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.