ITB Alumni Raise Funds as Hundreds of Students Owe Tuition Arrears
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31 January 2024 11:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amelia Sakinah, the chairperson of the scholarship foundation Beasiswa Luar Biasa (BLB), revealed that the total arrears of odd semester single tuition fees or UKT for Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) students has reached Rp4.3 billion. This has caused concern among alumni, who are then conducting a massive fundraising campaign.
The BLB is an institution that organizes scholarships covering UKT, phone credit assistance, and coaching and mentoring programs organized by ITB alumni. The program has been running since 2017.
Amelia detailed that the arrears came from 1,339 students. “We have carried out special movements, especially to help with this problem of arrears,” Amelia told Tempo on Tuesday, January 30.
She also said that her side has coordinated with the Student Welfare Service (KESMA) and the ITB Student Executive Board (BEM) to collect data on students who are facing arrears.
Through large fundraising, the BLB managed to collect Rp303 million in three days, while the other program ITB Scholarship for All (BIUS) is still ongoing until the end of January.
According to her, the mechanism for the donations from alumni varies depending on the department and alumni initiatives, such as one-time donations, monthly donations, and cash donations. “Alumni can also donate through the strategic partners program,” she added.
The monthly donation program opens registration every semester, where alumni can donate at least Rp100,000 per month.
Although fundraising efforts are already underway, Amelia hoped that there would be an accelerated collaborative solution to the tuition problems of ITB students.
ITB has recently been criticized for offering high-interest online loans to students who cannot pay their tuition fees. Many parties considered that the measure could push students into debt, instead of getting assistance or relief from the campus.
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