Canceling The Increase In PTN UKT, Nadiem Claims To Be Anxious To See The Increase In Rate

Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim delivered a press statement after meeting with President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday (27/5/2024). ANTARA/Yashinta Difa

JAKARTA - Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Makarim admitted that he was worried about the figures of increasing single tuition fees (UKT) at various state universities (PTN).

"I saw some of the numbers and that also made me quite worried," said Nadiem after meeting President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 27.

Departing from these concerns and after accommodating the aspirations of various levels of society, especially students and parents of students, Nadiem decided to cancel the UKT increase rules this year.

"So I heard very much the aspirations of various students, families, and the community regarding their concern regarding the increase in UKT that occurred in PTN-PTN," he said.

Following the cancellation of the UKT increase, the Ministry of Education and Culture will re-evaluate all requests for increased UKT from PTN, in accordance with the principles of fairness and justice.

However, Nadiem ensured that the new UKT increase policy would take effect next year.

"For the details of what kind of policy will be carried out later, the Director General of Higher Education will explain the details as soon as possible," he said.

Recently, it has been widely reported that a number of campuses have provided a large UKT fee jump, such as an increase from UKT class four to class five and so on with an average of five to 10 percent.

This has become a polemic until there has been a wave of demonstrations by state university students in a number of areas.

The House of Representatives Commission X then followed up on the issue by forming a Education Financing Working Committee (Panja) to find out the cause of the recent single tuition fee increase.

In a joint working meeting with Commission X of the DPR in Jakarta, last week, Nadiem stated that the increase in UKT as a result of the Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 2 of 2024 only applies to new students and not to students who are already studying at college.

According to him, there are many misperceptions in the community regarding this rule, namely the increase in UKT also applies to students studying at universities, even though it is only for new students in the coming new school year.

Even Nadiem said the increase in UKT would not be applied to new students with inadequate economic capabilities.

Nadiem also promised to stop the irrational increase in UKT in universities.

"I am committed to the Ministry of Education and Culture to ensure, because of course there is a recommendation from us, to ensure that we will stop these irrational leaps," he said in a working meeting with Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta, Tuesday (21/5).