State universities open doors to the rich<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For the second year running, state universities across Indonesia
\nwill select new students based on the independent selection
\nprogram (ISP), which allows well-off candidates with lower grades
\nto get into college.<\/p>\n
Most of the 82,000 places in the universities for the next
\nacademic year, however, will be awarded based on the results of
\nthe National Admission Test (SPMB), which will be held nationwide
\nbetween July 1 and July 4.<\/p>\n
Under the ISP, to enter the University of Indonesia (UI),
\nwealthy students need only to score higher than the pass grade
\nset by the university, have an average of seven on their high
\nschool reports, and be willing to pay an admission fee of between
\nRp 25 million (US$2,941) and Rp 75 million.<\/p>\n
By comparison, Indonesia's per capita income is about $900 per
\nannum.<\/p>\n
\"The high fees will be used to subsidize poorer students,\"
\nsaid UI spokeswoman Diennaryati Cokrosuprihantono, or Dini, on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
The university has allocated 600 places under the ISP this
\nyear. The students admitted under the program will also have to
\npay Rp 7.5 million per semester, more than six times the fee for
\nregular students.<\/p>\n
The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) has set aside 500
\nplaces, or 20 percent of the total number of available places,
\nfor students willing to pay a once-off admission fee of Rp 45
\nmillion and who have passed the ITB examinations, which includes
\nwritten papers and a psychological examination.<\/p>\n
Students can register for the examinations between April 26
\nand June 2, with the tests being held between June 8 and June 10.<\/p>\n
Some universities prefer not to set fixed admission fees. For
\nexample, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), which will hold its
\nadmission tests on April 25 and has been registering applicants
\nsince April 1, has asked the parents of all applicants to
\ndetermine themselves how much they can contribute.<\/p>\n
An applicant said his parents had been asked for Rp 25 million
\nfor a place in the International Relations Department at the
\nSchool of Social and Political Sciences.<\/p>\n
The university claims the funds will be used to cover the
\nadmission fees of poor students.<\/p>\n
\"Poor students will have to submit a declaration on their
\neconomic circumstances from their schools, and sub-district and
\ndistrict heads,\" admission committee member Toni Apyanto Dharoko
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Following their newly found autonomy, state universities
\nacross Indonesia introduced special schemes in 2003 to allow the
\noffspring of the wealthy to get into college. Despite protests,
\nthe universities insisted the money was needed to provide
\nadequate services to students following a cut in government
\nsubsidies.<\/p>\n
\"The money provided by the government only covers the civil
\nservants' salaries,\" said Diennaryati. Students pay approximately
\nRp 2.5 million per year while in reality a student majoring in
\nsocial studies, for example, should be paying Rp 18 million per
\nyear, she added.<\/p>\n
The requirements imposed by UI on those availing of the ISP
\nwould be strict, she argued.<\/p>\n
\"Last year, only 218 of the 700 applicants were admitted,
\nalthough our quota was actually 600 students,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Adang Surachman, ITB's deputy rector for academic affairs,
\nsaid the institute would not compromise on its standards despite
\nthe special admission program. He said only 250 out of some 2,000
\napplicants from wealthy families had passed the admission tests.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/state-universities-open-doors-to-the-rich-1447893297",
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