AusAID

I am writing in response to an advertisement which appeared some time ago offering scholarships for a postgraduate program in Australia from AusAID/IDP Education Australia. I wish to get an explanation of this scholarship offer as there are changes in the requirements set for candidates for the program.

According to the General Guidelines we obtained from the Australian embassy, the requirements for registration are as follows: GPA of at least 2.7 and IELTS score of at least 4.5. However, according to information we obtained from IDP Education Australia, the requirements set for registration is as follows: GPA of at least 2.9 and IELTS score of at least 5.0.

Viewed from the change in the GPA score, this change may be meant to improve the quality of the candidates registering for the scholarship program. However, AusAID must certainly consider the fact that there is a subjectivity factor on the part of state and private universities with respect to the issuance of a GPA. Normally, a graduate of a private university must take a state exam (depending on the status of the university), a fact that is not included in the requirements set by AusAID. The condition in Australia may be different because most universities in Australia are run by the state.

Some time ago we consulted the Australian National University and found that they were well aware of the fact that the GPA standard differs from one university to another in Indonesia. In Indonesian universities, the GPA classification in the range of 2.5 up to 3.0 and is generally the same, i.e. satisfactory.

It is our hope that with this input AusAID/IDP Education Australia may reconsider the changes referred to above so that there will be more candidates who will compete for the scholarships objectively and will not be disadvantaged by a subjective factor, particularly for the graduates of the state universities.

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