Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again launched its free breakfast program during the Final Semester Examinations (UAS), scheduled for mid-December 2025. The program is intended for students who do not have time to eat breakfast and is also expected to indirectly support students whose families have been affected by disasters in Sumatra.
At the Faculty of Agriculture (Agriculture UGM), the Pondasi program has been running since 2023, providing approximately 200 meals per day.
The Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at Agriculture UGM, Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie, explained that the initiative has become a regular part of the faculty’s agenda to support students’ physical and mental health during examination periods.
According to Dr. Respatie, Pondasi has a significant impact, particularly for students facing economic hardship or those affected by disasters. The program is designed to ensure students have sufficient energy to take their exams under optimal conditions.
“I believe programs like this are extremely helpful for students, as they aim to ensure students receive adequate energy intake to sit their exams in optimal physical and mental condition,” she said on Thursday (Dec. 11).
She added that the program not only focuses on student support but also empowers cafeteria tenants.
“The goal of this program is not only to support students, but also to empower tenants at the Faculty of Agriculture’s Healthy Canteen. Each tenant participates by providing balanced, nutritious menus with environmentally friendly packaging, ensuring the canteen’s economic activities continue,” she explained.
Going forward, the Faculty of Agriculture hopes to expand the program in terms of both the number of portions and funding sustainability. Efforts to seek new donors will continue to be strengthened so that Pondasi can reach more students.
“We hope this program can continue. We are committed to seeking donors and partners so that Pondasi can grow further and increase the number of portions provided,” she said.
At the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM), the program has also received a positive response from students.
One of them, Fatihah Salwa Rasyid, a student from the Department of Sociology, said the program is very helpful for students who study late into the night and do not have time to prepare breakfast the next morning.
“I think this free breakfast program really helps students who study until late at night and then don’t have time for breakfast in the morning, especially for those living in boarding houses who find it hard to get meals,” she said.
Rasyid, who has used the free breakfast service several times, noted that food is often distributed very quickly, leaving students who arrive slightly late without breakfast.
“You really have to be quick, because by 9 or 10 a.m., it’s already gone. That’s the challenge,” the student said.
She added that this situation sometimes leads to unequal distribution, as some students deliberately come just to collect breakfast even though they are not taking exams. As a result, students who truly need it may miss out.
“Sometimes my friends don’t have exams but still come early to campus just to get breakfast, while those who actually have exams don’t get any,” she explained.
Rasyid hopes there will be a data-based mechanism to ensure the breakfast reaches the intended recipients.
“Maybe there needs to be better data collection on who has exams, so those taking exams can get breakfast,” she added.
The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM) has also provided free breakfast facilities to help students perform optimally during exams. The program runs throughout the UAS period, from December 8 to 19, 2025, and is open to all undergraduate students at FEB UGM.
The Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at FEB UGM, Dr. Bayu Sutikno, explained that the initiative reflects the faculty’s commitment to supporting students during exams. The program, he said, demonstrates FEB UGM’s commitment to facilitating student success during the UAS.
“We provide a ‘mood booster’ program in the form of food and beverages, with 150 portions available for students each day,” he explained.
Abu Dharma Manggala, a 2025 cohort student of the Economics Program, welcomed FEB UGM’s mood booster program.
He said the free breakfast distribution during the UAS has been very helpful, especially as a student from outside the region who lives in a boarding house and needs to manage expenses carefully.
“It helps a lot, especially since I live in a boarding house and have to save money. I hope this program can continue in the future,” he said.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Garuda Mutia Shalahuddin, a 2025 cohort student of the Management Program. According to him, the free breakfast program has boosted his motivation during exams, and he found the menu to be quite varied and nutritious.
“I hope this program continues in the future because it really motivates us during exams,” he said.
The free breakfast program has become one of UGM’s forms of support for student welfare during examination periods.
Several faculties that have implemented this program include the Faculties of Pharmacy, Cultural Sciences, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Law, Geography, Dentistry, Animal Science, and Philosophy.
Authors: Keizha, Shofi, and Ika from FEB UGM
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya Arifadi
Photographs: Agriculture and FEB UGM