Ministry Clarifies 60,000 Student Withdrawal Figure Is Misleading

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has clarified that information suggesting around 60,000 students withdrew from university does not accurately reflect the situation. Minister Brian Yuliarto explained that the data in question pertains to the evaluation of new student admissions for the 2025 academic year, not the ongoing 2026 intake. The figure of approximately 60,000 is an accumulation of two components: 42,315 unfilled university seats and 17,816 accepted students who did not complete re-registration. Out of a total capacity of 627,957 seats across all selection pathways, 585,702 participants were accepted, leaving 6.7 per cent of places unfilled. Minister Brian stated that universities uphold quality standards in their selection processes, ensuring that seats are not filled merely to meet capacity targets. This policy reflects a commitment to maintaining the quality of higher education so that graduates possess competencies aligned with societal and industrial needs. Regarding the 17,816 accepted students who did not re-register, representing 2.8 per cent of those accepted, the ministry noted several contributing factors. These include students being placed in programmes that were not their first choice, acceptance into other government or ministry-affiliated institutions, and various personal or family considerations. The ministry also emphasised that the verification process for the KIP Kuliah scholarship programme is designed to ensure accurate targeting, so that government assistance reaches students from families most in need. Minister Brian highlighted that 97.2 per cent of accepted students did complete their registration, demonstrating that the vast majority of prospective students who gain admission to higher education make full use of the opportunity. He affirmed that the government is committed to expanding access to higher education while maintaining academic quality through affirmative action schemes, education assistance, fair tuition fee systems, and improvements to the student admission system to make it more inclusive and responsive to national development needs.