Currently, undergraduate tuition at GIST is 4.05 million won per semester. After institutional scholarships are applied, students pay 1.03 million won. The Student Records Team is preparing to restructure how students’ tuition costs are covered, beginning in the 2027 academic year.
Where GIST Tuition Stands
GIST’s tuition is currently set at 4.05 million won, of which 3.02 million won is waived upfront through an institutional scholarship, leaving students to pay 1.03 million won. The amount students pay out of pocket was first set at 1 million won when the undergraduate program was established in 2010. It was raised by 3% in 2013 to reflect inflation and other factors and has remained unchanged through the 2026 academic year.
Other specialized science and technology institutes (hereafter, S&T institutes) award scholarships covering all or half of tuition based on the previous semester’s grades, whereas GIST students pay the same amount regardless of academic performance. Regarding this difference, the Student Records Team explained, “Not all S&T institutes operate the same tuition and scholarship system,” noting that differences in each university’s founding background, financial structure, and approach to student support lead to different ways of determining how much tuition students pay. The team added that it has maintained the current system so that students can focus on their studies in a stable financial environment, without undue financial pressure associated with grade-based scholarships.
The Student Records Team said tuition revenue is not earmarked for specific projects or programs. Instead, it is used within the institution’s overall budget for education, research, and student support. Specific uses include academic programs — course delivery, study programs abroad during academic breaks, G-SURF (GIST Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship), and undergraduate research and study abroad programs — as well as student welfare and facility improvements. “In particular, we have used this revenue to support programs that require substantial funding, such as UC Berkeley Summer Sessions, so that they can run smoothly while keeping students’ own costs to a minimum,” the team said.
Will Tuition Support Depend on Grades?
The Emergency Response Committee is currently in talks with the Student Records Team about students’ out-of-pocket tuition payments. Committee Chair Kim Yeon-woo questioned the 1.03 million won payment, saying, “Since the beginning of the semester, the committee has raised concerns internally about whether students’ out-of-pocket payments are necessary and how the money is used.” The chair added that these existing concerns, together with the push for a zero-tuition policy at regional national universities, had reinforced the need for substantive discussions about GIST students’ out-of-pocket tuition payments.
Explaining the committee’s priorities for tuition restructuring, the chair said, “The internal consensus was that our first priority should be understanding whether students’ out-of-pocket payments are necessary and how the money is used, rather than reducing those payments to zero.” The committee has requested information from the Student Records Team on the background and rationale for the payment. It has also asked how much revenue these student payments generated over the past three years and how the money was spent. In the chair’s assessment, students’ payments account for a very small share of the university’s overall finances and have minimal impact on its operations. On that basis, the committee aims to eliminate students’ out-of-pocket tuition payments through discussions with the university.
Meanwhile, the Student Records Team has also announced plans to restructure tuition funding starting in the spring semester of 2027. Tuition will remain at 4.05 million won per semester, but how it is covered will change. Under the proposed structure, National Scholarship funding would be applied first, followed by support from existing institutional scholarships for the remaining tuition. The team is also reviewing a plan to link tuition reductions provided through existing institutional scholarships to academic performance criteria, similar to other S&T institutes. Specific details, including grade requirements and the extent of tuition reductions, have not yet been finalized and will be announced to students once confirmed.
“Given changes in the National Scholarship system, the educational environment, and students’ financial circumstances, we have decided to restructure how students’ tuition costs are covered, beginning in the spring semester of 2027,” the Student Records Team stated. The restructuring aims to ease students’ financial burden and reorganize the student support system so that they can focus on their studies in a stable financial environment. As tuition directly affects students, the team encouraged them to stay engaged and participate actively in the process.
Translated by Junil Byeon
(junil_byeon@gm.gist.ac.kr)