If you can't join them, pay them

If you can't join them, pay them

The Jakarta-based University of Indonesia (UI) has followed
its fellow state universities, including the Institute of
Technology in Bandung and the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
University in netting new students from well-off families.

Through the special scheme called Program Prestasi Minat
Mandiri - PPMM - (Self-sponsored Entrance Program Based on
Skill), UI allocates 600 seats for senior high school graduates
who miss the entrance test for the 2003-2004 academic year. As
many as 3,000 students are expected to pass the entrance tests.

Without taking any tests, the students who don't pass the
entrance test are welcome at UI - through the PPMM scheme -
provided they get an average mark of 7 for all the subjects and
are willing to 'donate' between Rp 25 million and Rp 75 million
to the university. The amount does not include Rp 7.5 million for
each semester and tuition fees of between Rp 1.2 million and Rp
1.7 million per year.

All state universities have opened similar schemes to get new
students from rich families. Their aim is simply to collect more
money to fund the life of the universities after the government
changed their status to become state-owned companies (BUMN),
which has the legal right to make a profit.

The decision to change the status was made in line with the
decrease in the government subsidy.

Through the PPMM scheme state universities can collect
abundant money. UI, for example, could get Rp 40 billion from the
scheme this year, enabling the university to run its programs.

-- Warta Kota, Jakarta