Public universities (PTN) and public universities with legal entities (PTNBH) use the overall tuition cost (BKT) regulation set by the Ministry of Education to determine the amount of a single tuition fee (UKT) that each student pays according to their family’s financial situation.
BKT represents the total operational cost per student per semester in state university study programs. It determines the fees charged to students and the government.
Director of Finance at UGM, Professor Syaiful Ali, stated that from 2018 to 2023, UGM’s UKT setting never reached the upper BKT limit.
“From 2018 to 2023, UGM’s UKT has never approached the (highest limit) of BKT,” said Professor Ali in a Pojok Bulaksumur discussion titled “UGM’s Strategy to Remain Autonomous with Affordable UKT,” Friday (May 31).
Professor Ali explained that there is a gap between UGM’s UKT rates and the highest BKT limit set by the government. Although the government provides funding assistance, it has not been able to cover the full educational costs.
“It cannot cover 100 percent; every year, we approach a deficit of around Rp 200 billion,” he said.
When calculating the total UKT revenue for undergraduate and applied undergraduate programs, Professor Ali said the funds from UKT only support about 18.5 percent of the total operational educational costs.
Various efforts are continually made to cover this funding shortfall. One effort is implementing the excellent education solidarity contribution (SSPU), which is applied to new students entering the independent university entrance path.
“We have a cross-subsidy mechanism in each faculty and school. With this cross-subsidy and equitable concept, those who can afford it help those who cannot,” the director explained.
Despite the shortfall, Professor Ali said, as a National University and People’s University, UGM continues to seek other funding sources through collaborative projects in the tri-dharma field, scholarship aid, the utilization of UGM assets, and income from UGM business units.
“We don’t want any UGM student to be unable to continue their studies due to financial problems,” Professor Ali said.
Director of Student Affairs at UGM, Dr. Sindung Tjahyadi, mentioned that more than 30 percent of UGM students come from economically disadvantaged families but possess good academic abilities.
“It should be noted that those admitted to UGM are not because of their economic but academic ability. We provide scholarships for those with weak financial capabilities,” Dr. Tjahyadi said.
Regarding the total amount of scholarships, Dr. Tjahyadi stated that each year, hundreds of billions in scholarship funds are allocated for tens of thousands of students from various sources, totaling 165 partners.
The director added that in addition to scholarship funds from partners, UGM also allocates scholarships from internal funds. Each year, the amount reaches tens of billions to support students’ smooth studies at UGM.
“For 2023, UGM allocated around Rp 23.8 billion for scholarships. In 2022, the internal UGM scholarship allocation reached Rp 28.7 billion,” he emphasized.
Director of Education and Teaching at UGM, Professor Gandes Retno Rahayu, affirmed that with the Ministry of Education canceling UKT and Institutional Development Contribution (IPI) increases, UGM uses the UKT rates applied in 2023.
Despite no increases, Professor Rahayu is confident that of the 93 undergraduate programs, 6 experienced a reduction in UKT rates. These programs are Philosophy, Sociology, History, Cultural Anthropology, Politics and Government, and Regional Development.
“There is a possibility that six programs will see a decrease in UKT rates,” she explained.
Professor Rahayu said UGM uses its calculation formula to determine UKT rates. This formula is based on the assessment of parents’ income, the number of family dependents, household electricity usage, and annual tax return amounts. Meanwhile, the IPI applies to new students in the highest UKT category.
“SSPU is only imposed on those in the highest UKT category,” she said.
Authors: Gusti Grehenson and Agung Nugroho
Photographer: Firsto