University students worry over new costly admission charges<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Depok\/Yogyakarta\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Despite their elation upon finding out they secured a place at a
\nstate university, students on Friday said they were a little
\nworried about how they were going to pay for their education, as
\nthis year admission fees have been imposed.<\/p>\n
The students were among those accepted by the University of
\nIndonesia, and Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta -- two
\nstate universities that have become autonomous. As such they are
\nallowed to raise public funds and are no longer subsidized by the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Utami Widya Ningsih, who was accepted to the University of
\nIndonesia's (UI) School of Engineering, said her father, a civil
\nservant, would retire next month. New students of the engineering
\nschool can expect to pay some Rp 25 million.<\/p>\n
She said she had dreamed of going to university, even as a
\nlittle girl. \"If my dad can't afford it, I will have to ask that
\nmy fees are waived,\" she said.<\/p>\n
As of this year, new students studying at the UI have to pay
\nadmission fees of between Rp 5 million (US$562) and Rp 25
\nmillion, plus a tuition fee of Rp 1.475 million for natural
\nscience majors, and Rp 1.275 million for social science -- each
\nsemester.<\/p>\n
Thus, effective this year, UI students need between Rp 2.5
\nmillion to Rp 9.2 million annually, depending on their choice of
\nstudy.<\/p>\n
Students at the UI have protested against the new policy,
\nalthough its management maintains that poor students would
\nreceive special consideration if they submitted a letter of
\nrecommendation from their subdistrict chief, their parents'
\nsalary slips and electricity bills for the last three months.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, student protests over the new fees marred the
\nUGM's announcement of admission test results.<\/p>\n
UGM student executive body president Romi Ardiansah said the
\nstudent body was opening a center to help students whose families
\ncould not afford to pay their fees.<\/p>\n
Like the UI, the UGM obliges students to pay admission fees of
\nup to Rp 20 million. Aside from a fixed tuition fee amounting to
\nRp 500,000, UGM students of natural sciences have to pay Rp
\n75,000 for each credit, and social science students, Rp 65,000.<\/p>\n
In total, their annual fees range from Rp 3.52 million to Rp
\n9.15 million.<\/p>\n
Admission test results are available on the Internet and
\npublished by a number of newspapers, yet many students, including
\nsome in Surabaya, still feel the need to check university
\nannouncement boards for their names.<\/p>\n
Nur Intan, who was accepted to study literature at Airlangga
\nUniversity, said that reading her name on the campus board felt
\n\"more convincing\" than seeing it in the newspaper.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/university-students-worry-over-new-costly-admission-charges-1447893297",
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