No money, no exams

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Almost 500 students at the state-run Jenderal Sudirman University here will be barred from sitting this semester's exams until they have paid their tuition fees.

Rector Rubiyanto Misman however promised to find a way out of the financial problems facing 480 students hit by the economic crisis.

These students missed the Feb. 14 deadline to pay their fees.

One suggested way out for these hard-pressed students is to allow them to take academic leave until they have the money to continue their classes.

The School of Political and Social Studies tops the list of students who are behind in their payments with 110, followed by the School of Economics with 87, Animal Husbandry with 79, Law with 64, Biology with 54 and Agriculture with 48. The remaining are from diploma programs.

The university, which boasts more than 11,000 students, has also slashed its spending since the start of the economic crisis. (45)