"I make about 600,000 won ($440) a month from my part-time job at a cafe. Even with a little help from my parents, I can't cover my rent and living expenses," said Kim, a college student living in Seongbuk District, Seoul. "I've been asking my friends about income requirements and other eligibility criteria because I'm considering taking out a loan from the Korea Student Aid Foundation (KOSAF) next semester," she said. Kim's concerns reflect a broader trend, with living-expense loans taken out by college students surging by nearly one-third over the past two years, while overdue balances also rose sharply, data showed Thursday. The amount of living-expense loans extended to university students by KOSAF rose 32.8 percent to 850.6 billion won ($626.5 million) in 2025 from 640.67 billion won in 2023, according to data submitted by KOSAF to Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the Rebuilding Korea Party. The number of loans also increased from 432,171 to 457,129 over the same period. The loans are designed to provide students with accessible financing for living expenses. They carry an annual interest rat