Studying abroad carries a financial burden and for some students and their parents it feels like an unattainable dream. The provincial education office does run a study abroad program, but few people know about it. Mike Balfour reports.



Report

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Jeju High School

Student (정현정) Jeong Hyeon-jeong is in her senior year at Jeju High School. She took the Korean SAT this year to enter a college next year.

While others are tense about their future education, she is completely at ease.

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Beijing’s Capital Normal University accepts Jeju students

She received a notice of acceptance from the Capital Normal University in Beijing.

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Students assessed based on high school grades

She was selected this year as a beneficiary of the Jeju provincial office of education’s “Study Abroad Program”. Proficiency in the Chinese language is not required.

INTERVIEW
Jeong Hyeon-jeong / Senior, Jeju High School
Capital Normal University in China does not require HSK scores. Admission is based on high school grades. The requirements are simple.
[인터뷰 정현정 / 제주고 3학년]
"다른 대학교들은 HSK 자격증을 필요로 하는데 저는 내신 성적만으로 해서 준비가 그렇게 어렵지 않았어요.“

The university will waive 5 million won of tuition during her freshman year.

INTERVIEW
An Da-hyeon / Senior, Jeju High School
My parents strongly recommended the program because college tuition is waived.
[인터뷰 안다현 / 제주고 3학년 ]
"학비 지원이 되니까 그 것만으로도 부담이 많이 줄어드니까 부모님은 당장 (지원)하라고 하셨습니다."

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5 students selected for study abroad program

Two students from Jeju High School, one from Jeju Girl's Commercial High School and two from (표선) Pyoseon High School are beneficiaries of the “Study Abroad Program.”

They will study in China beginning next year.

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20 openings yearly

In 2016, the provincial office of education signed an MOU with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education to send 20 local students to three Beijing colleges every year.

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Students learn Chinese before beginning studies

The students will take a Chinese language learning course or be required to reach level 5 in the HSK Chinese Proficiency Test before they begin their undergraduate studies.

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Few know about study abroad program

There are 20 annual openings for the “Study Abroad Program.” However, there were only 6 applicants for the program this year.

Due to a lack of publicity about the program and the narrow range of Chinese colleges students can choose from, only a limited number of students applied for the program.

[Reporter] Mike Balfour
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon

To make the “Study Abroad Program more successful, the provincial office of education needs to increase promotion efforts and a wider range of choices in Chinese colleges should be open to students.

Mike Balfour, KCTV