Education Ministry Provides Assistance to College Students Affected by COVID-19

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 3 Juli 2020
Category: News
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Smart Indonesia Card-College (KIP-Kuliah) Program (Source by: Ministry of Education and Culture)

The Indonesian Government through Ministry of Education and Culture commits to provide maximum assistance to college students so they can continue their studies amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Regulation of Minister of Education and Culture Number 25 of 2020, the Ministry sets up various assistance schemes for state university students affected by the pandemic.

“For students who experience financial constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic, they can propose relaxation of Single Tuition Fees (UKT) to the universities. Ministry of Education and Culture appreciates the agreement of Council of State University Rectors that lightens the burden of students,” Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Anwar Makarim said in Jakarta, Thursday (2/7).

According to Nadiem, university leaders can give relaxation of tuition fees and/or impose new fees on students affected by the pandemic. In addition to that, they are not required to pay that the fees if they are on student leave or do not take semester credit units (SKS) at all, for example, waiting for graduation.

Final year students pay a maximum of 50% of the tuition fees if they take less than six credits. This scheme  applies to undergraduate and applied science students who are at ninth semester as well as diploma 3 (D3) students who are at seventh semester.

“This is proof that we take measures to ease the burden of affected students. We issue this regulation so that all state universities can immediately relax the tuition fees to help their students,” Nadiem said.

For the record, Ministry of Education and Culture also provides or tuition fees assistance for 410 thousand students in state and private universities using the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) budget at the Education Financing Service Center. As many as 60 percent of the funds will be allocated to private universities, while 40 percent are allocated to state universities.

Secretary General of Ministry of Education and Culture Ainun Na’im called on the state and private universities to immediately collect data on students who need the tuition fees assistance.Afterwards, they should submit the data to Ministry of Education and Culture so the students can obtain certainty about their tuition feesin this year’s odd semester.

Ainun further said that the Smart Indonesia Card-College (KIP-Kuliah) is still distributed to 200 thousand new students this year, whereas recipients of Bidikmisi, a state-sponsored scholarship program, will still be financed by the Government until they complete their studies. It also applies to budget allocation of Affirmation of Higher Education (ADik) program for Papua and West Papua.

Requirements for students who can receive the assistance is as follows: 1) parents or guardians experience financial constraints and unable to pay the tuition fees of odd semester 2020; 2) students who are not funded by Bidikmisi program or other scholarship programs that fully or partially pay the fees; 3)

Semesters 3, 5, and 7 undergraduate students.

“Those students will receive the tuition fees assistance of Rp 2.4 million for one semester in this year’s odd semester,” Ainun said.

He further explained the steps that need to be taken by universities. First, the state and private universities should immediately announce this matters to all students so that eligible students can apply for this funding assistance. Second, the state and private universities to conduct selection and verification in accordance with the requirements.

“Furthermore, the state and private universities should submit proposals for prospective recipients of tuition fees assistancce to the KIP-Kuliah system on https://kip-kuliah.kemdikbud.go.id,” Ainun concluded. (Biro Kerja Sama dan Humas Kemendikbud/EN).

 

 

Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Reviewed by: Mia Medyana

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