Study in Korea

Why Korea?

Systematic support programs from the government

Compared with English speaking countries (like the UK and the USA) or Japan, Korea has lower tuition fees, living costs and also well-prepared scholarship programs for international students.

The Korean government has provided scholarships to 6,556 international students from 148 nations since 1967, and supports approximately 2,000 students annually. Applicants can also search other financial support programs offered through specific universities, foundations and companies.

Highly competitive educational system

Korea has been recognized globally for its excellence in education. , Korea is ranks at the top of OECD countries for scholastic achievement and educational competitiveness.

High life satisfaction reported by international students

With Korea noted as one of the safest countries in the world to study in, the number of international students continues to increase every year. In particular, postgraduate students have risen steadily over the past 5 years. Many Korean universities support scholarship programs for graduate degrees and assist in finding job opportunities in Korean companies and academic positions at universities after graduation.

Employment and career development and support for international students

 International students enrolled in regular degree courses or language course can apply for permission
to participate in additional part-time activities and work.
- Annual job fair for international students held each year by government
- Online employment support system, including online resume postings and information about job opportunities.

Education has been a key factor in Korea's rapid economic growth over the past four decades. We hope to share information about education possibilities in Korea through the Korean government’s "Study in Korea Project".

Korean Government Scholarship Program

Purpose

To provide international students with opportunities to conduct advanced studies in undergraduate & graduate programs at higher educational institutions in the Republic of Korea in order to promote international exchanges in education and mutual friendship between countries.

Available Options in Universities

Undergraduate course: 4-year courses at designated universities
Transferring between universities is not allowed. (e.g. Starting studies at the junior year is not allowed.)
Graduate course: Master's or Ph.D. courses at general graduate schools of Korean universities

Total Candidates to be Selected

170 persons (undergraduate course), 700 persons (graduate course)

Korea Language Training

Grantees are required to take Korean language training courses for 1 year at a language institution located on-campus of the domestic universities. (Those who have attained a Korean language fluency score higher than level 5 in TOPIK are exempt from this requirement.)

Application Procedure

Qualifications

Both an applicant and his/her parents must be citizens of their country of origin.
Applicants should not hold Korean citizenship.
- Applicants should have adequate health, both mentally and physically, to stay in a foreign country for a long time.
- Should be under 25 years of age at the date of entrance. (Undergraduate)
- Should be under 40 years of age at the date of entrance. (Graduate)
- Have finished or be scheduled to finish formal education of all elementary, middle, high school courses by the date of arrival. (Undergraduate)

- Possess a grade point average (G.P.A.) above 80% from the last educational institution attended.
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master's degree by the date of arrival. (Graduate)
Applicants who have previously acheived in any undergraduate program, master’s program, or doctoral program in Korea cannot apply for this program.

However, former or current KGSP scholars who hold the overall grade of 90% or above can reapply to this program once either through the embassy or university track.

Admission Procedures

(1) General Admission Procedures for Foreign Students

• Admission Preparation step
• Selection of university and department. Visit website of
  each university make inquires at Korean embassy in home country
  (refer to www.studyinkorea.go.kr)
• Meet requirements and prepare documents for entrance application
• Send entrance application and related documents
• Receive entry confirmation
• Immigration Preparation
• Prepare necessary visa documents
  (Make inquires at Korean embassy in home country, visit websitewww.immigration.go.kr)
• Apply for visa
• Acquire visa

(2) Required documents

• application form
• self-introduction and study plan
• letter of recommendation
• academic record at previous institution and proof of graduation
• photocopy of passport or proof of nationality
• proof of Korean and English ability
• portfolio, video clips, etc. (for arts and physical education applicants only)
• documents proving financial stability
• proof of the student’s or financial guarantor’s bank balance (maintained for at least one month), domestic remittance,
     or currency certificate of the amount equivalent to or larger than the average annual expenses for tuition and living
• - certificate of property tax payment
• - pledge to bear study expenses, etc

Documents required and application deadlines are different for each university. Refer to each university’s homepage for details.

Information related to other universities and majors can be found at www.studyinkorea.go.kr

Depending on the document (usually a certificate proving the highest level of education) some places might require
    translation authentication or an Apostille confirmation.

* Apostille : A system that allows foreign documents to be used without the confirmation of the Korean embassy. Over 100 countries
   are involved in the Apostille system.

(3) Application Period

For spring semester, applications are accepted during the previous September-November period. For the fall semester, applications are accepted during the May-June period. Many university applications can be found and completed on the Internet. There are two types of undergraduate admission (1) regular entrance requires the completion of a high school education, and (2) transfer between universities requires a certain amount of credits from the transferring school or completion of undergraduate study.

(4) Application Methods

Although most universities use documents and scores to determine a student’s level of competence, some universities prefer to conduct interviews or require that student applicants take specially prepared tests.

Visa application procedures

Anyone who wants to study abroad must obtain a student visa from a Korean Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence. This can be obtained only after preparing all the required documents to enter Korea, including an admission letter. The type of visa required differs according to what kind of course (Korean language training, regular degree, research, or exchange student) will be taken. For a student visa, applicants (seeking a degree higher than a professional school, research course, or exchange student course will require a D-2 visa) and those studying Korean language at a university language school will need a D-4 Visa (For more information on student visas, please visit the Korea Immigration Service websitehttp://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/index.do)

Tuition Fees in Korea

Students should consider the tuition fees before selecting the desired university at which to study. Typically, national universities have lower tuition fees than private universities. Since tuition fees may differ depending on colleges or universities, you need to confirm in advance the tuition fees for the college or the university you would like to enter.

