EPIK Housing Contract

Hello, I have two questions about the housing stipend that Epik offers. First let's say I found a place that the rent is 350, does Epik give me the full 400 or is it only to match the rent? Second if I did the Jeonse(전세) way of paying would Epik still offer the housing stipend or not give it at all? I am looking for houses because I want to switch this coming August when my contract renews but all the information I found was a bit outdated.

I am EPIK (in Gyeongsanbuk-do), and at the beginning of my contract years a few years ago, I choose to receive the stipend instead of the school housing. Every month I receive 400k. The stipend is the same regardless of what your rent actually is. I've heard that the only thing that matters is that you are the primary name on the lease, although in my case, that hasn't seemed to matter either.
  I actually own my own apartment and still receive the 400k, so doing jeonse wouldn't affect anything for you.

EPIK effectively washes their hands of all housing responsibilities when they give you the stipend. You take the money and you're on your own (and that's been nothing but a good thing in my experience.  )

in other provinces no you would only get the 350 and yes they care who signs the lease and want proof that you don't own the property etc.....best to ask your province because they also sometimes won't allow it in certain cities

in other provinces no you would only get the 350 and yes they care who signs the lease and want proof that you don't own the property etc.....best to ask your province because they also sometimes won't allow it in certain cities

You can't get a rent allowance for owning your own property?  That means your pay is even lower then as your mortgage payment comes out of a lower pay.  Honestly, Korea is getting worse every single year. 

in other provinces no you would only get the 350 and yes they care who signs the lease and want proof that you don't own the property etc.....best to ask your province because they also sometimes won't allow it in certain cities

Yeah, I've heard some stories that are very different to my experience, which is why I thought it might be a good idea to add in my province.

Although I do think that it's more or less the norm for EPIK not to care after you choose the stipend.

I believe Epik changed it this year / late last year, that the place you find, the housing contract goes to your school, and they just pay that, you pay extra if it goes over.
I know there was a big uproar over this fairly recently from the teachers in my area for this reason.

I believe Epik changed it this year / late last year, that the place you find, the housing contract goes to your school, and they just pay that, you pay extra if it goes over.
I know there was a big uproar over this fairly recently from the teachers in my area for this reason.

Do you know if they mentioned anything about 전세? Me and my boyfriend want to move in together and he is insisting on 전세 if possible. But I don't know where I would find information on whether EPIK would give the stipend or not ㅠㅠ

Do you know if they mentioned anything about 전세? Me and my boyfriend want to move in together and he is insisting on 전세 if possible. But I don't know where I would find information on whether EPIK would give the stipend or not ㅠㅠ

I think it really depends. My province used to allow it, then they didn't, now they do again in certain circumstances where this and that can be proved........Also I haven't experienced this personally, but friends have had problems when the school knew the teacher was living with his/her boyfriend/girlfriend....so be careful....rumors and problems could come up from that.....

Do you know if they mentioned anything about 전세? Me and my boyfriend want to move in together and he is insisting on 전세 if possible. But I don't know where I would find information on whether EPIK would give the stipend or not ㅠㅠ

I am married to a Korean and my husband got us a 전세 (Jonse) apartment right before the end of my contract with the school housing. The 전세 (jonse) lease is in his name, so on the "proof of residence form" I put down my Husand as the provider of housing for me, and requested the 400,000 housing allowance. I just brought the Jonsei Lease to the school and the form, and that was all the proof they need.
The way I see it is. "there is no such thing as a free lunch .. or free housing" that 400,000 was probably meant to be part of our original salary that the withhold / give the landlord when we live in the school housing... so if teachers request it, the money should be given to them ... regardless of what their housing situation is 월세, 전제, or 매매.

Do you know if they mentioned anything about 전세? Me and my boyfriend want to move in together and he is insisting on 전세 if possible. But I don't know where I would find information on whether EPIK would give the stipend or not ㅠㅠ

I think, if you are buying a home, it can't be in your name. I think it needs to be in your partners name, and then you claim them as your landlord? that's if I'm remembering right, as this was another thing people were getting angry about.
Let me see if I can find the messages about it

The rental agreement must go in the school's name now.  Her reasoning is to do with tax and severance.  If the contract was in the teacher's name it should be taxed and also included in severance.  By keeping it in the school’s name it should not be taxed, but will not be a part of severance.  Many teachers may be concerned about this as it seems to put power back in the school’s control regarding housing.
 Teachers can still find their own apartments when the school approves (as is the norm), but the contract will need to go in the school’s name.  This may make it complicated when the monthly fee is over the 400,000 limit.  The school will have to deduct money from your salary for the additional amount, or you will need to make arrangements to get it to the landlord somehow.

Lastly, is the issue interpretation which seems to be affecting those on F6 visas causing many, if not all, to lose the housing allowance if they have their own house.  First, the supervisor wanted me to emphasis that people can still get the housing allowance if they have a lease/mortgage in their name.  It can not be in the spouse's name even if you submit the marriage certificate, as was the case in the past.  The supervisor is using article 12(3) as her argument here.  It says it must be in the teacher’s name.  She also informed me that many admin offices complained about this and that is why the change was made.  Obviously, this can be difficult because most people, in this case, will have the housing in the Korean spouse’s name as the process is difficult to impossible as a foreigner.   

I guess this is what we were told. I don't get the housing allowance, so it isn't something I've taken note of really.
I guess a lot of this will be handled differently by each region though.

I think, if you are buying a home, it can't be in your name. I think it needs to be in your partners name, and then you claim them as your landlord? that's if I'm remembering right, as this was another thing people were getting angry about.
Let me see if I can find the messages about it

This is what I did for my current Jeonse apartment, put down the spouse as the landlord, and myself as the tenant, and I was able to claim the housing allowance.. maybe this works in a few cities/ provinces.

I am also in EPIK (in Gyeongsanbuk-do) and I starting getting the housing stipend last August. My apartment is in my boyfriends name and there was a form that my bf needed to fill out and I took that and the housing contract to immigration. My school never saw my contract and just gives me 400 a month.

I'm not sure about the "contract needing to be in the schools name or in the teachers name," and when that started because I had no problems when I went to immigration or with my school.
Also, for anyone who is living in school housing(like you found the housing but its in the schools name so you don't have to pay the deposit) I had an apartment that was over the 400 limit and I just transferred the money to the landlord every month.