LPDP: Four of Eight Alumni Have Returned Scholarship Funds
Four alumni have returned funds ranging from IDR 1 to 2 billion after being found in violation of their obligations and subsequently sanctioned, according to the Director General of the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP), Sudarto.
A total of eight LPDP scholarship recipients have been sanctioned to return funds, with four already having done so.
“The remaining four have promised to repay in instalments,” Sudarto said during a media briefing at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Wednesday (February 25) evening.
Sudarto explained that the amount of funds returned by LPDP alumni who are subject to sanctions depends on their level of study.
He explained that for LPDP scholarship recipients at the master’s level (S2), the amount of funds returned is estimated at IDR 1 billion. Meanwhile, for doctoral level (S3), it is IDR 2 billion. These scholarship recipients studied both abroad and in Indonesia.
LPDP regulations require scholarship recipients to return to Indonesia and contribute to the country. The period of service is twice the duration of study plus one year, or 2N+1. This rule has been changed this year to 2N.
This regulation has been agreed upon by scholarship recipients through a contract with LPDP. LPDP scholarship recipients who violate the rules are subject to sanctions, including paying a fine and being ineligible for the scholarship in the future.
In addition to the eight people who have been sanctioned to return LPDP scholarship funds, the agency has also examined 36 people suspected of violating the rules.
LPDP provides flexibility options for its alumni to contribute. This can be applied to scholarship recipients who work in strategic positions at global research institutions. This flexibility must be followed by service to Indonesia.
There are other specific conditions that allow LPDP alumni to stay abroad during their service period, including civil servants (ASN), the military (TNI), and the police (Polri) who are assigned official duties, as well as employees of state-owned enterprises (BUMN) and government agencies who are officially assigned, and scholarship recipients who work at international institutions. (Ant/H-4)