Masters Scholarship Recipients Who Refuse to Return to Indonesia Face These Penalties
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) will take firm action against scholarship recipients who do not fulfil their service obligations after completing their studies. One of the measures is the repayment of scholarship funds.
The Acting Director of LPDP, Sudart, explained that there are two types of sanctions imposed on scholarship recipients who do not comply with the scholarship agreement. First, the repayment of scholarship funds and the blocking of access to LPDP programs in the future.
“That’s why, if our alumni don’t know, they will have to repay the scholarship funds and be blocked from accessing LPDP programs in the future. Once again, the LPDP program is very extensive. Currently, there are more than 600,000 LPDP programs. Each case is processed objectively and proportionally, taking into account the facts and context,” said Sudarto during a media briefing on Thursday (February 26, 2026).
So, how much is the penalty that scholarship recipients must repay when they do not comply with the scholarship agreement?
As an example, Sudarto explained that LPDP funding for a master’s program at Gadjah Mada University is IDR 75 million per year. This includes tuition fees, insurance through BPJS, and living expenses.
“If the funding for a master’s program at UGM is IDR 75 million per year, including tuition fees and living allowance in Indonesia, as well as BPJS insurance, books, and travel expenses, this is on average, because it varies for each faculty,” he said.
Meanwhile, the cost of a master’s program for scholarship recipients studying at the University of Edinburgh, England, amounts to IDR 967 million per year, and IDR 824 million for a doctoral program.
“On average, it is IDR 99 million per year for a doctoral program at UGM. If the cost for a master’s program at Edinburgh is IDR 967 million per year, and for a doctoral program it is IDR 824 million per year, but in England, the master’s program is only one year,” he said.
Therefore, scholarship recipients who do not comply with the scholarship agreement must pay a penalty ranging from IDR 900 million to IDR 2 billion, depending on the university and country.
Sudarto revealed that four alumni have repaid their scholarship funds because they were found to have not fulfilled their service obligations in Indonesia.
Each of the alumni repaid approximately IDR 2 billion, consisting of scholarship recipients for master’s and doctoral programs both in Indonesia and abroad.
“In total, it is around IDR 2 billion per person for those with a PhD. There are also those with a master’s degree who repaid less than IDR 1-2 billion. Those who have paid include those who studied in Indonesia and those who studied abroad,” said Sudarto during the media briefing on Wednesday night (February 25, 2026).
As previously known, LPDP had conducted an investigation into 600 scholarship recipients suspected of violating the agreement. Based on the investigation, 307 scholarship recipients had permission to continue with internships or further studies, while 172 people worked in accordance with LPDP regulations, and 36 others are still under investigation.
Meanwhile, eight people were found to have not fulfilled their service obligations in Indonesia.
“Currently, we are still investigating 36 people, including those who went viral. This is a momentum for us to improve both the accuracy and the system, as well as the criteria for contribution,” he said.
(haa/haa)