Income eligibility scrapped for child support advance payments, student loan interest waivers expanded

Starting in the second half of this year, the income eligibility requirement for the child support advance payment program will be abolished. Minor children in single-parent households that have not received court-ordered child support will receive 200,000 won ($130) per child per month until age 18. Job-seeking youth not enrolled in university will also gain access to short-term intensive training programs jointly offered by universities and companies.

The eligibility for interest waivers on income-contingent student loans will be expanded to borrowers in income bracket 6 and below — and up to bracket 8 for students at regional universities. As youth employment instability and rising prices have increased the burden of loan repayment, the waiver threshold will rise from bracket 5 to bracket 6 (bracket 8 for regional universities). The waiver period will also be extended from "the point of borrowing through two years after graduation, before mandatory repayment begins" to "the point of borrowing through the start of mandatory repayment, regardless of graduation date." The expansion to bracket 6 and the extended waiver period take effect Tuesday, while bracket 8 eligibility for regional university students applies from Nov. 20.

Starting Oct. 9, the income eligibility requirement for the child support advance payment program will be abolished, broadening the pool of beneficiaries. The qualifying condition will change from "households whose recognized income is at or below 150 percent of the median income" to "minor children in single-parent families that have not received child support payments," with 200,000 won paid per child per month until age 18.

From October, an AI education program linked to science museum exhibitions will expand for elementary, middle and high school students interested in science and AI. The program will let students explore foundational AI concepts, data use, scientific problem-solving and AI tools in connection with museum exhibitions — moving beyond passive viewing to hands-on, inquiry-based learning that connects scientific concepts with AI.

Any job-seeking youth between the ages of 19 and 34 who is not currently enrolled in university will be eligible for short-term intensive training programs developed jointly by universities and companies, offered at different skill levels. Building on an existing boot camp for enrolled students in advanced industries, the expanded program will support 20 universities under an "advanced talent" track covering AI, semiconductors and other cutting-edge fields, and 20 universities under a "practical talent" track spanning humanities, social sciences and a range of other vocational areas.

To eliminate the disparity between enrolled students — whose CSAT mock exam fees are covered by the government — and out-of-school youth, the full cost of the mock exam fee, 12,000 won per sitting, will be covered for out-of-school teens who take the June and September mock exams, up to two sittings per year. Applicants can register for the mock exam and then apply for fee support through the youth helpline "Cheongsoyon 1388."

Starting in July, tailored family education programs — covering everyone from first-time parents to parents of teenagers — will be expanded nationwide. As changes in family structure and child-rearing environments have increased the need for systematic parental support, family centers across the country will offer parenting education tailored to different life stages and family types. Those types include nuclear families, dual-income households, single-parent families and grandparent-headed families, with programs for prospective couples and parents, as well as parents of infants, young children and adolescents.