The government will provide free education for senior high school students starting in the fall semester.

The Education Ministry said on Sunday that it will provide state educational sponsorship for pay tuition and other expenses for 440-thousand seniors starting in the fall semester.

The government plans to expand free schooling to second-year students next year and freshmen in 2021. From next year, students will no longer pay for their admission fees and textbooks as well.

For this fall semester, 17 city and provincial education offices set aside 252 billion won in their budget to cover the cost.

Free education for high schools is expected to require about two trillion won a year. The central government and 17 municipal education offices will jointly cover 95 percent of the cost from 2020 to 2024, while local governments will burden the remaining five percent.

A family with one high school student is expected to save about one-point-six million won per year on educational expenses.