Prabowo Forms Special Team to Study Funding for Free Higher Education

President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia has formed a special team to comprehensively study the budget and implementation stages for his campaign pledge of free higher education up to the university level. The special team, formed on the instruction of President Prabowo, was decided upon during a limited meeting with Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek) Brian Yuliarto at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday (23/9). Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, will lead the special team. Other members include Minister of State Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara, and representatives from other relevant ministries and institutions. According to Minister Yuliarto, the special team is expected to complete its study on the budget and implementation phases for free higher education within the next two weeks to a month. This timeline aims to establish the steps and stages necessary to realize the President's directive. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology has already conducted initial studies and calculations for implementing the free tuition program. These include analyzing the costs of single tuition fees (UKT), institutional development contributions (IPI), and other components that currently serve as campus revenue for educational activities. The ministry also possesses data on the required costs per student for each study program. However, Minister Yuliarto emphasized that various options and analyses need further discussion and re-evaluation, taking into account the fiscal space within the State Budget (APBN). He noted that while the President desires the program to be implemented as soon as possible, it will proceed through defined stages rather than immediate implementation.