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hese two letters refer to an article entitled, 'Costly LPDP scholarship should be reviewed, House demands,' (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 19).

I am writing at 11:20 p.m., taking a short break from writing my thesis, which I have been working on for the last nine hours at my university campus.

People think studying overseas is glamorous, but that has never been the case for me. I have worked hard throughout my undergraduate degree in psychology, eager to enter the field of clinical psychology and mental health research.

I was admitted to a competitive honors program. My parents were proud of me, but they had to sacrifice a lot to keep me here this year because they know how passionate I am about this field. I have not been on a proper holiday since I have been here.

Every time I leave the city where I am now, it was to go to a conference, or a workshop or to visit family that I have not seen in a while.

I hardly go out or see friends. In my spare time I either work or undertake voluntary research assistance activities to boost my CV and increase my chances of being accepted in a graduate clinical psychology program.

I am blessed to have the opportunity to study in a country that has great innovations in mental health research. I cherish that very much.

I would love to be able to continue that and bring the knowledge back to my home country, where there is a growing need for better mental health treatment resources.

Some domestic students take a year off to work and save money before grad school. But realistically, I cannot pay US$70 000 worth of International tuition fees, plus around $15- to $20,000 extra annually for living costs, so for me that is not an option. There are no locally funded scholarships for clinical psychology students, unless you are a citizen here.

As for development scholarships, they do not match the intake times for my program. The LPDP is the only scholarship I have found that can cover my tuition fees. And believe me, I have searched a lot.

On weekends, I work at a suicide crisis line between 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Last week, as I was walking to the bus stop on my way home from work, I approached two security guards at a strip club near the bus stop, asking how much do girls earn working in these settings. It's not the most ideal choice to earn money, but abolishing the scholarship will only leave me with these options.  

As an Indonesian, I sometimes envy local students, who do not have to pay a single cent for their education until they start earning enough money.

But I refuse to give up my citizenship as I know there are people out there, back in Indonesia, who need my help.

NFP

First, I would like to comment on those lawmakers who think that the LPDP has allocated too much money for Indonesian students pursuing their degrees overseas.

What needs to be evaluated is not how much money they allocate, but the selection process and the consistency of the funds throughout the years of studies.

If there are some underperforming people obtaining that scholarship, then there is something wrong with the selection process. Further, there are grantees who often have to suffer when the scholarship funds have not been transferred to their bank accounts.

Moreover, the LPDP should be recognized as an important step for building greater Indonesia's human capital.

I am glad that there is a plan for increasing the amount of money for this scholarship next year. That means, hopefully, there will be more opportunities for more Indonesian students who are really qualified for this scholarship.

So tell me, dear lawmakers, what are the more productive uses you mentioned?

Duche