The government will expand its subsidy for kindergarten students starting this year.

Up until now the government has provided the full subsidy for five-year-old kindergarteners, but paid between 30 to 100 percent of the full amount for those aged under five considering the income levels of their parents.

However, the Education, Science and Technology Ministry said Sunday that starting this year, kindergarteners aged under five will be equally subject to the full subsidy as well.

The full amount of a monthly subsidy for national and public kindergartens is set at 59-thousand won. As for private kindergartens, the amount is 197-thousand won for three-year-old students and 177-thousand won for students aged four and five.

The ministry also decided to provide tuition fees for preschoolers from multiethnic families and refugees regardless of their income levels.