House Commission X pushes for evaluation of national higher education policy

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Chair of House Commission X Esti Wijayati has committed to urging the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology to conduct a thorough evaluation of new student admission policies and the national education funding scheme. The statement was made by Esti during a Focus Group Discussion initiated by Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) with leaders of private universities across the Special Region of Yogyakarta on Monday (7/6). Esti acknowledged that concerns regarding the imbalance in the new student admissions system have been voiced for a long time. According to her, the prolonged independent admission routes at state universities often kill the opportunity for private universities to recruit students earlier and in sufficient numbers. “Commission X has formed a working committee to find facts on the ground regarding the problems faced by private universities. We will put pressure on the government to evaluate new student admissions so that private universities have fair space and certainty of timing,” she said. Regarding the funding scheme, Esti supported the demands of private university leaders concerning the need to increase the quota and adjust the amount of the Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah (KIP-K) assistance. She highlighted the reduction in aid value for top-tier universities from Rp8 million to Rp4.5 million per semester, which is considered burdensome for educational institutions. “We strongly agree that the number should be increased and the amount adjusted. It is impossible for a top university to run optimally with aid of only Rp4.5 million per semester. We will fight for this demand firmly and decisively,” she stressed. On the same occasion, UMY Vice Rector for Education and Student Affairs Prof. Zuly Qodir emphasised the need to review several Ministerial Regulations related to education governance. He highlighted three crucial issues: the new student admissions system, fairness in scholarship distribution, and the complexity of regulations for opening new study programmes. Zuly explained that private universities are now burdened with the obligation to accept students from frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions without adequate funding subsidies from the state. This condition is seen as a policy imbalance, considering that state universities receive much greater fiscal support. “Additionally, we highlight the disparity in the ease of opening new study programmes. State Universities with Legal Entity status can open programmes with a very flexible process, while private universities must meet very strict and complicated requirements. This should be equalised to create a healthy competitive climate,” he explained. Zuly expressed hope that the government can find a middle ground, such as allowing private universities to collect the shortfall in costs from KIP-K recipient students that is not covered by state subsidies, so that the financial burden on campuses does not continue to swell. The FGD was attended by leaders from several major universities in Yogyakarta, including UAD, UII, UNISA, UMBY, Janabadra University, Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta, and Sanata Dharma University. All input from the forum will be compiled into policy recommendations to be brought to a working meeting of House Commission X with the relevant ministry for the improvement of national higher education governance in the upcoming fiscal year.