SNU Law School to offer a full scholarship to low-income students

The Seoul National University School of Law will offer a full scholarship to students who are from the lowest 50 percent of household income starting from the first semester of this year.

The law school said on Sunday that it would change the scholarship program from the upcoming semester and pay a full scholarship to students from households that are in the fifth or lower decile household income. The first decile means the lowest 10 percent of the income group and the 10th decile means the highest 10 percent.

Accordingly, the number of students subject to a full scholarship increased from 81 to 132 (including a full scholarship for students from the sixth or lower decile household income), which accounts for 28.3 percent of 466 registered students. The school’s tuition per semester is 6.67 million won (5,700 U.S. dollars). Students who are in the second or lower decile will receive 300,000 won (256.41 dollars) to 500,000 won (427.35 dollars) for monthly living expenses.

The law school plans to impose a moral obligation on the beneficiaries by encouraging them to sign on a certificate, which mandates them to donate certain amount of money to the school’s junior students if they get a stable income. The certificate will ask the recipients to start donation within five years from employment and pay back more than the scholarship within 10 years.

“Students will be able to study hard regardless of their economic conditions," said Lee Won-woo, dean of the law school. "I also hope that a virtuous cycle of returning the scholarship back to school after employment will take root.”

전주영기자 aimhigh@donga.com