USU PR—The Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., held an open dialogue with student representatives from the Student Executive Board (BEM) on Thursday (May 15) afternoon at the Digital Learning Center Building (DLCB), 1st floor of the USU Rectorate Office. The USU Rector explained the Single Tuition Fee (UKT) adjustment in the dialogue, including its legal basis, mechanism, and allocation.

Rector Prof. Muryanto Amin explained that the increase in UKT refers to the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Regulation (Permendikbudristek) No. 2 of 2024. The adjustment of UKT is unavoidable due to the gap between the cost of education per student and the available funding sources.

"Where does the funding come from? Among them are the State Budget (APBN), collaborations such as CSR funds, and utilization of university and community assets such as UKT, grants, scholarships, and endowment funds. The gap is narrowed by adjusting the UKT based on the principle of fairness, where economically capable individuals provide more assistance to less capable people," he said.

Prof. Muryanto emphasized that despite the adjustment, USU is committed to the principle that no student should drop out of university due to inability to pay the UKT. Therefore, the USU Rector invites students, especially the BEM, to partner in verifying and determining the UKT applied to new students in the 2024 academic year through synergy and collaboration.

In the dialogue, which was also attended by Vice Rector II, Dr. Muhammad Arifin, S.Sos., M.S.P., and Vice Rector V, Dr. Ir Luhut Sihombing, M.P., the USU Rector explained the process of determining the UKT for each student to the university and faculty BEM officials, as well as the media present at the dialogue. The first step in filling out the UKT is for students to provide their data and submit the required documents on the registration page at registrasi.usu.ac.id. Then, students must fill out their economic data and the data of their parents or guardians who provide financial support on the uktdatareg.usu.ac.id page.

Next, the system generates the UKT group based on the total income data provided by the student, using the following formula: a) the amount of income that can be allocated for UKT payment per semester is calculated by multiplying the total income by 17.5% and then by six months, if the student is the only one in the family attending university. If the student has one sibling studying in the same family, the calculation is done by multiplying the total income by 12.5% and then by six months. If the student has two or more siblings studying in the same family, the calculation is done by multiplying the total income by 10% and then by six months. b) The system selects the UKT level closest to the calculated income allocation mentioned in point a.

Afterward, the verification team checks the authenticity, accuracy of supporting data, and the suitability of the determined UKT groups. Then, the amount of UKT for each student is determined through a plenary meeting and uploaded into the system. At this point, students or parents receive information about the amount of UKT that needs to be paid.

"If there are students or parents who object to the assigned UKT value, USU also provides an opportunity for appeals. Students or parents can file their complaints by visiting the Integrated Service Unit (ULT) on the 1st floor of the USU Rectorate Office. There will be a dedicated UKT helpdesk officer who will provide explanations and guidance on the appeal process," he said.

He added that the verification team will categorize the complaints into two groups. The first group consists of complaints deemed inappropriate to be resolved at the beginning of the semester, and the second group consists of complaints that need to be addressed immediately. The first group of complaints is recommended to be submitted during the UKT appeal period for the payment of the 3rd semester UKT. However, for cases that require immediate follow-up, the verification team will submit a request to the rector, including options such as resetting the UKT registration, conducting advanced verification through interviews, video profiles, field verification, and validation, reviewing the UKT rates, presenting the plenary results to the rector for approval in the Rector's Decree, and uploading the plenary results/rector's decision into the system.

"So, USU provides a wide opportunity for appeals in the spirit of transparency and fairness. However, there have been cases where parents or students falsify their data. That's where the role of the verifier comes in, to validate the data and ensure that what is submitted matches the reality on the ground," said Prof. Muryanto.

While addressing the issue of facilities and infrastructure at USU, Prof. Muryanto explained that during his tenure, significant improvements have been made in the development of USU. However, he acknowledged that the development is not evenly distributed due to limited funding sources. The rector emphasized that the gradual development of USU is starting to show results. Examples include the DLCB building, smart classrooms in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Faculty of Law (FH), Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Faculty of Agriculture (FP), internationally standardized architecture studio, gardens and pedestrian areas in several faculties, laboratories in Pharmacy and Chemistry, and the construction of student buildings.

"It doesn't stop there because, in the future, USU will also build a central service office with international standards, a student center, TALENTA USU building, UMKM Square, comfortable and healthy cafeterias at various points, integrated research laboratories, sports science, and the USU Hotel. These developments aim to improve the quality of learning, community service, and research at USU. A good campus is characterized by the quality of its lecturers and students. Adequate facilities should support the quality of lecturers and students," said Prof. Muryanto.

During the event, Prof. Muryanto also encouraged students to focus on improving their soft skills, provide constructive feedback, and have a vision for working with lecturers, faculty leaders, and university leaders to build synergy for progress. Therefore, the USU Rector will schedule regular rector-student forums every three months.

Aziz Syahputra, the Chairman of BEM USU, expressed appreciation and gratitude to USU Rector Prof. Muryanto Amin, for allowing students to discuss the UKT issue. Based on the presentation by the USU Rector, Aziz concluded that the adjustment of UKT is a decision made by the government, and BEM will oversee the implementation of UKT transparently and fairly, as stated by the rector.

"We are willing to collaborate and build partnerships in discussions and constructive criticism for USU's progress. We are also aligned with what the rector said, that the principle in implementing UKT is to ensure that no new students drop out or cannot attend university due to financial constraints. Therefore, we are committed to advocating for new students burdened by their UKT fees so that their cases can be processed transparently and fairly," said the Faculty of Dentistry (FKG) student.

During the dialogue, the rector also allowed each faculty's BEM representative to express their views and aspirations. USU Rector Prof. Muryanto Amin stated that he is open to all feedback and hopes that the quality of BEM USU can be improved and directed towards student achievements so that collaboration and synergy between the rectorate and BEM can be established and have a significant impact on the progress of Universitas Sumatera Utara.

Author: bambang riyanto - staf humas

Interviewee: Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos, M.Si - Rektor USU

Photographer: Amri Simatupang - Staf Humas