(LEAD) 43 bottom-ranked universities to face cut in state subsidies next year

(ATTN: UPDATES with on next year's budget plan, comments in 6-7 paras)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- The education ministry selected 43 private universities Monday that will have their state subsidies partly cut or denied next year as part of a government drive to weed out poorly managed schools to address the problem of rising tuitions.
The ministry said it has chosen the universities in consultation with advisory bodies based on the results of a university evaluation that used criteria, such as the employment rate of graduates, the yearly enrollment rate and the number of full-time instructors.
Every year, the government has spent a total of 1.59 trillion won (US$1.48 billion) in state subsidies to universities and colleges across the nation to help promote their research and development activities.
The education reform drive comes after calls mounted for restructuring of problem-ridden higher-learning institutions before injecting state funds to curb soaring tuitions. The issue has become a top policy priority for political parties ahead of next year's major elections.
Officials have said that an equal provision of funds to all schools would be a waste of taxpayer money and could end up as a lifeline for uncompetitive colleges. President Lee Myung-bak has also called for college restructuring as a condition for providing government money to universities.
The list is "aimed at pressing poorly performing colleges to step up their efforts and offering concentrated support to well-performing schools," said Hong Seung-yong, who directs the ministry's college restructuring committee.
Hong also said that the education ministry and other government agencies are discussing setting aside about 1.5 to 2 trillion won in state budget next year to help lower college tuitions.
In South Korea, 80 percent of higher education institutions are operated by private foundations that rely heavily on tuition for revenue.