HUMAS USU – The University of Sumatera Utara ensures that no student fails to continue their studies merely due to issues with the Single Tuition Fee (UKT). The USU Rector, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., affirmed that various schemes have been prepared to help students, ranging from UKT appeals, installments for the Institutional Development Fee (IPI), scholarships, to internal assistance for students who face financial difficulties during their studies.

This was conveyed by the Rector in his remarks at the Graduation Ceremony for the 4th Period of the 2024/2025 Academic Year at the USU Auditorium on Saturday (30/8/2025). According to him, the principle that USU firmly upholds is to ensure that no student fails to study merely due to financial factors. "In line with the international recognition that USU has received, we also show a genuine concern for students through various support programs. Our principle is clear: no student fails to attend university at the University of Sumatera Utara solely because of UKT issues," Muryanto said in front of thousands of graduates.

Muryanto also clarified the developing issue regarding new students who were said to have failed to attend university because of UKT. He affirmed that the news was not true. According to him, there were prospective students who indeed did not continue the re-registration process, and had not even reached the UKT registration stage. Based on previous years' experience, this kind of thing usually happens because they choose to continue their studies at another university, a normal phenomenon that is often found on various state campuses in Indonesia.

In addition, there were also prospective students who had started the UKT registration but did not complete it until the final stage, including those who filed a UKT appeal. For this group, USU has prepared various solution mechanisms, ranging from the granting of appeals to a phased payment scheme. Most applications can be facilitated, while a small portion cannot be accepted because the data submitted did not match the actual conditions.

Furthermore, the Rector explained that the UKT mechanism at USU has been designed to be fair, by adjusting to the profile of the student's family income. Students from low-income families are entitled to receive UKT Levels I and II without any quota restrictions. In fact, according to government regulations, a minimum of 20 percent of students in every state university must come from the UKT I and II groups or be recipients of the KIP Kuliah scholarship. USU has even exceeded this provision by allocating a portion of 20.9 percent for students from low-income families.

Financial support for students is also continuously being strengthened. In 2024, USU distributed scholarships from various sources to 8,250 students, totaling more than IDR 125 billion. In 2025, scholarships were again distributed with a value reaching more than IDR 100 billion, not including the KIP Kuliah and Higher Education Affirmation (ADik) programs which are still awaiting confirmation from the ministry. In addition to scholarships, USU also provides various support schemes, such as payment deferrals, UKT and IPI installments, and the existence of a special help desk to assist in resolving student issues related to UKT.

With these various steps, the Rector affirmed USU's commitment to not letting financial constraints become a barrier for students to achieve higher education. "We ensure that no student automatically fails to attend university simply due to the UKT factor. USU is here not only to provide quality education but also to ensure that access to education remains open to all levels of society," Muryanto concluded.