64,000 Supernumerary Seats for Low-Income Students

The “equal distribution of opportunity quota system,” a system that gives supernumerary seats to students from low-income families (up to 11 percent of the whole entrance system) will start from 2009. Also, an additional one trillion won will be earmarked to enhance high education competitiveness and develop five research-focused universities in the Metropolitan area and local areas, respectively.

At a seminar titled “Strategic Schemes to Develop High Education” held at Cheong Wa Dae and presided over by President Roh and presidents and deans from 152 universities, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MOE) gave details of the plan.

According to the MOE, the “equal distribution of opportunity quota system”, which gives 11 percent of all supernumerary seats to students from low-income families, multi-cultural families, single-parent families, job training schools, and rural areas will come into effect in 2009.

The MOE explained that increasing the quota from 3.9 percent to 11 percent will increase the number of students who will benefit from this system to 64,000.

The MOE said, “entrance programs for students from rural areas (4%), job training schools (3%), and foreign countries (2%) will be combined, and the program will be extended to students from low-income families. Universities can freely decide the standards and number of students to be allowed in and can focus more on potential than test scores.”

The MOE will offer full scholarships for two years for students from low-income families receiving financial support from the government who enter universities using this program. The number of students receiving this scholarship will be 26,000, and another 44,500 students from the lower middle-class will be exempted from entrance fees and will be able to borrow for school expenses without interest.

The MOE will amend the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act to introduce the “equal distribution of opportunity quota system” and open classes in universities for students who lag behind their peers as well.

President Roh said, “If Seoul National University (SNU) insists on a system which plans to give the highest score to the applicants of the 1st and 2nd level of high school records, the government will come up with measures to prevent SNU from doing this. Universities should come up with strategies to lead society and should put effort into bringing a consensus to society rather than being selfish.”

Lee Jang-moo, the president of SNU, showed no signs of changing the entrance system and said, “SNU has already announced its entrance system this April and is not interested in changing it. The entrance system of SNU and other private universities are different.”

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