The Cabinet on Thursday approved an expanded rent subsidy plan to include students living on-campus, which is estimated to benefit about 275,000 college students starting February next year.
Cabinet Spokesperson Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) relayed that Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) hopes that the financial burden faced by students will be reduced through such measures. Lin says that the subsidy for on-campus students will be NT$5000 (US$158) per student per semester, while students from low-income families will be eligible for a subsidy of NT$7000 (US$221) per semester.
At a press conference following the Cabinet’s decision, Education Minister Pan Wen-Chung (潘文忠) said that although the initial subsidy plan is for five years, it will be used as the basis for future subsidy programs. He says that these subsidies along with the ongoing renovation projects at several university dorms will all improve the living conditions of students.
According to the 5-year plan, which will also be supported by the Interior Ministry’s Housing Fund, the total amount needed to fund the subsidy program is about NT$2.8 billion (US$88.7 million) per year.