DPD Meets 10 Central Java Private University Leaders to Discuss Impact of Decile Changes

Semarang (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council (DPD) invited leaders from 10 private universities in Central Java to gather feedback on changes to social welfare data deciles affecting prospective recipients of the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP) scholarship.

“Today I am trying to meet with private university rectors who have faced many problems over the past two to three months related to changes in deciles,” DPD Commission III member Muhdi said in Semarang on Thursday.

He was speaking at a working and hearing meeting with Central Java private university leaders to compile material for oversight of the implementation of laws concerning the use of the National Single Socioeconomic Data (DTSEN).

The 10 universities included PGRI University of Semarang (Upgris), Dian Nuswantoro University (Udinus), Semarang University (USM), Ngudi Waluyo University and Darul Ulum Islamic Centre Sudirman University (Undaris).

Muhdi said changes to DTSEN deciles had moved many KIP recipients who were initially in decile 2 into deciles 5, 6 and 7, whereas scholarship recipients must be in decile 4 or below.

He said the situation had led many private universities to provide their own scholarships, but these covered tuition fees only, not living costs.

“With KIP, students can receive living-cost assistance. That is also a burden, and many eventually withdraw. Even when they are given a scholarship, they cannot afford their living expenses,” he said.

University leaders said the period for submitting requests to change a decile should not extend to three months, as that was too long and university applications had already closed by then.

“Second, requests to restore or change a decile should be able to be confirmed with the university. Universities generally conduct verification and visit students’ homes,” he said.

“What happens, then, when a change like the one recently made results from nationally conducted census data?” asked the senator from Central Java.

He said nationally implemented changes should be accompanied by a grace or transition period of at least six months, during which the previous data would continue to be used.

“That was the main proposal put forward by our colleagues at the private universities,” said Muhdi, who chairs the Central Java branch of the Indonesian Teachers’ Association (PGRI) and is a former rector of Upgris.