ACADEMICS.web.id – Several renowned universities in Indonesia have once again imposed increases in Single Tuition Fees (UKT) and Instructional Development Fees (IPI), which has sparked debate. Students at various universities have protested strongly against this policy, as it is deemed to be a significant burden. One state university that raised the UKT is Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed), and the increase led to massive protests from all its students. Due to heavy criticism, Unsoed ultimately canceled the UKT hike.
In response to the UKT increase, Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Prof. Tjitjik Tjahjandarie, stated that raising UKT is a common occurrence. The increase in UKT has not been matched by economic progress for students or their families, resulting in adverse impacts not only on family finances but also on the mental and physical well-being of students.
It is not surprising that many students recently have turned to online loans or dropped out because they could not pay the UKT. In fact, one student at a private university reportedly committed suicide due to difficulties in meeting UKT payments and daily living expenses.
Upon further investigation, the root cause of the high tuition fees stems from the policy of granting greater campus autonomy in 2012. The government issued Law No. 12 of 2012 on Higher Education, which regulates the change of status for state universities (PTNs) to Legal Entity State Universities (PTN-BH).
Before the introduction of this regulation, PTN fees were covered by the government, thus keeping UKT costs low. However, after the transition to PTN-BH, universities could manage their own finances, including manipulating admission quotas or raising UKT fees.
The term “autonomy” in the PTN-BH policy seems appealing. As PTN-BH, universities can innovate and advance without regulatory constraints, manage their own funds, and are given authority over business development and endowment funds. Universities are also granted the power to set their own tuition fees.
Unfortunately, does this policy bring ease for students? The extensive authority and autonomy granted to educational institutions by the government have, in reality, triggered many problems. The administration of education appears to be deviating further from its path. The scent of business and commercialization in educational institutions has become increasingly apparent, leading to a misdirected educational goal. Students end up learning just to recoup their investments.
The heavy burden of tuition fees, combined with soaring costs, drives students to pursue campus programs that will eventually generate profits. This could lead to a decline in the intellectual quality of the younger generation as their surrounding environment is saturated with commercialization.
The educated class eventually rushes to obtain their degrees, not for any reason other than to be marketable. The values of the tri dharma of higher education, which encourage students to develop their knowledge for the benefit of society, become blurred, as if they are mere formalities.
The commercialization of education not only leads to educational practices that produce workers to meet market needs but also becomes exclusive, accessible only to those who have financial support.
The poor practice of educational commercialization is driven by various factors, including economic systems, government policies, and societal views.
As the younger generation, who are the agents to lead Indonesia towards its golden era in 2045, it is the students’ duty to fight for the true values of education. One way to do this is by being vocal and critical of policies that risk harming students.
Therefore, to realize an ideal education system for nation-building, the state must take responsibility for funding, infrastructure, and all the necessary educational instruments. This way, educational institutions and their implementers can truly focus on achieving noble educational goals without being troubled by financial issues.@
