Rep. Kim Moon-soo introduced an amendment on February 3, 2026 in South Korea’s National Assembly that would tighten the tuition hike cap for universities while leaving international students and graduate students outside the legal protection.
Kim, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, filed the Higher Education Act amendment with 15 co-sponsors as domestic tuition debates intensified ahead of the 2026 academic year.
Under the proposal, universities could raise tuition only up to the average consumer price inflation rate over the previous three years, a formula lawmakers framed as a stricter ceiling than the current approach.
South Korea’s existing cap traces to a July 2025 amendment that set allowable tuition increases at 1.2 times the three-year average inflation rate, a multiplier that can produce a higher limit when inflation rises.
For the 2026 academic year, the cap under current law was set at 3.19%, a figure that affects how universities price programs for domestic undergraduates but does not bind what they charge foreign students.
That exemption sits at the center of the political argument around the bill, because the tuition hike cap does not apply to international students or graduate students even when lawmakers tighten domestic limits.
Universities and lawmakers have debated how to balance institutional budgets with affordability, as the exemption creates an incentive to push larger increases onto cohorts outside the cap.
The gap has fed accusations of a “double standard,” with lawmakers and observers arguing that schools facing deficits under domestic constraints can shift revenue pressure toward international students.
Reported tuition moves at major Seoul universities illustrate the carveout’s practical effect, with Yonsei University raising tuition 6% for international undergraduates, Ewha Womans University raising tuition 7%, and Korea University considering a proposed 11% increase for international students.
Because the amendment remains a proposal, the next steps run through the National Assembly’s legislative process, including committee review and a plenary vote, before any change could take effect.
Timing also matters because universities set tuition on academic cycles, and any tighter cap would shape decisions on when and how schools apply increases to domestic cohorts, while leaving international pricing to institutional policy unless lawmakers broaden the scope.
The South Korean debate unfolds as international student mobility also faces shifting signals in the United States, where the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security have emphasized financial self-sufficiency and stricter screening in early 2026.
In a February 2, 2026 update on visa processing and “public charge” vetting, the Department of State said: “President Trump has made clear that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and not be a financial burden to Americans. The Department of State is undergoing a full review of all screening and vetting policies to ensure that immigrants from high-risk countries do not unlawfully utilize welfare.”
The Department of State posted the update on its site at state.gov – Immigrant Visa Processing Updates, language that signals a policy emphasis on applicants’ ability to support themselves even when formal eligibility standards do not change.
For international students, including Chinese students considering U.S. study paths, the emphasis can translate into added attention on documentation readiness and financial planning during visa processing, even as core student visa rules operate through longstanding frameworks.
Separate U.S. administrative changes have also affected cost planning for students and employers, particularly those who transition from education to work authorization and eventually to cap-subject employment visas.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on January 9, 2026 that it would raise premium processing fees through a final rule tied to inflation, a change that affects those who pay for faster adjudication on eligible requests.
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is publishing a final rule that will increase USCIS fees for premium processing to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025,” USCIS said in the announcement posted on uscis.gov – Newsroom.
Premium processing functions as an expedite option used largely by employers and applicants seeking quicker decisions where the service is available, and fee adjustments can ripple through budgeting for job offers, start dates, and legal planning around employment petitions.
USCIS also set a calendar marker for the next H-1B cycle, confirming on January 30, 2026 that the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration period will open on March 4, 2026.
The agency posted the announcement on uscis.gov – H-1B Cap Registration, a timeline international students track closely because cap-subject H-1B petitions require registration before employers can file full petitions.
While South Korea’s tuition cap debate and U.S. immigration messaging involve different legal systems, together they highlight how international students can face a two-track reality: one track shaped by domestic affordability policies and another shaped by cross-border screening and fee structures.
In South Korea, the exemption for international students means lawmakers can debate a tighter tuition hike cap without directly limiting what universities charge foreign students, even when institutions rely on international enrollment to offset budget constraints.
In the United States, the government’s self-sufficiency framing and review of screening and vetting policies can raise perceived risk and uncertainty for applicants, especially when layered with fee changes and time-sensitive employment pathways after graduation.
The uncertainty widened on January 21, 2026, when the Department of State paused all visa issuances to nationals from over 70 countries, including many in Africa and Southeast Asia, pending a “full review of screening and vetting policies.”
That pause does not apply to all international students, but it introduced immediate travel and visa-renewal risk for those covered by the action, and it complicated planning for students who need visa stamping to enter or re-enter the United States.
Students and recent graduates often build academic and employment plans around fixed dates, including semester start times and employer onboarding, so visa issuance interruptions and shifting processing expectations can create knock-on effects even when school enrollment remains intact.
Universities also face planning challenges on both sides of the Pacific, as tuition policy, visa conditions, and enrollment volatility shape budgets, staffing, and the scope of student support services.
In South Korea, tighter domestic caps can limit the speed at which institutions raise revenue from local students, increasing the temptation to raise charges for international students who sit outside the cap, which can in turn affect recruitment and retention.
International students confronting larger tuition jumps may respond by deferring enrollment, transferring, or reconsidering course loads where school rules allow, decisions that can reshape a university’s revenue and classroom mix over a single academic year.
In the United States, students watching the H-1B calendar can face added pressure to align graduation dates, Optional Practical Training timelines, and employer sponsorship decisions with the registration window and subsequent filing steps.
The combined effect is a planning environment in which international students can encounter higher up-front costs in one destination and higher screening and administrative friction in another, even when governments describe their moves as routine affordability policy or security-focused vetting.
Official channels for tracking developments include the USCIS newsroom for announcements and rule changes, the Department of State’s travel and visa updates for country-related actions and public guidance, and DHS press releases for security-related announcements.
For now, the immediate South Korean question is whether the National Assembly moves Kim’s amendment through committee and a plenary vote, and whether lawmakers revisit the carveout that leaves international students outside the tuition hike cap even as domestic limits tighten.
In the United States, the clearest near-term marker for many students weighing post-graduation work routes remains March 4, 2026, as applicants and employers measure plans against a shifting policy tone captured by the Department of State’s statement that “immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and not be a financial burden to Americans.”
