내년 국가장학금·학자금 대출 제한 대학 20곳…지난해보다 3곳 늘어

Next year, the National Scholarship and Research Grant borrowing limitations will affect 20 universities. These universities will have reduced financial support due to insufficient educational conditions or difficult financial stabilization. The Ministry of Education announced the list of restricted and limited universities on the 24th.

Out of the 308 universities, 20 are classified as restricted, while 16 are categorized as completely restricted, meaning they cannot receive any financial support. Out of these, 8 are public universities and 8 are private universities. Restricted public universities include Gwangju Health University, Daegu Art University, Shinje University, Yeonwon Art University, Jeju International University, Korea Christian Theological University, Heejeong University, and Andong Nursing College.

Private universities in the restricted list are Gwangyang Health University, Naju University, Busan Art University, Seoul Art University, Songho University, Yeongju University, Yeongseo Foreign Language University, and Wonsu Industrial University. Notably, last year's restricted universities Catholic University of Daegu, Yeongseo Theological University, and South Korea University of Science have been removed from the list, while Seoul Art University and Yeongju University have been added.

However, Gwangyang Health University is scheduled to close on the 31st. The national scholarship and employment-resuming research grant borrowing will only be limited to these universities. The restrictions apply only to 2027's incoming and transfer students, while existing students can continue receiving financial support. However, if a student has been continuously receiving restricted support, they will continue to be restricted if they enter a restricted university before 2027.

The restrictions are adjusted to be more favorable for students. Over the years, the number of restricted universities has increased - from 10 in 2025, 17 in 2026, and 20 in 2027. The government has stopped using the annual education evaluation and restricted university assessment, replacing them with institutional assessments by the Korean University Evaluation Institute and the Korean Higher Vocational Education Assessment Certification Institute, as well as financial assessments from the Korean Foundation for the Advancement of Science and the Korean Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education.

The institution assessment includes four categories for general and industrial universities - university management and social responsibility, curriculum and student learning, university facilities and personnel, and student support and facilities. For specialized universities, an additional category of applied research and regional community cooperation is included, making it five categories.

To receive the institution assessment, a university must pass all five categories, or be conditionally accredited if it only meets some of them. If a university fails the assessment, it becomes a completely restricted university regardless of its financial status. If a university passes the assessment but is classified as a financial crisis university in the financial status assessment, it becomes a partially restricted university.

Education Minister Hee-won Lee advised students and parents to check the list of limited and restricted universities before selecting their desired school.