28-5-2024 (JAKARTA) In a significant decision that addresses the concerns of students and their families, the Indonesian government has announced the cancellation of plans to increase tuition fees for the 2024-2025 academic year at state universities, including those established by the government and those with the status of a public legal entity (PTNBH). The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, following a meeting with President Joko Widodo in Jakarta.
Nadiem stated that the decision to cancel the proposed tuition hike was made after carefully considering the voices of students, families, and the wider community. Last week, the Ministry of Education and Culture reconvened with university rectors to discuss the potential cancellation of the fee increase.
“I just met with the president, and he agreed to the cancellation,” Nadiem said on Monday, May 27, addressing the media.
During the meeting with the president, Nadiem suggested several options to address the challenges faced by students. One of the approaches discussed was finding ways to overcome the difficulties encountered by students regarding tuition fees.
However, when asked whether the government would revoke the Minister of Education’s Regulation No. 2 of 2024 on the Standard Unit for Higher Education Operating Costs (SSBOPT), which was initially used as the basis for increasing the state budget allocation for state universities and PTNBH, Nadiem did not provide a definitive answer.
The SSBOPT regulation has also been used as a reference and basis by universities to determine the amount of tuition fees, with the argument that adjustments are necessary to keep pace with the increasing need for learning technologies.
The claim that the SSBOPT had never been updated was the primary reason cited by the Education Ministry for attempting to raise tuition fees, with the aim of encouraging universities to provide relevant learning experiences to students.
“Regarding the Education Minister’s regulation, the Directorate General of Education, Culture, Research and Technology will announce the technical details at a later date,” Nadiem told reporters.
The decision to cancel the tuition fee hike has been welcomed by student organizations and advocacy groups, who had been vocal in their opposition to the proposed increase. The move is seen as a victory for students and their families, who have been grappling with the financial burden of higher education amidst the ongoing economic challenges.
