TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Education and Culture Ministry led by Nadiem Makarim changed the financial assistance scheme in the Smart Indonesia Card for university students (KIP Kuliah) into direct cash aid (BLT). The financial aid under the program which previously amounted to Rp2.4 million per student will be adjusted to each student’s study program.

“KIP Kuliah is social mobility, aims to improve students’ abilities to dream big. But if it (the fund) is set the same at Rp2.4 million per semester, underprivileged students with good academic performance will have lack of confidence and so they choose a university with a tuition fee below the KIP Kuliah,” said Nadiem in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission X on March 18.

As the scheme changed, the ministry will increase this year’s program budget to Rp2.5 trillion from previously Rp1.3 trillion. There are 200,000 new students participating in the program; 61,000 students in study program A, 112,000 students in study program B, and 27,000 students in study program C.

Under the new scheme, university students in study program A will receive Rp8 million per semester in grants for university tuition fees, Rp4 million for students in study program B, and Rp2.4 million for students in study program C.

As for the living cost which was previously set at Rp700,000 per semester, the amount would be adjusted to the region in accordance with the 2019 National Social and Economic Surveys (Susenas), viz. Rp800,000 for students in cluster one, Rp950,000 (cluster two), Rp1,100,000 (cluster three), Rp1,250,000 (cluster four), and Rp1,400,000 (cluster five).

Read: Nadiem Makarim Talks of Negative Impacts of Remote Learning

ANTARA