One Thousand Financially-Disadvantaged Students Enter IPB Free of Educational Cost
As many as a thousand students of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) will be freed of their educational cost until graduation through the Bidik Misi (Mission Target) scholarship. "This year there will be a thousand students receiving the Bidik Misi scholarship from the Ministry of Education and Culture. A total of 876 new students are admitted free through the invitation channel in the National Selection of State Universities (SNMPTN). The remaining 124 will be those students entering IPB through the Written and Talent Exam of SNMPTN," said Director of Student Affairs IPB, Dr. Rimbawan, Wednesday (13/6) in Darmaga campus of IPB.
IPB also provides other scholarships from various sources to 127 poor new students who do not receive the Bidik Misi scholarship. "For students who are less able financially and do not get the Bidik Misi scholarship, do not get worried, IPB has provided scholarships from alumni, employers, and companies to help with the educational cost in IPB. Please write an application addressed to the Directorate of Student Affairs IPB," continued Dr. Rimbawan. For your information, in 2011 IPB received a scholarship as much as Rp 60 billion from various donors.
Juliana, a student of Department of Nutritional Sciences, IPB, expressed her happiness when she was notified to get the Bidik Misi scholarship. "Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), I can finally go to college, thanks to IPB, which has given me this invaluable opportunity," said Juli. Given the cost of Rp 600 thousand by her school teachers, Juli went from Pati to Bogor alone without the company of both parents.
Juliana told her life journey. Her father simply left her mother when her younger sibling was seven months old. Since then, the economy of her family that had been well established, has changed dramatically. Her younger sibling had to be entrusted to and brought up by her mother’s relative, and Juliana lived with his grandmother. While Juliana was in the third grade of junior high school, her mother’s relative died of liver failure. Her mother then brought back and took care of her younger sibling. Her mother remarried when Juliana was in the first year of senior high school.
Now his mother works as peanut peeler, while her stepfather works as a driver with an income of about Rp 500 thousand per month. This is uncertain, though. "My mother works until her hands blister from peeling nuts. For a sack of peeled nuts, she is paid Rp 20 thousand," said the graduate of SMA 1 Tayu Pati, Central Java Middle, with teary eyes. With such a low income, both parents should support her, his brother and cousin. Daily meals are dependent on what is available. Sometimes we eat twice a day with side dishes such as crackers or only salt. To help with the school fee, after school Juliana taught scouting and reciting the Holy Quran with the wage of Rp 60 thousand per month. In addition, supported by her friend for a capital, Juliana sells pulses.
Asked why she chose IPB, Juliana said she had always wanted to enter IPB because she heard that IPB take a great care of financially poor students. "According to the information from my senior students of IPB, there are many scholarships available for poor people like me. I have also heard that IPB is very concerned over the economic conditions of its students," he said. (Mtd)
