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Bringing the dreams of Indonesian children to life through government scholarships
"Every year, we aim to distribute PIP to 17.9 million students with a budget of Rp 9.7 trillion. This year, Kemendikbudristek added targets for 567,531 high school students and 99,104 vocational school students.
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ver the past decade, education in Indonesia has undergone a significant transformation. A focus on expanding and equalizing access to education, especially for those from underprivileged families, has brought the dreams of Indonesian children closer to reality. Through various scholarship programs, such as the Program Indonesia Pintar (PIP), Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah (KIP-K), Beasiswa Pendidikan Indonesia (BPI) and Beasiswa Indonesia Maju (BIM), the government, through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring that every child in Indonesia has the opportunity to receive quality education.
As of March, PIP had reached more than 9.7 million students from elementary to high school/vocational school levels. PIP assistance is distributed by the ministry through the Education Financing Service Center (Puslapdik). Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim reported that by Nov. 23, 2023, PIP distribution had reached 100 percent of the target, benefiting 18.11 million recipients.
"Every year, we aim to distribute PIP to 17.9 million students with a budget of Rp 9.7 trillion. This year, Kemendikbudristek added targets for 567,531 high school students and 99,104 vocational school students. Along with this increase, we also raised the aid amount from Rp 1 million to Rp 1.8 million for high school and vocational students," said Minister Nadiem while accompanying President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during the 2024 PIP assistance distribution in Magelang, Central Java, in January.
The minister noted that with the spirit of Merdeka Belajar (Freedom to Learn), Kemendikbudristek continues to strengthen collaboration with local governments and educational institutions. “This spirit ensures that the distribution of PIP aid is accurate in terms of target, timing, amount and utilization,” he said.
The minister added that the ministry will continue improving the quality of the PIP program as part of efforts to equalize educational rights and quality. "We hope all Indonesian children can benefit from this program," Nadiem said.
One of the PIP recipients, Nova Faris Setiawan, an elementary school pupil, expressed his joy at receiving PIP assistance. "I will use this aid to continue my schooling and achieve my dream of becoming a soldier in the future," said Faris, a pupil at SD Kramat 5 state elementary school in Magelang, Central Java.
On the other hand, KIP Kuliah, launched in 2021, is another government effort to broaden access to higher education. By mid-2024, KIP Kuliah had reached 101,000 students, or 50 percent of its total quota of 200,000 students. Puslapdik head Adhika Ganendra said the program aims to assist underprivileged students who qualify for state universities through exams and merit.
“Based on the integration data between recipients of aid for basic and secondary education and those who have advanced to higher education, more underprivileged students are being helped to achieve academic success and enter universities,” Adhika explained in a recent Merdeka Belajar webinar.
Furthermore, according to a 2023 Tracer Study conducted by Puslapdik, of the 20,706 Bidikmisi/KIP Kuliah alumni surveyed, 42 percent achieved a GPA between 3.50 and 3.75, and 28 percent achieved a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99. This academic performance improves yearly, proving that KIP Kuliah not only provides access but also fosters student achievement.
Examples of these accomplishments include Iva Roudhotul Rohmah, an informatics engineering student at ITN Malang, who graduated with a GPA of 3.94 and completed her studies in 3.5 years. Dhea Arviana Wijianti, an out-of-school education student at the University of Jember, achieved a GPA of 3.99 and actively teaches at PKBM Lintas Menuju Cerdas in Glenmore Banyuwangi. Additionally, Nahdiyah from UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta was named the top graduate with several achievements, including participating in the SEAMEO TVET Virtual Student Exchange Program 2022. Another outstanding achievement comes from Yusril Sahendra at Teuku Umar University, who earned a perfect GPA of 4.00.
Beasiswa Indonesia Maju: Achieving on the Global Stage
Not only focusing on domestic education, Kemendikbudristek also expands opportunities for talented students to pursue education abroad through the Beasiswa Indonesia Maju (BIM) program. This program not only provides full scholarships for study at world-class universities but also offers intensive preparatory programs before departure. This is to ensure that scholarship recipients are ready to face the academic and cultural challenges of their destination countries.
In 2024, the BIM program for undergraduate students reached 1,587 recipients, including 744 for domestic universities and 843 for international ones. For master's degrees, 223 recipients are attending domestic institutions, while 57 are studying abroad. One recipient, Syarifah Luthfiah Quraisy, shared her journey to securing the scholarship to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.
“I want to continue my education, especially in medicine, to help ease the burden on my single mother. BIM is a great hope for me to realize this dream,” she said.
Nizam Zulfi Zakaria, a BIM recipient from Brawijaya University, also expressed how the program had opened up unexpected opportunities for him. "BIM not only helped me continue my studies but also gave me the chance to achieve at a national level," he said. (*)
