Abstract
This paper examines how educational subsidy policies lump and split different people. By focusing on issues of equal educational opportunity and social justice, this paper poses the following question: what are social classifying effects behind educational subsidy policies. The educational subsidy policies favor the children of Jiun-Gung-Jiau (the military, public servants and teachers) and aim to aid those of the social disadvantaged. These status-based policies, however, bring differential and paradoxical effects. For the advantaged groups, these policies enhance social distinction and classification, and thus ensure the reproduction of the existing social stratification. For the disadvantaged groups, these policies make them suffer the stigma of welfare-dependents and make reverse discrimination possible. Examining the symbolic meaning and micropolitics behind educational subsidy policies in Taiwan, this paper gauges whether the ideals of equal educational opportunity and social justice can be realized.