South Korea to offer full tuition scholarships for regional national university freshmen from next year

South Korea's Ministry of Education announced a significant initiative to bolster regional universities and encourage young people to settle outside the capital. Starting in 2027, all new students at 30 regional national universities will receive full tuition scholarships, a move estimated to cost around 200 billion won annually.

The "Regional Balance Scholarship" aims to allow students to focus on their studies without financial worries and to foster their growth within their local communities. The ministry believes this will help attract and retain young talent in areas outside Seoul.

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We will significantly expand national scholarships for students at regional national universities and support excellent students attending regional private universities through the reform of the regional talent scholarship to help young people move into regional areas.

In addition to tuition support, the plan includes expanding scholarships for excellent students attending regional private universities. The government also intends to increase the number of "job-conditional contract programs" at regional universities, linking education directly to employment. These programs, where universities and companies collaborate on curriculum and guarantee graduate employment, are currently more prevalent in 수도권 (metropolitan area) universities.

The ministry plans to raise the capacity of these contract programs at regional universities to match the average of 86 students per university seen in the Seoul metropolitan area by 2030. Details on the scholarship program's beneficiaries, methods, and funding will be released by the end of the month after discussions with the budget authorities.

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We will support regional national university students to focus on their studies without worrying about tuition fees and to settle and grow in the region.