The first example of a partial refund of tuition fees in college is expected to emerge in the near future with the backlash from students saying that Corona 19 was infringing on the right to study due to non-face-to-face classes throughout the semester.

Other universities are considering non-refundable application methods such as special scholarships, but it is said to be negative for the tuition refund itself.

According to the university district on the 15th, Konkuk University decided to hold the General Student Association and the 8th Tuition Deliberation Committee from April this year to discuss how to refund the tuition and finalize the final amount within this week.

Tuition refunds will be made by a certain percentage reduction in the next semester's tuition bill for 15,000 students (based on undergraduate students in Seoul campus) for the first semester of this year.

In some cases, some universities in Daegu paid tuition fees to pay all students 100,000 to 200,000 won in special scholarships in cash, but it was the first time that Konkuk University decided to cut tuition fees to compensate for infringement of learning rights.

Previously, the Konkuk University Student Association requested the school to deliberate on the partial refund of tuition in April when the spread of Corona 19 made it impossible to proceed with the normal academic schedule.

The university headquarters was in a position that it was difficult for the government to refund the amount of registration for the 2020 school year, which was already determined, in cash.

However, after reviewing the results of the'Survey on Participation Tuition Refunds due to Infringement of Learning Rights', which was attended by about 4,000 students, it was said that they promised to "provide a monetary compensation plan equivalent to refunds."

After discussion, the University Headquarters and the General Student Association agreed to the'Refundable Highland Reduction Scholarship' plan, in which a certain amount of money is reduced by the school when the first semester enrolls for the next semester.

However, the final conclusion continues to be put off as both sides have a last-minute tug of war for the correct amount.

An official from the student council said, "The university presented only the scholarship budget that was already assigned as the total refund amount. However, considering that this was the budget for the student from the beginning, I thought it did not fit the purpose." I am asking the university to do something."

The decision by Konkuk University will also affect other universities facing students' demand for tuition refunds.

In the college district ahead of the end of the first semester, the quality of classes is poor and the university facilities have not been used.

Groups of university students, such as the National Student Council, demand compensation for infringement of learning rights and hold press conferences in succession across the country.

The'Tuition Return Movement Headquarters', led by the National University Student Network, is recruiting participants for lawsuits to return tuition against each university and the Ministry of Education.

However, most universities are in a position that it is difficult to refund the tuition for the first semester, except that some universities consider considering returning students a certain amount in the form of special scholarships.

An official from a private university in Seoul said, "Even if I did a non-face-to-face class, there was a lot of expenditure at the university, such as the cost of anti-corrosion due to Corona 19, and the cost of equipment for remote classes." Said.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, “It is a matter for Konkuk University to decide on its own.”

In fact, the Korea University Education Council (Daekyo Association), a four-year university council, said that it was impossible to refund the tuition in bulk because it had no financial capacity due to freezing of tuition.

Instead, they expressed that they would use the budget for university innovation support projects supported by the Ministry of Education in the form of special scholarships or living incentives for students if the use restrictions were lifted even this year.

The university innovation support project is a program created by integrating the five existing financial support projects to enhance the basic competency of the university. The amount received can be used only for specific purposes such as education and research improvement costs.

(Photo = Konkuk University, Yonhap News)