多子世帯の大学授業料無償化　２５年度から、対象４０万人―こども未来戦略

　政府は２２日、少子化対策の「こども未来戦略」を閣議決定した。３人以上の子どもがいる多子世帯について、２０２５年度から大学授業料を無償化するなど教育費の負担軽減策を盛り込んだ。所得制限をなくし、従来の制度よりも踏み込んだ内容となった。
　現行では、年収３８０万円未満の世帯を対象とした授業料減免や給付型奨学金の制度があり、２４年度から年収６００万円までの多子世帯にこの対象を広げることが決まっている。
　今回まとめた授業料無償化は、３人以上の子どもを扶養し、大学など高等教育機関に通う学生がいる世帯が対象。短期大学や高等専門学校、専門学校も含まれ、所得制限は設けない。授業料支援の上限額は国公立大で年約５４万円、私立大で約７０万円とした。入学金も合わせて無償化し、最大約４０万人を対象と見込む。（2023/12/22-17:50）

The Japanese government adopted on Friday its strategy to tackle the country's low birthrate featuring a program to enable households with three or more children to pay as low as zero yen in university tuition from fiscal 2025.
   There will be no income limit for the program, under which the government will shoulder up to 540,000 yen in annual tuition fees at public universities and up to 700,000 yen at private universities. In addition, the government will also provide entrance fee assistance.
   Also covering junior and technical colleges as well as vocational schools, the program is expected to benefit as many as 400,000 students, government officials said.
   Currently, students from households with annual income of less than 3.8 million yen are granted tuition fee cuts down to zero, or benefit-type scholarships. The government has already decided to expand this program from fiscal 2024, to cover households earning up to 6 million yen a year and rearing at least three children.
   The newly adopted strategy also stipulates the launch of a program in autumn 2024 to allow students on master's courses to pay tuition according to their income after graduation. Whether to cover undergraduates will be considered later.