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