It is kind of a strange story, but I will join the Tuition Committee as the President of the Undergraduate Association on Jan. 4. Actually, our college tuition is always the same and exempt from scholarships in many cases, so I did not think it is important. However, as a person representing students, I had to think more about it. I joined tuition camp, at which people learn about fee calculation method and law of higher education. I also analyzed the various financial figures of the school.
In the process, I felt both pride and sadness. Like our nescience to the thing that we have seen for a long time, we often unintentionally ignored the achievements of POSTECH. In fact, our research accomplishments are not the only strong point of our university. Our college’s scholarships and advanced financial system is also something we should be proud of. Are there any other private universities in this country with a tuition of 2,700,000 KRW in a semester? No!
Also, many students are exempt from even this amount. Additionally, our college has been paying more than 85,000,000 KRW per student. It is four times more than Korea University, which pays 20,000,000 KRW per student. Most private universities gather more than half of school operating funds from student fees; POSTECH’s student fees are only 13.7% of all school operating funds. Other private college corporation’s contribution to school operating funds is only 4.7%, but our corporation has covered 34.9% of university operating expenses.
Cheaper tuition is not the only thing that we have. Related institutions are also more advanced than any other university. For example, the four-installment system will be introduced from next year's tuition. The Ministry of Education asked universities to cooperate by implementing this, but POSTECH is the only one that followed. Postechians are exempt from the university entrance fee, which costs more than 10,000,000 KRW. There is no private university anywhere in the Korean peninsula that has done more to liberate students from the financial burdens of university.
But why was our school name is not presented in 2012, the year that all college students complained about ‘half tuition’? Why was POSTECH not mentioned as a role model? If we advertised the above examples correctly, we would certainly be considered the best private university in Korea, and would often be presented as the good example for numerous students who demand fiscal consolidation in the university.
Over the last 30 years we have achieved unprecedented results as a ‘research university’. In fact, professors and researchers are always above the rank of our university because they have been done research so well. However, that is not POSTECH’s only point to be proud of. The advanced financial systems can also serve as models for private universities. Our university is not just the best ‘research university’. POSTECH is the best 'university'. This year is to be proud of ourselves, and proudly announce this achievement. Thank you.