Taiwan Education (Compulsory schooling · National universities · Student aid)
The big picture in Taiwan is 9 years of compulsory education for ages 6–15 (through junior high), provided free of charge, with senior-high school and university stacked on top — a 6-3-3-4 structure very similar to Korea's. Children of citizens and permanent residents access public schools on the same terms as nationals, and tuition at national universities is markedly cheaper than in Korea or Japan, which is one of Taiwan's most distinctive features.
Compulsory education (國民義務教育)
- Ages 6–15, 9 years (6 elementary + 3 junior-high) of free compulsory schooling.
- Public schools have negligible tuition, with partial textbook and meal subsidies.
- The phased 12-year basic education policy (since 2014) has substantially reduced senior-high tuition costs as well.
Senior-high school (高級中等學校)
- Senior-high school is split into academic (普通高中) and vocational (技術型高中, formerly 高職) tracks.
- Public senior-high tuition is very low, with separate fee waivers and living-cost support for low-income households.
University and graduate school
- Tuition at national universities (e.g. 國立臺灣大學, 國立清華大學, 國立成功大學) is around NT$25,000–30,000 per semester at the undergraduate level (2026 levels, varying by major and subject to change) — well below Korean private universities.
- Private universities (e.g. 淡江, 輔仁) run around NT$50,000 per semester — higher, but still reasonable compared with Korean private institutions.
- Graduate and doctoral programmes also carry relatively low tuition.
Student loans and grants
- 就學貸款 (student loans): government-guaranteed, interest-subsidised loans for citizens and qualifying residents, with a grace period after graduation followed by instalment repayment.
- 獎助學金 (scholarships and grants): tuition reductions for low- and middle-income households, plus merit-based scholarships, are widely offered at the school and Ministry-of-Education level.
- Graduate students typically cover living expenses through TA/RA assistantships.
From an immigrant perspective
- International students: separate tuition schedules and admissions tracks apply. Some universities charge international students 1.5–2× the domestic rate.
- APRC holders: depending on the institution, may be eligible for domestic tuition rates — verify in advance.
- Citizens (after acquiring ROC nationality): same tuition, loan, and scholarship eligibility as nationals.
- Bilingual and 新住民 (new resident) child support: many programmes assist children of foreign-born spouses (including Korean marriage migrants) with both heritage-language and Mandarin study support.
- Korean academic credentials can be recognised through Ministry of Education credential review, but some fields (medicine, law) may require additional examinations.
Things to watch
- Tuition amounts, scholarship limits, and loan caps are typical 2026 levels and are revised every year. Reconfirm on each university's site and the Ministry of Education site before applying.
- For children moving from Korea into Taiwan public schools, transfer timing tracks 戶籍 registration and ARC transition — line up the administrative steps before the school term starts.
- Even after naturalisation, holding only Korean diplomas may trigger additional credential checks for some certifications and civil-service exams.
Official guidance: 教育部 (MOE), 大學招生委員會聯合會 (JBCRC)