This study aims to understand the social characteristics and educational
meanings of the half-tuition policy in Korea. In this article, half-tuition was
defined as voice behavior of student against high tuition fees in accordance
with the principles of the beneficiary. Half-tuition is a political metaphor
that is linguistically expressed the economic over-burden and educational
dissatisfaction of tuition. In particular, half-tuition is a phenomenon that has
exposed the limits on higher education functions for social success in Korea.
Half-tuition as social constructs do not have a fixed meaning but have
multiple meanings depending on the subject: Many students and parents
want to decrease their tuition burden, but some do strategically use high
tuition to reproduce and maintain their social class. Elite universities have
attitude toward anti-half-tuition policy because half-tuition has negative
effects on the quality of education and the severe status competition
between universities. However, some universities having difficulty student
recruitment support half-tuition policy and voluntarily cut tuition fees.
Government has adopted the income-contingent loan system for
economically disadvantaged students. Half-tuition policy is mainly focused on
equal opportunity of higher education and also is based on the modified
benefit principles. Half-tuition policy has unintended negative consequences
on educational equality and publicness. Therefore, it is necessary to explore
the university funding policy to improve publicness of higher education.