The Korean Council for University Education says the nation’s universities will devise their own measures, including using their reserve funds, to reduce tuition burdens for students and their parents.

The council made the announcement on Monday during an emergency board of directors meeting in Seoul as the ruling Grand National Party is stepping up efforts to cut college tuitions.

The council said it will soon form a team that will be charged with devising measures to reduce such burdens.

It stipulated that the government must expand its assistance for higher education in order to lower tuitions. The council also stressed the need for the government to come up with ways for universities to expand their income, including getting tax deductions for small-sum contributions.

Previously, most universities had expressed disapproval toward calls by students and their parents to lower tuitions. The institutions were urged to use their reserve funds, which amount around hundreds of billions of won. However, universities claimed that the contributions to their reserve funds were given with specific purposes, including expanding campus buildings and enhancing facilities.