Guide
What does GKS cover? GKS-U benefits and stipend
GKS-U is one of the few scholarships that genuinely pays for everything: tuition, a monthly living allowance you can actually live on, your flights, and a year of Korean. Here are the exact numbers.
This guide breaks down what the GKS undergraduate scholarship pays. For the overview, see the GKS-U complete guide. The figures are from the most recent official guidelines; amounts are set each cycle and can change, so confirm them in the current year's guidelines.
- Tuition is fully covered. NIIED pays up to 5,000,000 KRW per semester and the university covers anything above that, plus the admission fee.
- The monthly allowance is around 1,140,000 KRW during the degree (a bit less during the language year), an all-inclusive living stipend.
- Round-trip airfare is included (economy class), except for scholars already living in Korea.
- The Korean language year is funded at 5,200,000 KRW across four quarters, on top of the monthly allowance.
- Extra grants on top: a settlement allowance on arrival, health insurance, a Korean proficiency grant, your TOPIK fee, and a degree-completion grant.
- The scholarship runs the full degree: 5 to 7 years for a bachelor's, 3 to 4 for an associate.
The full benefit breakdown
| Benefit | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Fully covered | NIIED pays up to 5,000,000 KRW per semester; the university covers the excess and the admission fee |
| Monthly allowance (degree) | 1,140,000 KRW / month | 13,680,000 KRW per year, during the degree program |
| Monthly allowance (language year) | 1,070,000 KRW / month | 12,840,000 KRW per year, during the Korean language program |
| Korean language training | 5,200,000 KRW | Across four quarters, paid to the language institute |
| Airfare | Round-trip economy | Actual expense; not provided to scholars already residing in Korea |
| Settlement allowance | Included | Paid on arrival as part of the all-inclusive allowance |
| Degree completion grant | Included | Paid on finishing the degree |
| Health insurance | Included | Covered for scholars |
How long the scholarship lasts
| Program | Total funded period |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 5 to 7 years (1 year of Korean + 4 to 6 years of degree) |
| Associate degree | 3 to 4 years (1 year of Korean + 2 to 3 years of degree) |
Every scholar normally starts with the funded one-year Korean language program. If you already hold TOPIK level 5 or 6, you are exempt from the language year and go straight to your degree (and you receive the Korean proficiency grant automatically). If you reach level 5 or 6 within the first six months of the language program, you finish the language year early and start your degree the following semester. The year itself takes place at a university language institute; the Korean language programs guide shows how those programs work (self-funded students pay 5.4 to 7.5 million KRW per year in tuition for the same thing).
The conditions to keep in mind
- Airfare exceptions: entry airfare is not provided to scholars who are already residing in Korea at the time of the final announcement, or who enter Korea from a country other than their own.
- Early withdrawal: if you withdraw from the scholarship within the first three months after enrolling at your university, you must return the full amount you have received.
For what your own out-of-pocket costs might still look like (and a comparison to self-funding), see the cost of studying in Korea guide.
What to do next
- Check whether you qualify in the GKS-U eligibility guide.
- Choose your route in the embassy track vs university track guide.
- Run the KoreaAdmit quiz to see your GKS-U fit and matching universities.