UI to continue admission program
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.