UI to continue admission program
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite opposition from the House of Representatives (DPR), the University of Indonesia (UI) decided on Monday to pursue its special admission program, auctioning off a percentage of its seats to the highest bidders.
The university, however, gave its assurance that the number of students accepted through the special program would not exceed 20 percent of the total students it planned to admit in the 2003/04 academic year.
The decision was taken after university leaders held a meeting with other stakeholders to decide whether or not to continue with the program.
It also came just one day before the two-day entrance tests for 48 state universities across the country.
Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate in the tests to contest 82,969 seats in the 48 state universities involving 1,583 study programs.
Last year, there were only 80,000 seats available spread in 46 state universities with a ratio application accepted of about 1:6.
UI said in a statement on Monday that 20 percent of its seats would be auctioned for between Rp 25 million (US$3,000) and Rp 75 million each, depending on the study program. Students entering the university through the special program would have to pay a tuition fee of Rp 7.5 million per semester.
And to maintain the quality of its program, the university also requires students entering through the special program to have achieved an average grade of at least seven in the final year of senior high school.
Study programs included in the special admission program include dentistry, mathematics, natural science, computer science, law, cultural studies, psychology and social and political science.
UI, one of the four state universities allowed to manage their own funds, pledged to reevaluate study programs included in the special admission scheme as required by the House.
The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the Yogyakarta- based Gadjah Mada University (UGM), and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) have also been given the authority to manage their funds.