![Gijang County in Busan will help low-income students by covering gym uniform costs and necessary field-trip expenses. [Photo: Reporter Jeong Dae-young] (Point Economy)](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2026/03/CP-2023-0436/image-2f5cd39e-fc1b-43f8-9a6a-8433d3b7dc90.jpeg)
[Point Economy] Gijang County in Busan announced a program to help low-income students cover the costs of gym uniforms and essential field-trip expenses.
On March 13, the county said it would launch the \”2026 Support Program for Gym Uniforms and Field-Trip Expenses for Basic Livelihood Security Beneficiaries\” to reduce education-related financial burdens and prevent students from feeling marginalized at school.
To ensure every student can pursue their studies with dignity regardless of household income, the county will fund the entire program from its own budget.
Under the gym-uniform component, the county will cover uniform purchases for newly enrolled elementary and high school students from households receiving basic livelihood benefits, recognizing the heavy costs families face at the start of the school year. Middle school students are excluded because the education office already provides full support for their gym uniforms.
The county will provide KRW 100,000 (about $75) in total for elementary students’ winter and summer gym uniforms and KRW 110,000 (about $82.50) in total for high school students’ winter and summer gym uniforms. After verifying eligibility, the county plans to deposit the winter uniform funds into guardians’ bank accounts in April and the summer uniform funds in May.
The county will also provide a one-time grant for field-trip necessities so students are not left out. The funds may be used for clothing, shoes, bags, and on-site expenses related to the trip.
Eligible recipients are households receiving basic livelihood security benefits whose children participate in a field trip this year. The county will provide KRW 150,000 (about $112.50) for elementary and middle school students and KRW 250,000 (about $187.50) for high school students. Applications are accepted year-round, and support is available once per student at each school level (elementary, middle, high). To apply, families should visit the administrative welfare center in their town or township listed on their resident registration during the year of the trip.
Gijang County Mayor Jeong Jong-bok said, “Gym uniforms and field trips are more than items or events; they are important parts of school life. We will continue to develop tailored welfare policies that reflect feedback from the field to make Gijang a better place to raise children and to ease parents’ concerns about education.”
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