Increases In College Tuition Double Consumer Price Inflation Rate

It has turned out that the increase in college tuition fees was over two times higher than the rise in the consumer price inflation rate for the past three years.

According to the Finance and Economy Ministry and Education and Human Resources Development Ministry on Monday, January 24, the average increase in tuition fees for colleges all over the country was 7.7 percent, approximately 2.1 times higher than the consumer price increase of 3.6 percent during the same period.

In 2003, the tuition fee increase was 7.1 percent, two times higher than the consumer price increase of 3.6 percent. In 2002, the 6.8 percent increase in tuition fees was approximately 2.5 times higher than the 2.7 percent increase in consumer prices.

As the decision to increase tuition fees for national universities was left to the schools starting in 2003, it has been analyzed that the tuition fee increases of national and public universities were much higher than those of private universities.

The increase in national and public university tuition for 2003 and last year were 7.4 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively, higher by 0.7 percent and 3.4 percent than the tuition increase in private universities of 6.7 percent (2003) and 6.0 percent (2004) during the same period.

Meanwhile, the government is planning to support student loans for some 320,000 college students starting the second semester of this year, and carry out a working scholarship program for 4,000 two-year college students.

In addition, the government has recently sent a document to colleges asking for cooperation in setting the tuition increase rate at a reasonable level this year.

Jong sik Kong kong@donga.com