AusAID

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.

Name and address

known to the editor