Rahma Khoirunnisa, a student of the Indonesian Literature Study Program at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), never imagined that her journey as the youngest child from Jayapura would lead her to become one of ten students selected to receive a scholarship from PT Freeport Indonesia in 2022. The scholarship enabled her to continue her education during a period of hardship her family faced.
Born and raised in Jayapura, Papua Province, Khoirunnisa grew up in a modest family.
Her father worked in temporary construction projects, while her mother worked as a kindergarten teacher.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 significantly impacted the family’s financial situation.
“At that time, many construction projects were halted, and my father was out of work for a while. All the financial burden fell on my mother, who earned around two million rupiah per month as a kindergarten teacher,” said Khoriunnisa on Thursday, Jul. 3, 2025.
In her early semesters, all tuition fees were covered by her family.
However, in her third semester, Khoirunnisa received unexpected news from UGM’s Directorate of Student Affairs (Ditmawa).
“Suddenly, I got a call from Ditmawa early in the morning. They said, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been awarded the Freeport Scholarship.’ I was shocked and couldn’t believe it because I never applied for it. But after they explained and even invited me to the scholarship handover ceremony, that’s when I truly believed it,” she explained.
The Freeport Scholarship she received covers her tuition fees (UKT) for up to eight semesters.
While it does not include living expenses or other personal needs, the support has been a turning point in her academic life.
“The biggest relief, of course, is the financial burden. Now, my parents only need to think about covering my living expenses and housing. I can study with more peace of mind and without feeling guilty for asking my parents for more tuition money,” she said.
Khoirunnisa also shared that the lighter financial load gave her the freedom to participate in extracurricular activities.
“Back then, whenever I wanted to join a program or event, I’d hesitate, wondering if it was right to ask my parents for more money. Now, I can channel that energy into exploring more opportunities,” she said.
According to her, one of the things that makes the Freeport Scholarship unique is its selection process, which differs from other scholarship programs.
“We didn’t apply ourselves. Ditmawa selected us based on existing data and directly contacted the students who met the criteria. They told me some of the reasons I was selected included being born and raised in Papua, never having received any previous scholarships, and having a good GPA,” she explained.
Although the scholarship does not come with a work contract or follow-up mentorship from Freeport, Khoirunnisa expressed her appreciation.
“I’m very grateful to Freeport. But I hope that in the future, the program can be further developed, perhaps through training, mentoring, or career development opportunities for recipients,” she added.
From her experience, Khoriunnisa offered a message to other students still striving to earn a scholarship.
“Don’t ever give up just because of financial struggles. Believe me, God will make a way from unexpected directions. Just keep applying. We never know which one will say yes to us,” she concluded.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographer: Donnie