University students worry over new costly admission charges
The Jakarta Post, Depok/Yogyakarta/Surabaya
Despite their elation upon finding out they secured a place at a state university, students on Friday said they were a little worried about how they were going to pay for their education, as this year admission fees have been imposed.
The students were among those accepted by the University of Indonesia, and Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta -- two state universities that have become autonomous. As such they are allowed to raise public funds and are no longer subsidized by the government.
Utami Widya Ningsih, who was accepted to the University of Indonesia's (UI) School of Engineering, said her father, a civil servant, would retire next month. New students of the engineering school can expect to pay some Rp 25 million.
She said she had dreamed of going to university, even as a little girl. "If my dad can't afford it, I will have to ask that my fees are waived," she said.
As of this year, new students studying at the UI have to pay admission fees of between Rp 5 million (US$562) and Rp 25 million, plus a tuition fee of Rp 1.475 million for natural science majors, and Rp 1.275 million for social science -- each semester.
Thus, effective this year, UI students need between Rp 2.5 million to Rp 9.2 million annually, depending on their choice of study.
Students at the UI have protested against the new policy, although its management maintains that poor students would receive special consideration if they submitted a letter of recommendation from their subdistrict chief, their parents' salary slips and electricity bills for the last three months.
In Yogyakarta, student protests over the new fees marred the UGM's announcement of admission test results.
UGM student executive body president Romi Ardiansah said the student body was opening a center to help students whose families could not afford to pay their fees.
Like the UI, the UGM obliges students to pay admission fees of up to Rp 20 million. Aside from a fixed tuition fee amounting to Rp 500,000, UGM students of natural sciences have to pay Rp 75,000 for each credit, and social science students, Rp 65,000.
In total, their annual fees range from Rp 3.52 million to Rp 9.15 million.
Admission test results are available on the Internet and published by a number of newspapers, yet many students, including some in Surabaya, still feel the need to check university announcement boards for their names.
Nur Intan, who was accepted to study literature at Airlangga University, said that reading her name on the campus board felt "more convincing" than seeing it in the newspaper.