"코로나19로 학습권 침해"...대학가서 번지는 등록금 반환 요구<br /><br />Should colleges be giving students a partial refund on tuition since their campuses were forced to shift teaching online for the COVID-19 pandemic?<br />Some students think so, and lately their calls for refunds have been getting louder.<br />Kim Dami reports.<br />Four months into adopting virtual lectures because of the COVID-19 pandemic,... one local university has decided to cut tuition fees for the fall semester.<br />"Students at Konkuk University have been requesting a refund since April, arguing that remote learning doesn't have same value as in-person education. The school will now reduce its tuition fees for the second semester."<br />Students are frustrated that they didn't get their money's worth because of campus shutdowns.<br />"The quality of education has dropped because classes are online. And there are so many on-campus facilities that we didn't get to use."<br />"I'm a freshman and I haven't been able to enjoy any of the college experience."<br />Students do welcome and appreciate the tuition cut but don't believe it's enough to solve the problems caused by the pandemic.<br />"The tuition cut in the second semester won't apply to students that don't take classes during that time. I think we should get a refund for the first semester."<br />But many other local universities are not willing to offer such refunds.<br />College students in the United States have even filed class-action lawsuits against their universities demanding repayment for tuition, lodging and other costs.<br />And the U.S. Education Department has provided financial relief for students who have taken federal loans.<br />Students in South Korea are also seeking such government aid.<br />"We urge the National Assembly to include support in the third extra budget for students that are left in this blind spot."<br />But South Korea's Finance Ministry insists that it's not appropriate to use the budget for tuition refunds.<br />The Education Ministry has also made it clear that it won't get involved in the issue.<br />In fact, under the current law, the Education Ministry cannot interfere in college tuition fees.<br />While recognizing the students' struggles during the crisis, the ministry has highlighted the current conflict has to be resolved through communication between schools and students.<br />Kim Dami, Arirang News.<br />
