Students, parents concerned over fees
Students, parents concerned over fees
The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta/Bogor/Bandung
Sumarni, 51, wants nothing but the best for her eldest daughter
Imsak Sukmawati -- who hopes to study law at Gadjah Mada
University -- but money is an obstacle.
"I was unable to pay the Rp 10 million (US$1063) admission fee
by today (Friday last week), the last day I had to pay the fee.
"Had the university waived the admission fee, I would have
been able to pay the rest of the fees," said Sumarni, who visited
the UGM on Friday to request special consideration for her
daughter's case.
Sumarni -- a sports teacher at Sragen Senior High School 3 in
Sragen -- said she had saved over Rp 2 million to pay for Imsak's
education, which was no easy task as her salary is low and her
husband was laid off after the economic crisis.
"If the university refuses to assist us, my daughter will be
unable to continue with her education," said Sumarni.
Imsak, 19, who accompanied her mother, said she would probably
seek a job and maybe study part-time at university.
Sugiono, 19, of Kendal in Central Java, was accepted to study
political and social sciences at the UGM.
He said, when he sat his university entrance test in the
Central Java capital of Semarang, he had not been notified of the
admission fee.
"I was surprised when I was told this morning that I had to
pay an admission fee of Rp 5 million," said Sugiono. The
admission fee varies depending on the student's entrance test
score, and can be as high as Rp 20 million.
Sugiono said his father earned little as a farmer and couldn't
pay the fee. On the same day, Sugiono approached the UGM student
body, hoping that it could assist him. As of last Friday, 13
parties had approached the student body seeking special
consideration.
Assistant to UGM's deputy rector for students and alumni Eddy
O.S. Hiariej said that the university would make a particular
arrangement for those parents who were unable to pay the
admission fee.
He said that the deadline to pay the admission fee had been
extended until Tuesday (Aug. 24).
"If they really can't pay, they must provide evidence of their
financial status. Only then will we discuss whether we can grant
them dispensation," said Eddy.
Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), on the other hand, has
already promised poor students dispensation.
Siti M, an IPB student, for example, was told she wouldn't
have to pay the admission fee, while her tuition fees and other
expenses for first semester were reduced to Rp 850,000 from Rp
1,775,000, after she showed a letter from her subdistrict office
stating she is from a poor family.
Similar to the IPB, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) is
assisting poor students by providing booths X1 and X2, through
which students can request special consideration, or payment
plans tailored to their needs.
"Some have asked to pay their fees in stages. Others have
asked that their fees be waived," said Adang Surahman, deputy ITB
rector for students and academics.
Adang said the institute implemented a cross-subsidy scheme to
assist poor students. He said, this year, the ITB accepted some
530 out of a total 2,800 students through the scheme. Those
students are admitted to the institute but have to pay Rp 45
million each on average. "From the scheme, we have collected more
than Rp 23 billion. This enables us to waive the tuition fees of
500 students, up from 50 students last year," said Adang.