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Private universities push back on tuition freeze as financial struggles continue

Published: 14 Jan. 2025, 15:12

LEE TAE-HEE
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Oh Seok-hwan, vice minister of education, asks national university presidents to keep tuition frozen during a virtual meeting on Jan. 10. Vice Minister Oh held a similar meeting with private university presidents on Monday, also asking for a tuition freeze. [NEWS1]

Although national universities have agreed to freeze undergraduate tuition after meeting with the Ministry of Education, many private universities appear resistant to the ministry's request.

Vice Minister of Education Oh Seok-hwan met virtually on Monday with presidents of eight private universities, including Kyung Hee University, Sungkyunkwan University and Inha University, urging them to freeze tuition fees for the 2025 academic year.

To address financial concerns, the vice minister promised increased government funding for universities. Oh also pledged to extend the special higher education account, which allocates a portion of education tax revenue previously reserved for kindergarten, elementary and junior high schools to universities. This funding scheme, introduced in 2023, was originally set to end this year. Eased regulations for universities were also proposed during the meeting.

The meeting followed a Jan. 10 session between the ministry and nine of its 10 flagship national universities. All nine agreed to freeze undergraduate tuition for both domestic and international students. Seoul National University, which was not part of the meeting, had already decided to freeze tuition in Dec. 2024.

However, private universities seem poised to take a different approach.

Presidents of private universities attending the meeting cited significant financial struggles, arguing that tuition hikes are necessary to normalize faculty wages, improve facilities and address inflation.

“The atmosphere during the meeting wasn’t good, as the Education Ministry appeared to consider penalties for universities planning to raise tuition fees,” said one university president.

Additionally, some attendees said that student representatives are not demanding a tuition freeze.

“Our university proposed a five percent tuition hike, while student representatives are requesting a 4.5 percent increase,” said a president of a private university in greater Seoul. “Students are concerned about the declining quality of education after tuition has been frozen for 16 years.”

Another university official said that students are approaching the issue pragmatically, discussing the specific benefits they could receive if tuition is increased.

Despite the ministry’s appeals, some argue its strategy is ineffective because university presidents lack direct control over tuition decisions.

“University presidents, who are not members of the tuition deliberation committee, can't interfere with decisions made by the committee,” said another private university president. “We said during the meeting that we cannot overturn democratic decisions made by students, professors and external members, even if the ministry asks us to freeze tuition.”

Tuition deliberation committees are appointed by university presidents but include representatives from the student body, faculty, external financial experts, alumni and parents.

Many private universities have already decided to raise tuition or have proposed increases awaiting approval.

Sogang University plans to raise undergraduate tuition — for both domestic and international students — by 4.85 percent for the 2025 academic year. Kookmin University will increase domestic undergraduate tuition by 3.8 percent and international tuition by 2.5 percent.

Some universities have proposed increases that are still under deliberation.

Yonsei University suggested a 5.49 percent hike for domestic undergraduate and graduate students and a 7 percent increase for international students during its committee meeting.

Similarly, officials at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies proposed a 5 percent increase for undergraduate and graduate tuition for both domestic and international students. Exceptions include the Law School and the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation, for which a tuition freeze has been proposed.

BY LEE BO-RAM, LEE HOO-YEON, LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]