The government said Monday it was planning to infuse 963 billion won ($867 million) to assist low-income families with education-related costs.
According to the Education Ministry and the Welfare Ministry, low-income families with children attending elementary, middle and high school can apply for financial support for their school fees.
The beneficiaries of the policy include households whose income is less than the state-determined minimum cost of living and low-income single-parent households. The minimum cost of living ― used as a key criteria in applying for major welfare policies ― is assessed at 1.67 million won for a four-member household in 2015.
Those whose monthly income is less than 50 percent higher than the government-assessed minimum cost of living can also apply, the officials said.
In addition to tuition fees and lunch money, some education offices will also cover the cost of school uniforms and textbooks, officials said.
Each elementary and middle school student can receive up to 1.46 million won per year, while high school students can get 2.76 million won a year. About 1 million students are expected to receive benefits, according to the ministry.
The figure is less than the 1.02 trillion won handed out to 1.06 million students last year.
Those wishing to apply can do so from March 2-13 via local community service centers and the Internet (oneclick.moe.go.kr or bokjiro.go.kr). Officials said they would not applications via smartphones to prevent phishing scams.
Beneficiaries of the policy will be determined by April, and officials will notify each applicant of the results.
