Regional Council Demands Stricter Post-Study Monitoring of Overseas LPDP Scholarship Recipients

Tue, 24 Feb 2026, 22:54 WIB | Source: ANTARA_ID | Regulation

Semarang (ANTARA) – The Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia has urged the government to tighten post-study monitoring of students who receive scholarships from the Endowment Fund Management Agency (LPDP) and are studying abroad.

Deputy Chairman of Committee I of the DPD RI, Dr. Muhdi, in Semarang on Tuesday evening, expressed hope that the case of one of the LPDP scholarship recipients, whose initials are DS, which went viral on social media, would serve as a lesson for the future.

He made these remarks during a low-price market event held in collaboration with the management of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) in the Mijen sub-district.

DS came under scrutiny after uploading a video expressing his joy at successfully obtaining a British passport for his child, which went viral and was deemed offensive to the nation.

Incidentally, DS’s husband, AP, was also an LPDP scholarship recipient, and it was later discovered that he had not fulfilled his service obligations as stipulated, resulting in a sanction requiring him to return the scholarship funds he received.

The LPDP scholarship requires awardees to return to Indonesia after completing their studies under the 2N+1 scheme, which means a service period of twice the study period plus one year.

Muhdi believes that the issue of LPDP recipients not fulfilling their service obligations should have been adequately addressed through thorough post-study monitoring.

According to the Chairman of PGRI Central Java, this means that the problem of LPDP recipients not fulfilling their service obligations should not only be exposed now, after the DS case.

“Now, check all LPDP recipients. Are they fulfilling their obligations or not? If not, impose sanctions. Or, should sanctions be imposed only after someone like this (DS) appears? We are slow to act, and that is not educational,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of LPDP, Sudarto, reported that 44 scholarship recipients (awardees) have been sanctioned for not fulfilling their service obligations as stipulated.

Of this number, eight have been sanctioned to return the scholarship funds they received, while the remaining 36 are still under investigation.

“We have conducted research on possibly more than 600 awardees, and of that number, sanctions, including the return of funds, have been imposed on eight, and 36 are still in the process,” he said.

He admitted that not all reports automatically lead to violations because some scholarship recipients are still in their internship period or are in the process of establishing a business abroad for two years, which is permitted according to the scholarship recipient’s guidebook.

Some have also completed their service period or have received an official assignment from their institution.

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