LPDP Funds Come from Tax Revenue, Finance Ministry Asks Recipients to Respect the People
Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara has expressed hope that recipients of the Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) scholarship will respect the Indonesian people. This is because the source of the funds they receive comes from the people’s taxes.
“Therefore, please respect the Indonesian people when receiving the LPDP scholarship. This is the people’s money, our collective money, so when receiving it, please show respect,” said Suahasil, as reported by Antara on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
He explained that the government, through the Ministry of Finance, collects taxes from citizens, which are then included in the State Budget (APBN). A portion of this revenue is set aside to become an endowment fund.
“Then, the endowment fund generates returns. We use these returns to finance scholarships. So, it is the people’s money,” said Suahasil.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa also reminded LPDP scholarship recipients that the funds they receive for their studies come from the people’s taxes.
This statement was made in response to a controversy involving an LPDP alumnus with the initials DS, whose posts went viral on social media. DS’s statements on social media drew criticism for allegedly belittling access to the Indonesian passport and for not showing pride as an Indonesian citizen.
Purbaya regretted the alleged misuse of facilities and the attitude that was deemed inconsistent with the purpose of the scholarship. The government, he said, will enforce applicable regulations to ensure that scholarship recipients fulfil all their responsibilities to the LPDP.
The state treasurer also said that the Director General of LPDP had communicated with the individual in question, and DS’s husband, with the initials AP, was willing to return the scholarship funds.
In addition to the return of funds, Purbaya is also considering stricter measures, such as being placed on a blacklist in all government agencies for those who are deemed to have violated the commitment and ethics as recipients of state scholarships.
Meanwhile, the Director General of LPDP, Sudarto, reported that 44 scholarship recipients have been sanctioned for not fulfilling their obligations as stipulated.
Of this number, 8 people have been given the sanction of being required to return the scholarship funds they received, while the remaining 36 are still under investigation.
Regarding sanctions, Sudarto said that recipients who violate the rules may be required to return the scholarship funds plus interest, as well as being barred from participating in LPDP programs in the future. These provisions are already included in the agreement signed by the scholarship recipients.
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