South Korea's Ministry of Education / KOSAF tuition-aid program for Korean undergraduates: Type I (income-linked) up to ~2.85M KRW/semester, Type II (university), Work-Study, and Multi-Child scholarships by Korean income bracket (1–9 tiers + basic-livelihood).
| Korean basic-livelihood | Full tuition + study support 2M KRW |
| Korean near-poor (차상위) | Full tuition + study support |
| Tier 1 (≤30% median) | ~2.85M KRW/semester |
| Tier 2 (≤50%) | ~2.85M KRW/semester |
| Tier 3 (≤70%) | ~2.85M KRW/semester |
| Tier 4 (≤90%) | ~2.60M KRW/semester |
| Tier 5 (≤110%) | ~2.10M KRW/semester |
| Tier 6 (≤130%) | ~2.10M KRW/semester |
| Tier 7 (≤150%) | ~1.75M KRW/semester |
| Tier 8 (≤200%) | ~1.75M KRW/semester |
| Tier 9 (≤300%) | ~1.00M KRW/semester (added Fall 2024) |
| Tier 10 | Not eligible for Type I (can still apply for Korean work-study or merit) |
| Type I (income-based) | Korean household income-based tiered grant, capped at tuition |
| Type II (university-based) | Korean university funding + gov matching; amount varies by Korean school |
| Work-Study | Korean on/off-campus work, hourly ~12,000–13,000 KRW |
| Multi-child (3+ kids) | Full tuition for tiers 1–8; up to 5.2M KRW/semester |
| Blue Lighthouse (푸른등대) | Private donation-funded for Korean low-income/excellent students, up to 5.2M KRW/sem |
| Merit (Dream/Humanities100) | Korean merit-based, covers tuition + stipend |
| Regional Talent | Korean provincial universities, tuition + study support |
| Academic criteria | Previous Korean semester ≥12 credits + GPA 80/100 (basic-livelihood relaxed) |
Korean income tiers, caps, and academic criteria change annually — always verify on the official Korean sources below.
| KOSAF Call Center (Korea) | 1599-2000 (weekdays 09:00–18:00 KST) |
| Korea Ministry of Education | +82-44-203-6114 |
| Each Korean university's financial aid office | See your Korean school's bursar / 학사지원처 |
This page summarizes publicly available information from Korea's Ministry of Education and the Korea Student Aid Foundation (KOSAF) as of April 2026, and applies only to Korean residents enrolled at Korean universities. Korean income-tier caps, Korean GPA requirements, and Korean application schedules change each Korean academic year. Actual Korean award amounts depend on household recognized income, assets, school type (national vs. private), and tuition cost. This page has no legal effect — confirm your Korean eligibility and the 2026 tier table on KOSAF (kosaf.go.kr) before applying. The operator is not responsible for missed Korean deadlines, tier misinterpretation, or declined applications arising from reliance on this page.
The Korea National Scholarship (국가장학금) is South Korea's main tuition-aid program, launched in 2012 and operated by the Korea Student Aid Foundation (KOSAF) under the Korean Ministry of Education. Korean awards are tiered by household recognized income across 8 original tiers plus a 9th tier added in Fall 2024, covering roughly 500,000 additional Korean undergraduates. In 2026 Korean basic-livelihood and near-poor students receive full Korean tuition plus 2M KRW in study support; tiers 1–3 receive ~2.85M KRW per semester; tiers 4–9 are tapered down to ~1.0M KRW. Beyond Type I (income-linked), Korean students can combine Type II (university-specific), work-study (~12,000–13,000 KRW/hr at Korean campuses or partner Korean local governments), the Korean Multi-Child Scholarship (up to 5.2M KRW/sem for families with 3+ kids in tiers 1–8), Blue Lighthouse donation-funded grants, merit scholarships, and regional-talent awards. Korean applications run twice a year (Nov–Dec and Feb–Mar) at kosaf.go.kr and take 4–8 weeks for tier determination via linked Korean NHIS and NTS records.
The 1st Korean round (Nov–Dec) is the default; you get your Korean income tier before tuition is due, so your Korean university auto-applies the scholarship. 2nd-round Korean applicants often must pay Korean tuition first and get reimbursed later, causing a short cash crunch.
Yes. KOSAF computes a 'recognized income' combining Korean income and Korean assets (housing, vehicles, financial). Owning a Korean home or significant Korean investments can push you to a higher tier. Basic-living cost deductions apply; see the 'income tier check' page on KOSAF.
Type I is limited to tiers 1–9, so tier 10 Korean students don't qualify. However they can still apply for Korean work-study, university Type II, merit (Dream, Humanities100, Blue Lighthouse), and regional-talent awards regardless of income tier — check KOSAF and your Korean school's bursar.
The default is ≥12 credits + GPA 80/100 from the previous Korean semester. Korean basic-livelihood/near-poor students get a relaxed threshold (C grade, 70+). The first semester of Korean freshmen, transfer, and re-entry students is exempt. Two 'C warnings' in a row blocks the next Korean semester.
Type I is for Korean undergraduates. Korean grad students have separate programs (humanities/social, STEM, industry-matched) and can also use Korean income-contingent or general student loans through KOSAF.
Yes. The Korean scholarship typically discounts tuition first, and the remainder (plus living costs) can be borrowed through Korean general or income-contingent student loans via KOSAF.
The Korea National Scholarship (국가장학금) is South Korea's core tuition-aid program, operated by the Korea Student Aid Foundation (KOSAF) under the Korean Ministry of Education. In 2026 Korean awards are tiered across 8 original brackets plus a 9th tier added in Fall 2024 (covering household recognized income up to ~300% of Korean median). Korean basic-livelihood and near-poor students receive full Korean tuition plus 2,000,000 KRW in study support; tiers 1–3 receive about 2.85 million KRW per Korean semester, tier 4 ~2.60M, tiers 5–6 ~2.10M, tiers 7–8 ~1.75M, and tier 9 ~1.00M. Korean Type I (income-linked) is complemented by Type II (Korean university-funded with government matching), Korean work-study (12,000–13,000 KRW hourly at Korean campuses and partner Korean local governments), the Korean Multi-Child National Scholarship (full tuition for Korean tiers 1–8 with 3+ children, up to 5.2M KRW/semester), the Blue Lighthouse donation scholarship (also up to 5.2M KRW), and Korean merit scholarships like Dream, Humanities100, and Regional Talent. Korean applications open twice per year on kosaf.go.kr — 1st round November–December, 2nd round February–March — and tier determination takes 4–8 weeks through Korean NHIS and NTS record linkage plus Korean household consent. The default Korean academic requirement is ≥12 credits and GPA ≥80/100 from the previous Korean semester (relaxed for basic-livelihood/near-poor Korean students). Korean student loans (general or income-contingent) can be combined with this scholarship for any remaining Korean tuition and living costs. Korean tier 10 households are ineligible for Type I, but Korean work-study, Type II, and merit awards remain open. Check KOSAF (www.kosaf.go.kr) and your Korean university bursar for 2026 specifics. This program applies only to Korean universities and does not cover overseas or foreign-student scholarships.