UGM remains a people's university

UGM remains a people's university

YOGYAKARTA: Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has said most of its
2003/2004 new students come from low-and middle-income families,
reconfirming itself to remain the people's university.

The announcement was to play down controversies over state
universities becoming commercial as they offered seats to
students from wealthy families.

"Around 77 percent of all the new students who have registered
themselves with Gadjah Mada come from families with an average
income of Rp 1,350,000 per month. They pay up to Rp 5 million for
admission fees, while in some cases the fees are waived," said
Tony Atyanto Dharoko, assistant to the UGM deputy rector
overseeing educational operations and quality control.

He said only some 20 percent of students paid up to Rp 15
million for admission fees, nearly 2 percent were charged Rp 25
million, and the rest paid between Rp 30 million and Rp 100
million.

"No one paid above Rp 100 million for admission fees," said
Tony, adding that only six students so far were recorded to have
paid between Rp 70 million and Rp 100 million.

He said students from poor families were welcome to ask for
either partial or full exemption from the admission fee or
submitted requests for scholarships.

UGM has accepted 4,180 new students through its own admission
test, the results of which were announced last May. Some 76,000
students attended the test.

Around 1,344 other students were accepted through the national
admission test, the results of which were announced on Monday.
Almost 22,500 students chose UGM when attending the test. --JP