Application fees differ from university to university. Many universities have scholarships for foreign students.
Reference: Higher Education in Korea (http://www.academyinfo.go.kr)

For a comfortable stay in Korea during the study period, we recommend considering the cost for transportation, study materials, dorm fees and miscellaneous expenses.

Other fees depend heavily on whether the campus is located in a metropolis or suburb area. Thus, determining the exact location of the campus in advance is recommended.

Daily life in Korea

Housing:

After deciding to study in Korea, the next things to do is to decide a school and accommodation. When deciding on a school, availability of dormitory should be considered. When unavailable, a boarding house or renting a room can be also an option.

a. Dormitory

Most universities in Korea manage apartments on campus, dormitories, and/or various types of residences. In order to stay in a dormitory students have to follow the application procedures which can be different depending on the university so students should check the process on the university website.

(1) Application period: February for spring semester, August for fall semester
(2) Required documents: dormitory application form and other documents required by each university
(3) Types: a room for 1 person, 2 people or 4 people
(4) Cost: 1,000,000 - 1,500,000KRW for one semester (sometimes meals can be included)
(5) Length of stay: one semester (application to be submitted each semester)
(6) Note: rules and regulations of each university should be checked and followed

b. Boarding House

When a dormitory is not available, the next option is a boarding house. A boarding house provides room and food and receives payment, which differs from room rent without meals. A boarding house is popular for young students because it is a good way to become familiar with Korean lifestyle. However, it is hard to maintain privacy in a boarding house because it is a communal type of residence.

(1) Where to find: many boarding houses available around university campuses

(2) Price: 200,000-1,000,000KRW per month (Depending on cities, the price varies: in Seoul, 350,000KRW - 550,000KRW, in metropolitan cities such Daegu or Busan, 300,000KRW - 500,000KRW, and in other rural areas, less expensive.)

(3) Meal: usually breakfast and dinner are provided at a fixed dining time. (Students should strictly observe the dining time)

(4) How to find: the best way to find a proper house for you is to look for one by yourself. You can refer to the bulletin boards of your college or university. (Some colleges and universities offer housing information through the International Partnership Department). You can also refer to advertisements in newspapers.

(5) Contract: directly contact the landlord of the house and to agree upon the contract.

Tip! Important things consider when looking for room & board-One person or two persons in a room?

* What time is breakfast and dinner?
* What is the menu?
* Is the kitchen available?
* Is the bathroom clean?
* How many students share a bathroom?
* Is a laundry machine available?
* What is furnished?
* Is lnternet available and included?

c. Goshiwon

A Goshiwon is a small room somewhere around three square meters that students will often live in for a number of months in order to focus on a test. It usually has very limited space but is commonly furnished with an air-conditioner, desk, and bed. Usually there is a shared laundry machine and some goshiwons have restaurants attached. Careful decision should be made considering safety and emergency procedures in case of incidents such as fire.

Goshiwons are very affordable, located near each college or university area, especially in Sinlim-dong and Noryangjin-dong in Seoul. The cost may differ depending on options such as facilities and meals. The cost ranges from 200,000 to 550,000KRW per month. Information can be found on bulletin boards or websites of universities.

d. Rent

You can rent a room for one person or a house with several rooms that would be suitable for several people.

(1) How to find: real estate offices, house advertisements in newspapers and other advertisements.

(2) Types: Officetel, apartment, one bachelor room, a house good for one person

(3) Kind of lease

(a) Wolse (Monthly Rent): There are two types; no deposit, but monthly payment, or a small deposit which will lessen the monthly rent amount.

(b) Jeonse (Key money deposit): Jeonse or key money deposit is a housing rental system specific to Korea. Instead of paying monthly rent to a landlord, a large lump sum payment is deposited into the landlord’s bank account for the duration of the contract. By law, Jeonse contracts are signed for two years. At the end of the contract, the deposited amount is returned to the renter.

Studio (One Room): The rooms more furnished and closer to subway stations or bus stops are more expensive. One room includes facilities for eating, sleeping, and cooking.

House: Students can rent one room or several rooms.The more expensive ones have better facilities and location.

Town house: It is composed of two bedrooms, living room, bathroom, and balcony.

 Apartment:

In Korea, it is common that no furniture and home appliances are provided to tenants. Therefore, tenants should urnish their rooms by themselves.

(c) Combined Payment (Monthly payment + deposit): Wolse requires renters to deposit an arranged amount of money with the landlord, with monthly rent paid on a specified date of each month. The minimum deposit amount depends on the landlord, but the total amount of deposit sum is negotiable with the landlord. The deposit sum can be increased in order to lower the monthly rent fee. For instance, an increase of 5 million won in deposit money will result in a deduction of 50,000 won from the monthly rental fee. In the case the renter fails to make a monthly payment, the landlord has the right to deduct the amount from the key money deposit.

When making a contract for one bachelor room (one-room), flats or apartments, it is safest and wisest to use real estate agents. Information can be found in various newspapers, periodicals or advertisements, but again real estate agents are more recommended.

?National Tax Service Call Center: 1588-0560
?Seoul City Call Center for Commercial Lease: 02)2133-1221
?Korean Legal Aid Cooperation: 132
?Real Estate Transaction Management Call Center: 1588-0149

Korea Association of Realtors: http://www.kar.or.kr

Tip! Things to consider when renting a room:
What is furnished: air-conditioner, desk, bed?

* Is the place furnished with a washing machine?
* What are the conditions of the lease?
* Are utilities included?
* How much is the monthly maintenance fee?
* Is Internet connection free?
* How often should/can I dispose of garbage