South Korea's top university considers $748 monthly stipend, free tuition for first foreign-only class

Seoul National University is considering covering full tuition and paying a monthly stipend of 1 million won (US$748) for every student in the first intake of its international-only undergraduate division, which will start admissions in fall 2027.

"Because we expect to select only a small number of students initially, we are preparing to provide scholarships to all of them," Noh Yoo-sun, the SNU College dean overseeing the launch of the Global Talent Division, told The Korea Herald.

Under the plan, students would receive the support for roughly their first three semesters, a period Noh described as "incubation" before they enter their majors.

The division will admit international students without requiring them to declare a major. Students are expected to spend about two to three semesters on intensive Korean-language and foundational courses before moving into eligible majors across 10 colleges.

"The amount has not been finalized yet," Noh said. "What we are currently considering is full tuition and 1 million won a month in living expenses."

SNU expects a first cohort of about 36 students but will set no fixed quota, he said, with the final number depending on the size of the applicant pool and how many candidates the university considers sufficiently qualified.

Noh said student support, including scholarships, can play a decisive role in the competition for top students, citing Vietnamese students admitted to SNU who chose the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) instead. About nine students have made a similar choice, he said.

"If we want to attract outstanding students, what the university can offer those students becomes very important," he said.

He acknowledged that offering the division's students better scholarships than other international students admitted through SNU's special admissions for foreigners could raise fairness concerns.

The main gate of Seoul National University’s Gwanak campus in Seoul. Photo courtesy of Seoul National University

SNU is also considering charging students in the division higher tuition than Korean students, partly because they will receive extra support such as intensive Korean-language classes and one-on-one peer tutoring, Noh said. The amount has not been set and would need approval through the university's tuition-setting process.

If the scholarship package is finalized, however, the first cohort would have its tuition fully covered during the premajor period.

Noh said SNU is still building the systems needed to recruit, teach and support more international undergraduates, including stronger Korean-language instruction, tailored foundational courses and better access to housing and other student services. The university expects the division to expand as those systems become established, he said.

The scholarship model is likely to change as the division grows. Noh said SNU may eventually offer different levels of support or limit scholarships to selected students rather than the whole cohort.

SNU is targeting Vietnam as one of five priority recruitment markets for the division, alongside mainland China, Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Korea JoongAng Daily reported in October.

SNU College faculty and staff are scheduled to visit Vietnam in January 2027 to present admissions guidelines, the newspaper said.

Applicants and both their parents must be foreign nationals, according to SNU's admissions office.

The scholarship plan is part of SNU's push to attract stronger international applicants and raise its relatively small number of international undergraduates. The university placed 38th in the 2027 QS World University Rankings, the highest of any South Korean university.

Vietnamese students became the largest group of international students in South Korean higher education this year, making up 31.5% of 307,464 and overtaking Chinese students for the first time, according to Education Ministry data released in August.