A total of 100 Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students whose families were affected by disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra have received assistance through the LPS Peduli program in the form of tuition fee payments for the even semester of the 2025/2026 academic year, amounting to Rp1.2 billion. The scholarships were funded through the proceeds of Jogja Run-D City 2026, held at the UGM Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas (GIK) on May 24. Organized by Transmedia, the event attracted 6,000 participants. The scholarship handover ceremony took place at the Multimedia Room of the UGM Central Building on Friday (June 19).
UGM Vice Rector for Research, Business Development, and Cooperation, Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, S.Si., M.Sc., expressed his gratitude to the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS), Transmedia, and CNBC Indonesia for supporting students affected by the disasters in Sumatra. According to Dr. Hadmoko, the assistance reflects public concern and hope for the continuity of students’ education despite the challenges their families face, enabling them to continue their studies and pursue academic achievement.
“This means they have confidence that these UGM students will become future leaders of the nation,” he said.
Acting Executive Director of Secretariat and Institutional Relations at LPS, K.M. Nurudin, explained that the assistance forms part of LPS’s commitment to advancing education and helping ease the burden on families affected by the disasters in Sumatra.
He also expressed hope that the scholarship program would serve as an educational platform for LPS to promote financial literacy and financial stability awareness among the public.
“We also hope that through our strong collaboration with UGM and through this assistance program, LPS can share knowledge and understanding about the importance of financial literacy,” he said.
Wahyu Daniel, CEO of CNBC Indonesia, also conveyed his hopes for the scholarship recipients. In his remarks, he expressed optimism that the sports event could continue in the future and provide ongoing benefits for UGM students.
“We hope this event can continue in the years ahead and perhaps become an annual event. The enthusiasm shown by participants in Yogyakarta was remarkable, and we hope this assistance will be beneficial for UGM students,” he said.
One of the scholarship recipients, Bunga Aya Lalangsa from UGM’s Faculty of Engineering and a native of Langsa, Aceh, said the assistance had been immensely helpful for both her and her family. The scholarship has eased the financial burden of her parents’ educational expenses during the post-disaster recovery period, allowing her to remain focused on her studies.
She recalled how the disaster that struck her hometown left her unable to contact her family for some time. Floodwaters entered her home and left behind a thick layer of mud. The disaster significantly affected her family’s financial condition, as they had to spend additional funds to clean their home, repair damage, and replace belongings destroyed by the flooding.
“With this educational scholarship from LPS, I have received tremendous support in continuing my studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada,” she said.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Bunga Bonatua Sinaga, a student at UGM’s Faculty of Agriculture. She shared that her family also experienced financial hardship due to flooding. Not only did her father’s income as a corn and rice farmer decline, but the flood also damaged the family’s house and household belongings.
With assistance from LPS, Bonatua expressed her sincere gratitude to all parties involved in the program. She hopes similar support can continue in the future, particularly for students who are most in need.
“I hope that I, along with other students affected by disasters, can continue our studies and become graduates who are worthy of the opportunities we have been given,” she said.
Author: Fatihah Salwa Rasyid
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-Editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Donnie