Seoul National University clarified Wednesday that it is considering awarding scholarships only to selected students in the inaugural cohort of its new undergraduate division for international students.
The announcement differs from an earlier account by the dean involved in the division’s launch.
SNU’s Office of Global Affairs told The Korea Herald that the university plans to provide scholarships to students in the first cohort of the Global Talent Division who demonstrate strong academic ability and meet other eligibility requirements.
The scholarships will be provided through SNU’s existing Global Talent Scholarship program for international undergraduates.
According to the university, selected students could receive full tuition and 1 million won ($750) per month in living expenses for up to three semesters — the same level of support outlined by SNU College Dean Noh Yoo-sun in an interview with The Korea Herald last week.
Continued support, however, would not be automatic. The university plans to review recipients’ academic performance and other factors each semester before deciding whether to continue the scholarship.
The clarification differs from comments made by Noh and reported by The Korea Herald on Monday.
Noh, who is involved in preparations for the new division, said SNU was preparing to provide scholarships to all students in the relatively small inaugural cohort.
He had said scholarship support could become differentiated once the division expanded, including through different levels of aid or by limiting scholarships to selected students. His comments indicated that such differentiation was being considered for later stages rather than for the inaugural cohort.
The Office of Global Affairs, however, said selective eligibility would apply from the first cohort.
The office did not respond to The Korea Herald's request to clarify whether providing full tuition coverage to all students in the inaugural cohort had previously been under consideration.
Meanwhile, the Office of Global Affairs also stressed that the scholarship plan has yet to receive final approval.
According to the office, the university must first determine its 2027 tuition level through its tuition deliberation committee and complete the relevant budget allocation for next year before finalizing specific scholarship criteria and operating procedures.
SNU’s tuition deliberation committee usually meets in December, and the university finalizes its budget between December and January.
SNU plans to finance the scholarships through its internal corporate accounting budget.
The university stressed that the current proposal remains subject to change as the budget and detailed operating rules are finalized.
The Global Talent Division is scheduled to begin admitting international students in the fall semester of 2027. Students will enter without declaring a major and spend roughly two to three semesters taking Korean-language and foundational courses before moving into eligible majors across the university.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
