TAIPEI (TVBS News) — An organization advocating for equal rights in higher education showed support for the new private university tuition subsidy on Friday (June 30) during a press conference with students from various universities. The new tuition subsidy, aimed at private college students, was passed on Thursday (June 29). Under the plan, students enrolled in private colleges will be subsidized with NT＄17,500 for tuition fees each semester (NT＄35,000 annually).
Despite approval from the president and private university students, people are questioning the timing of the proposal as the 2024 election draws near. Not only will private university students be financially supported, but high school and vocational high school students can also enjoy free tuition under the plan. However, the government denied similar proposals from educational groups in May regarding free education.
Some National Taiwan University (NTU) students also expressed doubts about their school's social media platform, ironically stating that the government should have used the money to boost NTU's international ranking instead of spending it on private schools.
There is a gap between government subsidies for public and private schools. According to the Ministry of Education, in 2020, the NTU received NT＄7.51 billion, with an average of NT＄230,000 per person, while Tamkang University received NT＄320 million, an average of NT＄13,000 per student.
However, some students point out the financial differences between each family, stating that there are students in private schools who don't have financial difficulties, questioning the effectiveness of the equality subsidy.
To address doubts about the NT＄22 billion budget source for the plan, Premier Chen Chien-jen told reporters that the government has been adhering to discipline. The government's annual revenue and expenditure surplus has exceeded NT＄100 billion in the past five years. "It even reached nearly NT＄500 billion last year," he said.