Considering Boarding in Korea?

A caring boarding pathway for families living in Korea and overseas

Some families consider boarding because they live elsewhere in Korea and want access to an international school without relocating their entire household. Others are Korean or international families living overseas who want their child to study in Korea within a stable, English-speaking school community.

Wherever your family is currently located, the central question is often the same:

Can my child live away from home, receive a strong international education and still be known, supported and connected to our family?

At Taejon Christian International School, boarding is more than accommodation. It gives students in Grades 6–12 access to an international education in Korea while providing the relationships, structure and care they still need while living away from home.

Different Starting Points, Similar Questions

For Families Living in Korea

Your family may live in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon or another part of Korea that is too far from TCIS for a practical daily commute. You may want your child to access an English-based International Baccalaureate education without requiring the entire family to relocate.

TCIS offers seven-day boarding, while Korea-based students may return home on weekends when permitted by their families. This can provide access to school while preserving regular family connection.

For Families Living Overseas

Your family may be Korean, internationally mobile or connected to Korea through work, family or long-term plans. You may want your child to study in Korea while continuing an internationally recognized, English-based education.

TCIS provides a stable school and residential community in Daejeon. Students participate fully in academic, activity and community life while families remain connected through regular communication and personal contact.

More Than a Place to Stay

Choosing boarding means trusting other adults with much more than your child’s housing. Families need to understand who will know their child, what happens when support is needed and how boarding will contribute to academic, social and personal growth.

TCIS boarding is built around four commitments:

Known Personally

TCIS maintains an 8:1 boarding student-to-staff ratio. This figure includes Teaching Resident Assistants and other residential staff.

All dorm staff live within the dormitory building, adjacent to student hallways. This gives students immediate access to adults and supports consistent supervision throughout boarding life.

Challenged Purposefully

Boarding students participate in the same International Baccalaureate learning programmes, classes, activities and opportunities as TCIS day students. Evening routines provide dedicated time for students to manage their work and develop productive academic habits.

Prepared for Independence

Students gradually learn to manage time, care for their living space, make responsible decisions and live respectfully with others. Independence develops within clear expectations and an available network of adults.

Grounded in Community

Shared meals, study, activities, conversations and ordinary routines help students develop friendships and a sense of belonging. TCIS is a non-denominational Christian school, and families from many faith backgrounds are welcomed. Christian values shape the care, honesty, responsibility and service encouraged within the community.

Academic Support Continues After School

Boarding students are not left to manage demanding coursework alone after the school day ends.

Dorm staff supervise students during evening study time. Every Teaching Resident Assistant is a certified teacher and is available to help students with coursework.

When a student is experiencing academic difficulty, boarding staff can also communicate directly with classroom teachers and help coordinate attendance at afternoon support sessions.

• Supervised evening study
• Certified teachers among the residential staff
• Help with coursework and academic routines
• Coordination with classroom teachers
• Access to afternoon help sessions

The goal is not simply to monitor whether work is completed. It is to help students build the confidence, organization and independence they will need for future study.

Learn more about boarding support services

Staying Connected With Your Family

Living away from home should not mean losing meaningful family connection.

Families receive regular email communication from the boarding programme. Dorm staff also contact parents when individual circumstances, concerns or student needs arise. Depending on the situation and the family’s location, communication may take place by phone, text or email.

Students may use personal phones to stay in contact with their families through calls, messages and video conversations within boarding expectations and routines.

The boarding programme is English-based, helping students participate fully in the school’s international learning community. Korean-language support is available when needed to assist students and support clear communication with parents.

Health, Wellbeing and Immediate Support

When students are living away from home, families need to know who will respond when something is wrong.

A dorm nurse is on call during after-school and overnight boarding hours. When a student becomes ill or is injured, parents are notified by phone, text or email according to the severity of the situation and the family’s location.

Dorm staff provide the first line of support when students experience homesickness, emotional difficulty or conflict with another student. Experienced boarding students can also help newer students adjust, while school counselors are available when additional support is needed.

Support is intended to help students work through difficulties rather than face them alone.

Daily and Weekend Life

Boarding life includes school, meals, study, activities, friendships, responsibilities and time to rest.

After the school day, students may participate in athletics, arts, clubs, service, academic help sessions and other school activities. Evening routines include meals, supervised study and time within the residential community.

Weekends may include organized activities, supervised free time and approved opportunities away from campus. Families establish off-campus permissions when boarding begins. Those permissions remain in effect unless the family updates them.

Meals are provided throughout the seven-day boarding week. Allergies and medically necessary dietary restrictions can be accommodated when families communicate those needs to the school.

