[Global Korea]Korea University "Scholarships for outstanding students will be abolished and we will provide benefits to the students who are in low-income group"

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Korea Univ. presented a reorganization plan on scholarship that focuses on the students who are in financial difficulties abolishing the scholarship for outstanding students at the same time from next semester.

This plan tries to focus on providing a scholarship to the students who are having a difficulty of studying due to their current economic status rather than providing it to the students for their outstanding performance.

Nonetheless, there is a growing concern about whether the abolition of scholarship for outstanding students is a preferable option or not since it could result in reduced motivation for students.

Yum Jae-ho, the president of Korea university, said in a press conference at 2pm on the 14th that "Moving away from the system that provides financial supports to the students with outstanding grades we plan to prevent the situations where students who decide to drop out or spend less time on studying because of their financial difficulties from happening."

Korea Univ. named its scholarship system the "freedom, justice and truth scholarship system."

3.5 billion won was allocated to the freedom scholarship that supports students' activities and the students who are in financial difficulties. The justice scholarship that 20 billion won is allocated to is provided to the students who are suffering from financial difficulties so that they would not have to decide to drop out or spend less time on studying.

고려대 "성적장학금 폐지, 저소득층에 혜택 초점"

고려대학교가 국내 대학 최초로 내년 1학기부터 성적장학금을 없애는 한편 가계 곤란 학생들에게 초점을 맞춘 장학제도 개편안을 발표했다.

단순히 공부 잘하는 학생이 아니라 각종 형편 때문에 학업이 어려운 학생에게 장학기금을 집중시킨다는 방침이다.

하지만 성적장학금 폐지가 '학업 동기부여 단절'이라는 측면에서 과연 바람직한 것인지에 대한 논란도 커지고 있는 상황이다.

염재호 고려대 총장은 14일 오후 2시 고려대 본관 3층에서 기자간담회를 열어 "공부를 잘하면 금전적으로 보상을 받는 체제에서 벗어나 가계 형편이 어려운 학생들이 생활비를 마련하고자 학업에 소홀하거나 중단하는 일이 없도록 하자는 취지에서 이번에 장학제도를 개편하게 됐다"고 배경을 설명했다.

고려대는 이번에 새로운 장학제도를 '자유·정의·진리 장학제도'로 명명했다. 자유장학금은 학생자치활동 장학금과 근로장학금으로, 35억원이 배정됐다. 200억원이 편성된 정의장학금은 경제적 문제가 학업에 걸림돌이 되지 않도록 학생들에 장학금을 지원한다.