Point of View: Should I Have to Pay a Lot for My Education?

“I have to pay a lot for my education” is the expression of learner today. Why not? In the fact there is no free education, though the world clearly stated “education for all”. The reason, the evidences, and some advices are going to be delivered deep.

A judicial review of the Constitutional Court Law No. 12/ 2012 on higher education has a lot of judgments concerning the autonomy of the higher education institutions. The lacked of common person’s knowledge about importance of a higher education force them to limit their access in reaching a study, including what the fund is.      

Constitutional Court Law chapter II, section 6, is about the principles and responsibilities of higher education. Support for the economically disadvantaged are already written in the law but are considered to be no longer applied by the college.

Based on BPS in August 2012, the Indonesian working population is as many as 110.8 million people, dominated by graduates of elementary school education (as much as 53.88 million or 48.63%) and graduates of SMP (20.22 million (or 18.25%). University graduates who worked reached only 6.98 million (6.30%), with Diploma graduates numbering only 2.97 million (2.68%). 

However, there are many ways to give a chance to people who cannot undertake college study. Scholarships and student financing are two examples of how colleges can choose to use funds. Financial assistance supports students to study in higher education, but there are still many poorly understood rules about repayment. It might be alright for both sides, if the rules are explained and agreed the guarantor of funds and the person-funded.

In addition, the interest on these loans or the form of long employment bond, even which makes limitation for living cost are considered as the rule for operational refund.

The decision to choose funds to continue studies in a higher level of education has to be considered carefully, especially for common people who do not know the terms of the contract from the institution offering the funds. For this reason, such funding is not an easy option for all people who need it.

The most importance parts that should get attention are the kind of financial support or funding that the government has offered and the conditions of funding that college gives.

It is a fact of life financial assistance offered to students must be paid back or the student must make a contribution to the institution after graduation. ‘Pay back’ here means that the students have to pay back what the institution gives to them and must also pay interest on the loan  or make an additional contribution to the institution after they graduate.

The institution wants to keep its students to get their contributions to the institution, which has a limit. The limit means that there is a regulation about their contribution, such as the institution deciding the duration of the contribution to the institution.

The student financial system still wants to keep the students as members even after they have given their contribution to the institution. What about their students who do not have an opportunity to pay back and are just having an opportunity to give their contribution? Should these students pay back to their institution?

In that case, that institution has to think about the student’ country. The contribution means that it is not about an amount of money to be paid back, but it is more about making a sincere contribution, such as helping to develop the country with a meritorious service.

So far the government has been trying to conduct a review of the regulation that already exists, but in practice that regulation does not fully support the legislation that has been written. Universities policies are considered less favorable to the students because the students still do not get maximum achievement. For the example, the levels of graduates and employment opportunities are low.

If it is deemed necessary, there will be a follow-up review of what the institutions channeling funds which are doing in collaboration with universities in providing educational grants to make sure there is no cheating of students in getting education grants.

It does not seem easy, but firmness in the implementation of is needed to ensure clarity in the form of financial assistance offered by a various institutions.

            In conclusion, selection for the payment of an education is a must. Is it full or half education payment, scholarship or student financing, the give-back after getting those payment will be in the services or fund? As the receivers, they have to be ready on the rules and transition of the agreement.

Resources:

http://www.dikti.go.id/?page_id=6870&lang=id

http://www.lpdp.depkeu.go.id/index.php?page=kegiatan-usaha

http://www.kopertis12.or.id/2012/08/25/silakah-unduh-uu-no-12-tahun-2012-tentang-pendidikan-tinggi-dan-penjelasannya.html

http://disnakertransduk.jatimprov.go.id/ketenagakerjaan/222-832-juta-penduduk-masih-menganggur-hasil-survei-bps

http://liputan-medan.blogspot.com/2012/12/hasil-survey-bpsbanyak-sarjana.html