[1.3.4.] Bottom financial quintile student support 

Programmes or initiatives to assist students who fall into the bottom 20% of household income group (or a more tightly defined target) in the country to successfully complete their studies

Pusan National University(PNU) implements targeted support programs to ensure students from the bottom 20% income bracket complete their studies.

1. PNU’s Scholarship eligibility and selection criteria explicitly include “those facing financial hardship,” “individuals eligible for educational protection under relevant laws,” and “basic livelihood security recipients.”

Awards are determined using the minimum cost of living and standard health insurance premium benchmarks. 

Income-linked scholarships for bottom-20% and economically vulnerable students include the University Welfare Scholarship, Academic Support Scholarship, and Academic Incentive Grant.

2. PNU partners with the Korea Student Aid Foundation to provide tiered, income-based scholarships. 

Students in the bottom 20%―including basic livelihood security recipients and the next-lowest income bracket―receive priority for work-study scholarships.

3. To reduce tuition and living-cost burdens, PNU participates in loan programs led by the Korea Student Aid Foundation: Tuition Loan, Living Expense Loan, and Post-Employment Repayment Loan. 

The 2024 student loan interest rate was frozen at 1.7%; interest relief is provided for children of basic livelihood security recipients and students in the next-lowest income bracket for a designated period.

4. Under the 2024 Blue Ladder Project, PNU offered free overseas training to 51 students from economically vulnerable backgrounds to develop global competencies and explore career pathways.