60,000 students skip university registration after passing national exam

A significant number of students who successfully passed the National Selection Based on Achievement (SNBP) for higher education in 2026 have failed to complete their registration, leaving around 60,000 university spots unfilled. This startling figure has sparked national discussion regarding the effectiveness of the selection system and the preparedness of prospective students.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) released the data, which indicates a substantial number of students are foregoing their places in public universities. This trend has prompted the House of Representatives' Commission X, which oversees education, to call for a thorough investigation into the matter.

Sofyan Tan, a member of Commission X, urged Kemendiktisaintek to uncover the real motives behind this mass withdrawal. He suggested several possibilities, including a mismatch between the accepted major and the student's interests, or that students may have been accepted into other institutions they deem more suitable.

However, Tan expressed particular concern about the financial aspect. He suspects that a considerable number of students might be unable to afford tuition fees, especially if they did not secure financial aid through programs like Kartu Indonesia Pintar (KIP) Kuliah. He stressed the urgency of conducting direct field surveys to gather valid data rather than relying on assumptions.

The situation highlights potential systemic issues in the student admission process and raises questions about the financial accessibility of higher education for many Indonesian families. The government is expected to analyze these findings to improve future selection and enrollment procedures.