DPR proposes aid for private universities in National Education System Bill

Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) is actively working to safeguard the operations of private universities (PTS) from potential closure, addressing imbalances within the higher education ecosystem. In the draft Bill on the National Education System, the DPR has proposed provisions for financial assistance to private institutions.

Lalu Hadrian Irfani, Deputy Speaker of Commission X of the DPR, stated that the proposal aims to ensure private universities receive equitable treatment compared to state universities (PTN). "If state universities have BOPTN (Operational Assistance Fund for State Universities), we propose BOPTS (Operational Assistance Fund for Private Universities) for the private sector," Irfani explained.

The proposed BOPTS scheme is intended to anticipate the decline of private universities, particularly smaller ones, and mitigate the risk of their closure. The specifics of the BOPTS, including the percentage of funding, will be further regulated through government decrees, with ongoing efforts to secure it from the education budget.

The draft Bill, as of July 8, 2026, includes provisions for financial aid to PTS, notably in Article 238, Paragraph (1), which mandates the central government to allocate educational funding assistance for both PTN and PTS. This move follows a presentation by the Indonesian Association of Private Universities (Aptisi) on June 14, 2026, where they highlighted the challenges faced by private campuses and submitted a study to inform the Bill. Aptisi advocates for fiscal fairness and suggests that subsidies should be based on student status, particularly for those from low-income families, regardless of whether they attend a state or private institution.

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If state universities have BOPTN, we propose BOPTS for the private sector.