This year, national scholarship support will be expanded for students majoring in the humanities and social sciences and for work-study scholarship recipients.
The Ministry of Education said on the 11th that it finalized the "2026 tailored national scholarship support basic plan." This year, the number of new recipients for the humanities and social sciences excellence scholarship, the "Humanities 100-Year Scholarship," will increase from 1,500 to 2,000. The Humanities 100-Year Scholarship covers full tuition and living expenses. Recipients are selected by evaluating grades and study plans without an income bracket limit.
The number of work-study scholarship students will increase from 161,000 to 165,000. The support rate will also be slightly raised in line with the 2026 minimum wage (10,320 won). The hourly rate is 10,320 won for on-campus work and 12,790 won for off-campus work.
For young people preparing for independence or college students with disabilities, the grade requirement (C average) will not apply when applying for work-study scholarships. Scholarships for students who work after high school while attending college will also be expanded. Specifically, 1,000 more new recipients will be selected for the "Hope Ladder Scholarship type II," and the share of recipients from regions outside the greater Seoul area will increase.
The total amount of tailored national scholarship support this year is 5.1161 trillion won, up 135.4 billion won from a year earlier. Applications for national scholarships must be submitted by Mar. 17. Applications can be submitted on the Korea Student Aid Foundation website and mobile app.