[467 Cover] Dongguk University Decides to Increase Tuition Fees for the First Time in 18 Years

   After more than 15 years of tuition fee freezes, the Ministry of Education, caught in the turmoil of South Korea’s current political instability, failed to defend the freeze any longer. Universities have now decided to increase their tuition fees by up to the legal limit of 5.49%. Dongguk University also proposed a 5.30% increase, but after student opposition, they approved a 4.98% increase. The College of Pharmacy raised tuition fees by 4.10%, adding to the already high cost. 

   For private universities, tuition is determined autonomously by each institution. The autonomy largely belongs to the universities. However, despite this autonomy, universities did not raise tuition for a long period due to government policies. As the period grew longer, the university’s financial situation worsened due to insufficient measures, leading to financial difficulties. According to Hwang In-sung, Secretary-General of the Korea Association of Private University Presidents, the tuition freeze has caused difficulties in university operations and talent development, increasing financial struggles. The freeze has hindered the recruitment of excellent professors, improvement in the quality of courses, and renovation of educational facilities. Moreover, given South Korea’s high rate of higher education enrollment, he argues that the country must increase financial support and improve administrative regulations to ensure sufficient funding. This tuition increase, he claims, is an inevitable decision, considering the current economic situation and rising living costs. 

   Dongguk University claims that tuition increases are essential for improving areas such as its founding philosophy, education, research, regional cooperation, management, and infrastructure. On its 120th anniversary, the university plans to further strengthen its tradition and status, and create a future-oriented educational and research environment. To do so, the tuition increase is seen as an essential decision, viewed as necessary for the sustainable development of the university. The university plans to use the funds to enhance the quality of education, research, and infrastructure. Dongguk University aims to nurture creative, interdisciplinary talents by expanding academic programs and promoting them. Investment in science and technology, focusing on STEM fields, is especially crucial to train talent for the fourth industrial revolution. With this foundation, the university plans to actively respond to research projects from the government and private sectors, such as the RISE project, and invest more in strengthening the Bio-Medi Campus (BMC) development base. Additionally, the construction of the Lotus Hall is set to begin. The project is scheduled for completion by 2028. 

   These initiatives are seen as critical steps in establishing Dongguk University as a competitive educational institution in the long term. Therefore, the tuition increase is not just a measure to ensure financial stability, but an investment in the future generation of talent and the creation of a sustainable educational environment. Dongguk University firmly believes that these decisions will ultimately provide better educational opportunities for students and contribute to enhancing the university’s competitiveness. 

   On the other hand, there is doubt whether the policies are being implemented in proportion to the tuition increase. Although tuition has been raised, if the corresponding improvements in education, facilities, and student welfare have not been made, the increase will seem unjustified. If tuition increases, students should be able to experience tangible changes or benefits as a result of that increase. 

   First, there is the issue of insufficient facility improvements. For instance, the Wonheung Building has leaking facilities that have been left unattended, and there are many complaints about the desks where students feel inconvenient, which still have not been improved. If basic facilities are not being upgraded while tuition rises, students will feel no actual change. The indiscriminate increase in international students and scholarship policies is also problematic. While increasing the number of international students may positively affect university rankings, it caused dissatisfaction among domestic students. Currently, scholarship system for international students is easier and covers a broader range than that for Korean students. In addition, as the number of international student’s increases, in some departments, there are issues with class sizes, preventing domestic students from attending or participating in classes effectively, leading to conflicts among students. While the university needs to attract international students, if the support available for domestic students is insufficient, dissatisfaction among students cannot be quelled. 

   The Buddhist scholarship is another issue. As a university with a Buddhist heritage, university provides scholarships related to Buddhism. Still, if the criteria for these scholarships are unclear or unfairly managed, it could lead to another student dissatisfaction. In fact, many students have expressed concerns about the university’s support for Buddhist student organizations, citing incidents of excessive funding for events like Young camps, with some students even jokingly claiming that joining the Buddhist student association, regardless of your religious beliefs, was a way to receive money. The university needs to clarify the standards and usage of these funds to dispel doubts about the effectiveness of these initiatives. 

   Lastly, there is the issue of the university’s accumulated funds. Dongguk University has accumulated a significant number of reserves, which makes the tuition increase seem unnecessary. Of course, tuition fees are rarely accumulated in reserves, and the accounting for reserves is handled under non-tuition funds, not tuition revenue. However, there is an argument about whether it is possible to reallocate reserves accumulated in non-tuition funds, such as endowments, without increasing tuition fees. 

   The Student Council “DongBaek” left the following statement: “The tuition fee review committee has been completed. To ensure the benefits that students can actually feel after the tuition fee increase, a ‘Communication and Sympathy Committee’ has been organized. This committee reviews the benefits of the tuition increase and the usage of the budget, as well as discussing student complaints, including issues like nDRIMS. The university has stated that it will accommodate student demands as much as possible, and measures such as expanding academic scholarships, supporting hot water in the new engineering building, and replacing desks with integrated ones. Additionally, the progress of addressing students’ complaints and their demands will be communicated in real-time through the Student Council Emergency Response Committee. However, under the emergency response committee system, there have been difficulties in conveying students’ positions. The tuition fee increase, which occurred for the first time in over ten years, made it challenging to organize a collective response or to effectively communicate students’ positions to the school. In this situation, active involvement from students is necessary to ensure and to protect their rights.” 

   The tuition increase rate, which was initially higher, was reduced after negotiations between the university and the student council. In addition, the university has promised to address students’ concerns and improve the relevant areas. Still, it will lead to financial burdens on students and parents. Also, there is concern that tuition fees will continue to rise in the future. The university must consider these points and implement appropriate policies, and students should organize their community to strengthen their voices, while continuously monitoring the university and discussing its direction.