60,000 Prospective Students Pass SNBP 2026 but Fail to Register, What's the Cause?

The implementation of the 2026 National Selection Based on Achievement (SNBP) has left a critical note that has become a topic of national discussion. Behind the joy of thousands of students who successfully entered their dream state universities lies a startling fact. Based on data released by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), approximately 60,000 prospective students who were declared successful chose not to proceed with the registration process. The figure of 60,000 is not a small number; it is equivalent to the combined student population of several large universities. This phenomenon of state university seats being relinquished on a massive scale raises major questions about the effectiveness of the national selection system and the mental and financial readiness of applicants. Why would a golden opportunity, dreamed of by millions of other students, be wasted so easily? This situation has drawn the attention of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI). Commission X of the DPR, which oversees the education sector, is urging the government to move quickly to investigate this phenomenon thoroughly. The government is expected not to turn a blind eye and treat this as a passing matter, but rather to make it a fundamental evaluation point for the new student admission system in the future. One strong voice came from Commission X member Sofyan Tan. He urged Kemendiktisaintek to immediately conduct an in-depth investigation to uncover the real motives behind the decisions of these tens of thousands of prospective students. Sofyan explained that there are several possible reasons behind the students’ actions. The first possibility relates to academic issues, such as a mismatch between the accepted major and the student’s interest. In some cases, there are also indications that participants had already been accepted at other universities they deemed more representative and aligned with their future plans. However, among the many possibilities, Sofyan stressed that the most worrying aspect to watch out for is the economic factor. He strongly suspects that some prospective students were forced to give up their state university seats due to their family’s financial inability to support tuition costs, especially for those who failed to secure educational funding assistance through the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) Kuliah programme. Therefore, a direct field investigation and survey are urgently needed so that the government obtains valid data and does not merely speculate on the surface.