Extra costs incurred to secure university seats<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Many high school students who have just completed their final
\nexaminations are worrying about whether they can get into a
\nquality university due to the limited number of seats. But Amanda
\nis still confused even though she has been accepted at Atma Jaya
\nCatholic University here.<\/p>\n
She has been given a seat in the accounting department of the
\nSchool of Economy, which was her second choice. Her first choice
\nwas the School of Chemical Engineering at Parahyangan Catholic
\nUniversity in Bandung. Atma Jaya held the first round of its
\nentrance exams last month, while the exams for Parahyangan will
\nbe held in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n
But even if she is accepted at Parahyangan, she will have to
\nthink twice before she goes there.<\/p>\n
The problem is, she has already paid Rp 15 million for her
\nadmission fee to Atma Jaya and she will lose that money if she
\nchooses to go to Parahyangan. In addition, she might not have
\nenough money to pay the second university's admission fee.<\/p>\n
Many students have to attend private universities despite the
\nhigher cost because of the limited number of seats at state
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
Last year, only 81,471 students, or 20 percent of the 404,907
\napplicants were admitted to 46 state universities across the
\ncountry. In 2001, about 465,000 students took the test but only
\nabout 72,000 were accepted.<\/p>\n
The supply and demand mechanism may be the best way to explain
\nwhy many high school students opt to pay huge extra costs to
\nsecure their future at a university.<\/p>\n
Private universities are well aware of that fact and have
\ncashed in on this opportunity by organizing the admission tests
\nas early as possible, ahead of those held by the state
\nuniversities, and even before high school students had completed
\ntheir final exams last week.<\/p>\n
\"I have been accepted at Bina Nusantara University's School of
\nInformation Technology,\" said Nuren from a state high school in
\nKebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Nuren said she had to pay Rp 17.1 million just for the
\nadmission fee.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, it was just a backup in case I couldn't get into a
\nstate university,\" said Nuren.<\/p>\n
Nuren said her first choice was to study psychology at the
\nSebelas Maret University in Surakarta in Central Java, the
\nUniversity of Brawijaya in Malang, East Java, or the Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Nuren said Bina Nusantara would return Nuren's admission fee
\nif she was accepted at any of the three state universities, but
\nit would deduct about Rp 450,000 in administration fees.<\/p>\n
Like Bina Nusantara, other private education institutions will
\nreturn admission fees paid by students on the condition that they
\nwere accepted at a state university. But the money will not be
\nreturned if a student decides to go to another private
\nuniversity.<\/p>\n
Lidwina Maria, the head of the academic bureau at the Atma
\nJaya University, said the entire admission fee would be lost if
\napplicants continued their studies at another private school.<\/p>\n
She said that every applicant was informed about this
\nregulation and signed a statement, saying that they were aware
\nthat they would lose their money if they went to another private
\nuniversity.<\/p>\n
\"But we will refund the money within three weeks at the latest
\nif they provide proof that they have been accepted at a state
\nuniversity and will continue their studies there,\" said Lidwina.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/extra-costs-incurred-to-secure-university-seats-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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