Korea University (KU) formalized in July the implementation of new scholarships for foreign students. “Starting from the second semester of 2022, the scholarship system for foreigners has been reorganized, expanding the type of allocated scholarships,” reads the post on the Korea University Portal to Information Depository (KUPID). Students with an outstanding GPA for two consecutive semesters or more than 12 credits and significantly improved grades from the previous semester will now be eligible for the scholarship. 

The newly restructured system was unveiled after rumors of purposefully increasing the quota of admitted international students sparked disdain among several foreigners seeking a Korean degree. According to Paek Jung-ha’s (Korean Council for University Education) declaration to the Chosun Biz, colleges might be trying to compensate for the imposed cap on tuition fees for Korean nationals by seeking more foreign contributions.

As expected, students have been particularly vocal about the issue. Canadian student Ravael Rajan (’21 Psychology) and Naama Benamy Schoneveld (’20 Linguistics) from Israel, told The Granite Tower (GT) about their participation in the signing of a petition to demand changes in the arguably pressing criteria that undermined many foreigners in search of a scholarship.