Tuition fees and scholarships were among the key topics discussed during a meeting between President Prabowo and 1,200 professors, deans, and rectors from public and private universities across Indonesia at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, during a press conference following the meeting on Thursday, stated that the government's Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) scholarship program has only reached 1.1 million recipients, while the number of university students stands at around 9.9 million.
"Based on that data, the president directed us, specifically the minister of higher education, science, and technology, and me as state secretary minister, to recalculate and reformulate a strategy to maximize the number of scholarship recipients," he added.
During the meeting, the president also instructed that the allocation of scholarships from the Finance Ministry's Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP) be prioritized for students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
"He hoped it (the allocation) could reach above 80 percent because we are currently focusing on catching up in mastery of science and technology," the minister said.
During Thursday's meeting, President Prabowo delivered a briefing to the university leaders and announced an increase in research funding.
The budget will be boosted by Rp4 trillion (around US$236.6 million)—a 50 percent increase from the original Rp8 trillion—bringing the total research allocation to Rp12 trillion in 2026.
Minister Hadi confirmed that this additional research funding is set to take effect in 2026.
Related news: Indonesia to fund 100 athletes scholarships under new program
Related news: Indonesia to offer S1 scholarships for 150,000 teachers in 2026
Related news: Education Ministry to give 150,000 teacher scholarships by 2026
Translator: Genta Tenri, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
