Thesis Ghostwriting Among Students: Rates, Operations, and Lurking Risks

In the midst of academic pressures and graduation demands, the practice of thesis ghostwriting remains a difficult-to-eradicate phenomenon among university students.

Behind the scenes, this business not only offers a “shortcut” for students but also serves as an income source for some individuals, from mere pocket money to earning tens of millions of rupiah.

Haikal (30), not his real name, is one of the perpetrators running a thesis ghostwriting service from the East Jakarta area.

When contacted, he admitted to starting the business not from careful planning but due to urgent economic needs.

He began offering the service last year and it continues to this day. Although relatively new, his business keeps growing, though not always busy.

“It started gradually. Not immediately many clients,” he said.

According to Haikal, clients using his services are quite diverse. However, the majority come from final-year students racing against graduation deadlines.

“Many from final-year students, but there are also those who are already working,” he said.

The services offered are flexible. Not all clients request full thesis completion.

“Some from start to finish, others just for certain chapters, usually chapters 4 and 5,” said Haikal.

For pricing, Haikal sets rates based on the level of difficulty and the parts worked on, ranging from Rp750,000 to Rp1 million per chapter. Meanwhile, for a full thesis, the rate can reach around Rp4 million.

“If it’s slow, one chapter can be finished in about a month,” he said.

While running this business, Haikal claims he has never faced legal issues. However, risks remain, including fraud by clients.

“There was once someone who only paid the down payment, then disappeared,” said Haikal.

“Usually, they also won’t admit to using a ghostwriting service,” he added.

A similar story comes from Raka (27), a thesis ghostwriting service provider from West Jakarta who has been running this business since 2022.

Unlike Haikal, Raka started his venture from the habit of helping friends.

“At first, it wasn’t intended as a business. I used to often help friends with assignments, including theses. Over time, more people asked and offered payment,” said Raka when contacted.

Over time, demand continued to increase, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. He now runs the service more seriously, although he still works as a barista at a café.