State university students pay less fees, but complain more
State university students pay less fees, but complain more
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Lifestyle-wise, Hendra and Indri -- both students of the state-
owned University of Indonesia (UI) -- pretty much follow the
trends, and indulge in the same types of activities that their
peers at prominent private universities in Jakarta do.
Hendra, a law student, travels to the Depok campus of UI in
his silver Toyota Avanza, while Indri drives a Peugeot 206 to and
from the UI, where she studies psychology.
The two said they spent their weekends in cafes or shopping
malls.
Hendra -- whose father is the director of a private bank -- is
against the university's decision to raise tuition fees. She says
that she wants to back the hundreds of students who protested
against the policy on Monday.
"The UI should not raise its admission fees, that's just
making it harder for students of poor families," the 19-year-old
student said.
Although he observed the number of students of well-off
families was on the rise at the university, he said that did not
justify the increase in admission fees.
"The point is that the UI is a state university, which
receives a government subsidy. Therefore, it cannot compare
itself with private universities in its tuition-fee policy.
UI director of academic affairs Muhammad Anis said that out of
the 24,000 students of the university who are pursuing bachelor
degrees, only 20 percent, or 4,800, of them cannot afford to pay
tuition fees.
However, Indri, a second-year student, said the UI could not
use statistics to determine its admission fees.
"It's true that, nowadays, the number of students from wealthy
families is higher, but that doesn't mean the UI should
arbitrarily increase its admission and tuition fees," she said.
The 20-year-old student asserted that many students, including
herself, chose the UI for its reputation and low fees.
"It's not a private university, and therefore cannot charge
fees as high as those imposed by private universities, regardless
of the students' financial status," said Indri, whose father is a
businessman.
Kemal, a second-year engineering student, supports his
friend's opinion.
"The majority of UI students may be able to afford to pay full
admission fees, but please don't forget the others, no matter how
small the percentage is. They are the ones who really suffer when
fees are raised," said the 19-year-old student, who is from
Probolinggo in East Java.
Unlike Hendra and Indri who receive monthly allowances of up
to Rp 1.5 million (US$165) from their parents, Kemal has to work
as a mechanic to pay his monthly rent of Rp 150,000. He doesn't
have to pay tuition fees as he is on a scholarship.
Effective this year, UI students will be charged between Rp
2.5 million to Rp 9.2 million annually, depending on their choice
of study. This excludes admission fees, which range between Rp 5
million and Rp 25 million -- for those who are selected through
the national admission tests -- and between Rp 25 million and Rp
75 million -- for students who are admitted through the UI's own
selection tests.
Students may have their entrance fee waived if they submit a
letter from their subdistrict chief stating that they come from a
poor family.
Other state universities are applying a similar policy
regarding education costs, due to the government's decision to
cut their subsidies. The 2003 education system law allows
universities to collect public funds.
Rector of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic Institute
Azyumardi Azra suggested that the Indonesian government learn
from other countries, where the public and the government share
the responsibility of financing the cost of higher education.
"It's impossible for the government to cover all costs as it
does not have enough money. It's also not right for society to
bear the bulk of the burden," said Azyumardi.
Another education expert, Arif Rachman, agreed with Azyumardi,
saying state universities' dependence on the government would
deprive them of their autonomy.
Arif said universities could still admit students from poor
families through a cross-subsidy program that would require rich
students to pay more; outsourcing, in which universities seek
funds from foreign donors or the private sector; and
diversification, whereby a university would sell copyrights and
organize seminars or workshops to make money.