The Educational Testing Service, the U.S.-based firm that administers TOEFL and TOEIC tests, announced on Monday that it awarded $72,000 to students in Korea through its annual TOEFL Scholarship program.

ETS said that it awarded 24 Korean students each with a $3,000 scholarship to fund their undergraduate or graduate studies overseas.

Since the inception of the ETS scholarship program, the organization has awarded $560,000 to Korean TOEFL and TOEIC test takers to support undergraduate or graduate studies.

This year, the applicants were chosen based on their English-communication skills and academic record as well as leadership skills, the organizer said.

“The scholarship program is an integral part of ETS’ work in advancing equity and excellence in education. ETS is committed to serving the needs of Korean students as they prepare for the global marketplace,” Paul Lee, the ETS country manager for Korea, said.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)