Viral LPDP Alumni Controversy: Finance Minister Affirms Scholarship Funds Come from Taxpayers' Money

Jakarta (ANTARA) — Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has reminded all recipients of scholarships from the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP) that the funds used for their studies originate from taxpayers’ money.

The minister’s statement was made in response to a controversy surrounding an LPDP alumna with the initials DS, whose social media posts went viral. DS’s remarks drew public scrutiny as they were perceived to disparage the value of an Indonesian passport and were considered to show a lack of pride in Indonesian citizenship.

“That money comes from taxes paid by the people and partly from debt that we set aside to ensure our human resources can develop. But if it is used to insult the nation, then we shall demand the money back with interest,” Purbaya said at the February 2026 edition of the APBN KiTa press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

The Finance Minister expressed regret over the alleged misuse of the facility and the attitude deemed inconsistent with the objectives of the scholarship programme. The government, he continued, would enforce existing regulations to ensure scholarship recipients fulfil all their obligations to LPDP.

“Fundamentally, this is something we deeply regret. We will therefore enforce the existing LPDP regulations so that the individual concerned fulfils their responsibilities to LPDP,” he said.

The state treasurer also disclosed that the LPDP President Director had already been in contact with the individual concerned, and that DS’s husband, identified by the initials AP, had agreed to repay the scholarship funds.

“The LPDP President Director has spoken with the husband of DS, and he (AP) has agreed to return the funds used from LPDP, including interest. I hope that going forward, those who receive LPDP funding will refrain from disparaging the nation,” he said.

Beyond the repayment of funds, Purbaya is also considering firm measures including blacklisting across all government agencies for those deemed to have violated their commitments and ethical obligations as state scholarship recipients.