See what daily life in the dorm looks like

School Holidays and Travel Arrangements

Students normally leave the regular boarding programme during school holidays and longer breaks.

When an overseas student does not have an available in-country guardian, care can be provided in the dormitories with community-member supervision. Because school calendars and family situations vary, these arrangements should be discussed with the Boarding team in advance.

TCIS communicates with families and can help them understand or coordinate arrival and departure arrangements. However, the school does not directly provide or manage airport and railway-station transportation.

Boarding in a Connected Mainland City

TCIS is located in Daejeon, a major city in mainland South Korea. Students experience a focused on-campus community without being geographically isolated from the rest of the country.

Daejeon is connected with Seoul and other regions through Korea’s high-speed rail, intercity bus and road networks. This can support family visits, travel and continued connection with life in Korea.

Students can grow in independence while remaining connected to culture, family and opportunity.

Explore the advantages of boarding in mainland Korea

Is Boarding Right for Your Child?

Boarding can provide meaningful opportunities for growth, but it is not automatically the right choice for every student at every stage.

Families may want to consider whether their child is ready to:

• Live within shared routines and community expectations
• Ask adults for help when something is wrong
• Share space and resolve differences respectfully
• Manage increasing academic and personal responsibility
• Participate in an English-based residential community
• Maintain healthy communication with family while developing independence

Readiness is personal. A conversation with Admissions and the Boarding team can help your family consider whether the timing, environment and available support are appropriate for your child.

Read the Boarding School Readiness Guide

Can Our Child Apply?

TCIS boarding is available for students in Grades 6–12, subject to admission and current boarding availability.

TCIS is registered in Korea as a foreign school. Because it is located within the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone, qualifying Korean-national students may apply without previous overseas residence or study. Foreign passport holders and international families may also apply.

Eligibility, grade placement and admission are considered according to each student’s circumstances, records, readiness and available space. Families are encouraged to contact Admissions before making relocation, travel or schooling decisions.

• Check eligibility and admissions requirements
• Learn about transferring to TCIS
• Explore the boarding facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

What grades can board at TCIS?

Boarding is available for students in Grades 6–12, subject to admission, grade-level availability and boarding space.

Is TCIS boarding a seven-day programme?

Yes. TCIS provides seven-day boarding. Korea-based students may return home on weekends when their family permissions allow it.

Can students apply from overseas?

Yes. TCIS welcomes inquiries from Korean and international families living overseas. Families should discuss admissions eligibility, travel arrangements, school-break care and boarding availability with Admissions before making plans.

Who supervises students in the dormitories?

TCIS maintains an 8:1 boarding student-to-staff ratio. All dorm staff live in the dormitory building adjacent to student hallways, providing immediate availability and supervision.

What academic help is available?

Dorm staff supervise evening study, and all Teaching Resident Assistants are certified teachers who can help with coursework. Boarding staff can also coordinate with classroom teachers when students need to attend afternoon help sessions.

What happens if my child becomes ill?

A dorm nurse is on call during after-school and overnight boarding hours. Parents are contacted by phone, text or email according to the severity of the situation and the family’s location.

How will TCIS communicate with our family?

Families receive regular emails, with additional communication when individual circumstances, concerns or student needs arise. Students may also maintain contact with family through personal calls, messages and video conversations.

What happens during school holidays?

Students normally leave the regular boarding program during school holidays and longer breaks. When a student has no available in-country guardian, care can be provided in the dormitories with community-member supervision. These arrangements should be discussed in advance.

Does my child need a "guardian" in Korea?

Generally speaking, international middle school students studying in Korea without a parent need a designated legal guardian in Korea, even when living in a school dormitory. Different requirements apply to high school students who reside in an approved school dormitory.

TCIS provides residential care and supervision for boarding students, but this is separate from legal or immigration guardianship requirements. Requirements can vary based on a student's nationality, visa status, and individual circumstances, so families applying from overseas should discuss their situation with Admissions before making guardianship or visa arrangements.

Does TCIS provide airport transportation?

TCIS can communicate with families and help them understand or coordinate travel arrangements, but the school does not directly provide or manage airport or railway-station transportation.

Tell Us About Your Child

You do not need to have every question answered before beginning a conversation.

Admissions can help you consider eligibility, current space, grade placement, boarding availability and whether TCIS may be an appropriate fit for your child and family.

When completing the inquiry form, select Yes when asked whether you are interested in boarding. This will open the boarding-specific questions and help your inquiry reach the appropriate team.