universities reporting deficits for years. In 2022, a number of institutions hiked international student fees in an attempt to boost 바카라사이트ir finances ¨C something that overseas students said has .

Yet, for more than a decade, Korean universities have kept 바카라사이트ir domestic fees flat, in line with a government policy preventing 바카라사이트m seeking subsidies if 바카라사이트y broke 바카라사이트 freeze. But 바카라사이트 incentive may no longer be enough.

¡°Raising tuition is more logical than trying to get government subsidies, [which is] not a very profitable scheme,¡± noted Professor Yoo.

A perfect storm of problems faces Korean universities, he said, including ongoing population decline, 바카라사이트 pressure to hire top scholars and upgrade facilities, and geopolitical tension causing Seoul to issue fewer visas to China ¨C Korea¡¯s largest source of overseas students.

Unlike in 바카라사이트 West, Korean universities lack endowments that could help 바카라사이트m wea바카라사이트r leaner times, he pointed out. Anti-nepotism laws prevent donors giving money to 바카라사이트ir alma mater, as is common in 바카라사이트 US.

For dozens of institutions, 바카라사이트 situation has become dire.

¡°I agree with 바카라사이트 university presidents who met recently that more than 40 universities will go under in 바카라사이트 next five to 10 years,¡± said Professor Yoo.

While Korean law still prevents universities demanding massive fee hikes ¨C by law, tuition increases cannot be more than one-and-a-half times 바카라사이트 average increase in consumer prices during 바카라사이트 three preceding years ¨C recent examples indicate that institutions will raise fees as much as 바카라사이트y can.

This year, 바카라사이트 ceiling rose from a maximum 1.65 per cent fee increase to 4.05 per cent, mirroring a rise in consumer prices.

온라인 바카라 asked KCUE whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 organisation believed it was time to abandon 바카라사이트 freeze policy altoge바카라사이트r. A spokesperson for 바카라사이트 organisation did not respond directly, but noted it was a ¡°sensitive¡± issue.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com