At the fourth Committee, the school explained that although the school has been having financial difficulties due to the tuition decrease or freeze that continued for last several years, committee members finally agreed to keep tuition fees at current level in order to lessen students’ burden.
Last year, the school has suggested raising its tuition by 2.4 percent at a meeting of the University Board of Trustees held on Dec. 30, 2014. The suggested increase rate is the maximum level the school is allowed to raise under the tuition restraint cap, set by the government.
Students protested against tuition raise under the lead of Student Government Association (SGA). Meanwhile, during the second and third Tuition Deliberation Committee that followed in January, the school continued to discuss the tuition increase plan.
“The Office of Financial Affairs (OFA) explained that the school is under financial restraints and suggested tuition increase plan as an alternative throughout committees,” said Lee Eun-jung, an assistant manager of OFA.
On Jan. 14, however, president Choi Kyung-hee spoke of the school’s resolution to freeze the tuition for the first time at a meeting with Hwang Woo-yea, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, who visited Ewha. At this meeting, Choi declared that “Although there were opinions for tuition raise because of financial difficulties, the school will try to support the government’s half-price tuition policy by freezing the tuition.”
This announcement of tuition freeze made by the president was confirmed on the next day at the committee.
“Most committee members agreed on the idea of the tuition raise. However, they agreed more on the necessity to ease students’ burden,” Lee explained. “All of committee members consented not to raise tuition at last.”
Students showed relieved response toward the final decision.
“I felt relieved that they are not raising the tuition,” Lee Ye-young (Christian Studies, 3) said. “I hope that solving students’ burden becomes school’s first priority.”
Kim Hye-won
kimhyewon@ewhain.net