Economic crisis affects students

MALANG, East Java: With the economic crisis far from over, more than 35 percent of the students at state-run Brawijaya University here are relying on scholarships to continue their studies, the university rector, Eka Afnan Troena, said.

Eka said on Wednesday that the students, about 8,000, received scholarships from various sources, including the central bank and state-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia.

"We have sought every avenue to find donors for needy but brilliant students. We have also exempted 280 of the students from school fees," Eka told Antara.

The university also allows some students to pay their school fees in installments over six months.

The protracted recession is also affecting younger students, with the mayoralty's education and culture office expecting up to half of the students below university age to face the possibility of dropping out.

"It's possible that this figure will increase in the wake of massive layoffs and the early retirement of workers here," the head of the office, Sofwan, said.