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Quota for SNMPTN Lowered

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The results of the National Entrance Test for State Universities (SNMPTN) have been announced. Students who pass the selection through the achievement pathway must enter the chosen universities.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The quota to receive students through the National Entrance Test for State Universities (SNMPTN) in 2019 is lower than the previous year’s. This is because the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry has tightened the quota with the aim of making sure that this path is really intended for high/vocational school students with special academic and non-academic achievements.

The results of the SNMPTN were announced online in high/vocational schools and other equivalent education levels on Friday (22/3/2019) at 1 p.m. Of the 478,608 students who enrolled through the SNMPTN, as many as 92,331, 19.29 percent, were declared to have passed the test. In 2018, 110,946 students were received through the SNMPTN.

"For senior high schools with the A accreditation, which last year were given a 50 percent quota, their quota has now dropped to 40 percent," said Research and Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohamad Nasir at a press conference on the announcement of the SNMPTN in Jakarta on Friday. Meanwhile, high schools with the B accreditation get a quota of 25 percent, down from the 30 percent quota in 2018. The quota for high schools with the C accreditation and those that have not been accredited was set at 5 percent.

The reduction of the quota was intended to convince people that the SNMPTN track is truly given to the selected student candidates who have talent. This pathway uses evaluation of student grades starting in the first semester in high schools along with students’ academic and non-academic achievements.

More than that, through the School and Student Data Base, the Research and Technology and Higher Education Ministry can ensure that students who pass the SNMPTN do not register to take the Computer Based Writing Exam (UTBK). Therefore, the opportunity for students who pass the SNMPTN to enroll in state universities is no longer there. Sanctions to include the schools on a blacklist also remain in place if students who are accepted at the state universities through SNMPTN do not enroll.

"Do not let there be empty seats in state universities simply because students who have been accepted change their minds. Other people have rights to those empty seats," Nasir said.

The chairperson of the State University Entrance Test Institute, who is also the rector of the State Sebelas Maret University, Ravik Karsidi, added that the state universities want to ensure that students pass the SNMPTN in accordance with the performance criteria and consistently have good report card grades.

Children of migrant workers

In this year\'s SNMPTN, the Research and Technology and Higher Education Ministry facilitates children of Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The aim is to ensure that

these children have the opportunity to receive higher education to break the chain of poverty and not be forced to become migrant workers.

"Of 80 people who registered, 31 were declared to have passed the SNMPTN. Generally they registered themselves at state universities that are near to their respective hometowns," he said.

He said that the migrant workers\' children are included in the education assistance scheme for students of poor families with achievements (Bidikmisi). In general, there are 26,217 new students who are considered eligible for Bidikmisi. The total number of SNMPTN Bidikmisi registrants is 137,149.Ravik reminded students who passed the SNMPTN to be sure of the correct time for the re-registration of new students. The students can ascertain the schedule of each state university on the official page of the SNMPTN.

Interested in state universities

One of the participants who passed the SNMPTN, Nadhifa Marsaa, 17, a student at Jakarta 48 Sate Senior High School, is to take a seat at a state university. She was accepted at the School of Law of the University of Indonesia. She said that since entering high school, she has wanted to enter a state university, especially the University of Indonesia.

Nadhifa said she wants to study at the state university because its tuition fees are lower than in private universities. Moreover, she said she also thinks that lectures at the state universities would be more useful for students who want to continue their undergraduate studies abroad.

Rizka Amalia, 17, said the same thing. She did not pass the SNMPTN. She said she wanted to keep trying to enter the state university through other channels, namely the Joint Entrance Selection to State Universities (SBMPTN) or independent selection from desired state universities.

"Who does not want to enter a state university? Tuition fees of private universities are exorbitant, especially those that already have names and are good," she said.

As an alternative, Rizka said she wants to be accepted into the State Administration and Management Study Program of the University of Indonesia. She said she felt that the two majors could help her do business in the future. She also has the choice of two private universities as a backup.

The head of Public Relations and Public Information Openness of the University of Indonesia, Rifelly Dewi Astuti, said that 1,656 new regular S-1 students had been accepted through the SNMPTN results. They were among 18,733 students who registered themselves at the university.

The number of new students accepted at the University of Indonesia through the SNMPTN in 2019 is larger than last year. In 2018, there were 1,628 students who were accepted. However, there were more applicants last year: 24,243. The number declined because of changes in the government regulation that reduced the quota of students who registered through the SNMPTN in 2019.

( DNE/ TAN)

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