Without Expensive Tutoring, Farah Sa’diah Secures ITB Architecture Admission Thanks to the Learning Camp and the Perintis Scholarship
Amid limited finances, Farah Sa’diah Miranti has shown that dreams can still find a way. A beneficiary of the Perintis Scholarship class of 2025, she managed to gain admission to ITB’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Policy Development (SAPPK) without attending the expensive tutoring that many students rely on.
From high school, Farah has lived independently at a boarding school. She studied at SMAN CMBBS, a boarding-based school that waives tuition fees, a place where she invested in her achievements. For her, the boarding house is not merely a residence but a space for character building and resilience.
The road to her dream campus was not always smooth. While her peers attended intensive tutoring to tackle the Computer-Based Written Examination (UTBK), Farah focused on swimming in extra-curriculars to supplement her income.
The idea of taking tutoring did cross her mind. Yet her family’s income—no more than Rp 500 thousand per month—led her to choose self-study.
“I also want tutoring, but there is no money. My parents work as casual labourers, so I looked for other ways to earn, whether by giving private lessons, or choosing a boarding school. I tried to study independently and reassure my family that I was all right,” Farah said.
That perseverance paid off. In 2024, Farah won a national gold medal at the Pusprenas and Indonesia Youth Science (IYS) events. She even helped guide her students in the swimming club to victory. Yet behind those achievements, she often had to withdraw from competitions due to registration fees.
Perintis Scholarship: The turning point came when her teacher introduced Learning Camp (LC) Perintis Scholarship run by Rumah Amal Salman. The programme provided intensive UTBK preparation with quality instructors at no high cost.
“Learning Camp allowed me to study UTBK with solid materials and outstanding teachers, without worrying about the cost,” Farah said.
Through the Learning Camp, Farah gained structured study strategies, exam simulations, and academic mentoring that she had previously struggled to access. As a result, she achieved a high UTBK score and was admitted to ITB via the national selection route.
The success stands as evidence that access to quality education does not always coincide with high costs. For Farah, the journey is not over. Now a beneficiary of the Perintis Leadership Programme (PLP), she still has four years to go to graduate with a commendable set of marks.
“Education is the bridge to the future. Not only for me, but also for the people I want to help in the future,” she said.
The Perintis Scholarship programme uses zakat and infaq funds entrusted by donors. Since its inception in 2010, the programme has graduated more than 1,000 students from various public universities. This year, Perintis is funding around 450 students from cohorts 2022 to 2025, offering hope to a new generation of youths who strive to reach higher education through this path of goodness.