A total of 8,304 UGM students received single tuition fee (UKT) reductions for the odd semester of the 2020/2021 academic year, and 1,929 applications for tuition refund were approved. Both are part of UGM policy to help UGM student families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“So, there are more than ten thousand UGM students who have been assisted,” said UGM Finance Director, Syaiful Ali, MIS., Ph.D., Ak., CA., Wednesday (13/1).
Single Tuition Fee is the amount of fee that each student must pay per semester. The tuition fees for UGM Undergraduate and Applied Programs divide into eight groups based on student economic capabilities. One of which is determined by the parents’ income.
The tuition amount for group 1 and 2 for all state universities sets at Rp 500 thousand and Rp 1 million, while for group 3 and so on is determined by each university, provided that the amount for the highest group does not exceed the value set in the cost of college/BKT/Biaya Kuliah Tunggal or the entire operational cost of each student per semester in a study program.
Relief is provided for UGM regular Undergraduate, IUP, Applied, and Postgraduate students who have difficulty paying the tuition due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It can be in the form of tuition group adjustment or a reduction of a certain percentage.
To apply for tuition relief, students must do it online through Simaster by attaching the required documents. Each faculty will then carry out the verification process.
“Clear guidelines are on Simaster. The entire process from application, verification, to the final decision can be monitored through the system,” he added.
In addition, Syaiful explained, final year students who take courses worth a maximum of 6 credits can get a tuition relief of 50 percent. UGM also has a partnership with a bank for an interest-free tuition installment facility to facilitate the tuition payment process.
“If it’s due and students still can’t pay, they can apply for a payment delay. We will always facilitate them. The important thing is for students to communicate their constraints to us,” added UGM Vice-Rector for Planning, Finance, and Information Systems, Supriyadi, M.Sc., Ph.D., CMA., CA., Ak.
Supriyadi said the tuition fee assistance provided by UGM to students during the pandemic, which amounted to tens of billions, put pressure on university finances.
Reductions in the revenue sector also arise due to various reasons, including cuts in the government budget, research budget reductions from the Ministry of Research and Technology, et cetera.
For this reason, UGM has to make a number of policies to reduce spending and change the allocation of several budgets.
“Indeed, there are savings in the electricity costs due to studying at home, but maintenance costs and employee payments are still running. There is also the provision of assistance which requires additional budget allocation,” he explained.
Author: Gloria