More Korean private universities set to abandon fee freeze

Tuition fee increases at South Korea’s universities are “unavoidable”, according to academics, despite last-ditch negotiation attempts by a government already grappling with constitutional crisis. 

Deputy prime minister and education minister Lee Ju-ho reportedly sent a letter to all universities at the end of December urging them to freeze tuition fees for the benefit of students, after it emerged that many were planning to hike their costs. 

Representatives from the Ministry of Education then met with both national and public university leaders in January. While national universities rowed back on plans to hike fees ahead of the 2025 academic year after they were promised more funding, private universities appear to be doubling down, despite similar financial pledges. 

A survey by the Korea Private University Presidents Council found that, of 90 respondents, 53 per cent intended to raise tuition fees. According to the government, 26 private universities already increased their fees last year. 

In South Korea, universities are legally permitted to raise their fees by a small percentage each year, at a rate that takes inflation levels into account. Currently, universities would be able to raise their fees by a maximum of about 5 per cent.

However, the government has effectively imposed a freeze since 2009 by taking away subsidies from institutions that do implement such increases. Until recently, this had been enough to prevent most from raising their prices. However, facing a financial crisis, attitudes appear to be changing. 

“With the pivot to AI and emerging technologies, operational costs – such as running advanced networks and recruiting top-tier faculty trained in these fields – have risen significantly,” said Theodore Jun Yoo, professor of Korean language and literature at Yonsei University. “In addition, students now expect much more from leading universities, making tuition increases inevitable to maintain competitiveness.”

At Yonsei University – one of the most expensive of Korea’s private institutions – undergraduate students can expect to pay about £5,000 per year in tuition fees. The university is now proposing a 5 per cent increase. Even if this goes ahead, Yoo said, it “remains a relative bargain”, particularly when compared with leading institutions in countries like the US. 

“Such hikes have become increasingly unavoidable for universities,” said Kyuseok Kim, centre director at IES Seoul, a study centre for international students. “However, the growing reliance on government funding undermines the independence of private universities and increases the vulnerability of private institutions to political and economic fluctuations.”

For national universities, backing down may mean they have “lost a critical opportunity to address financial challenges”, Kim added.

“University leaders are likely constrained by their heavy reliance on state budgets and the government’s longstanding influence over leadership appointments, making it difficult to defy the Ministry of Education’s advisory in this instance,” he said. 

“However, without tackling the underlying structural financial issues, this decision merely postpones the inevitable need for tuition reform.”

For all universities, “the timing is tricky”, added Yoo. While still ongoing, the debate over tuition fees has been largely overshadowed by political turmoil, following President Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law in December. The president has now been arrested and faces questioning by authorities. 

“Inflation, political and economic instability in the aftermath of Yoon’s failed coup, and the depreciation of the won, will likely make this move [to increase fees] unpopular,” Yoo said.

On the other hand, Kim said, “Some institutions may have perceived this particular moment as a rare opportunity to raise tuition fees, taking advantage of the political uncertainty and a temporary vacuum in national leadership”.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com