SDG 1 - No Proverty

The Proportion of Students Receiving Financial Aid to Attend University Because of Poverty

UT collaborates with various partners to provide scholarships distributed to the broader community that meets the criteria. 23,375 students receive scholarships, with UT managing scholarship funds exceeding 44 billion Rupiah—however, only 9,337 students received scholarships for low-income students. The rest are working students who receive scholarships from the institutions where they work.

University Anti-poverty Programs

Universitas Terbuka is strongly committed to expanding access to higher education for all segments of society, especially those from lower-income groups. This target demonstrates Universitas Terbuka's dedication to providing equal educational opportunities for all citizens, without exception, to reduce the gap in educational access among low-income communities. We are consistently working to tighten this target to reach more students from underprivileged economic backgrounds, thereby supporting the goal of inclusive education at the national level.

UT has a target to admit students from economically disadvantaged families, which aligns with Universitas Terbuka's statute as stated in Government Regulation No. 39 of 2022, Article 19, paragraph 3, as noted below.

UT must seek and recruit prospective students with high academic potential who are economically disadvantaged and prospective students from the outermost, remote, and underdeveloped areas, making up at least 20% of all new students accepted across all study programs.

While UT does not explicitly set a target for students from low-income families to complete their studies, it supports these students by providing scholarship programs. UT offers scholarships that cover up to 8 semesters through the KIP-K Program and CSR Scholarships. This approach guarantees that students from low-income families receive continuous financial support, enabling them to complete their education successfully.

Universitas Terbuka is deeply committed to providing comprehensive support to students, with a strong focus on helping them overcome challenges that might otherwise hinder their ability to complete their studies successfully. We continuously evaluate and expand these programs to adapt to student's needs and are proud to foster a supportive and equitable academic environment for all.

Through the KIP K scholarship program distributed by Universitas Terbuka, low-income scholarship recipients receive monthly living allowances, which can be used to purchase food, cover transportation costs, and pay for housing, among other expenses. This living stipend ensures that students from low-income families can complete their studies.

UT Students who received scholarships activated their bank account for a living stipend.

Universitas Terbuka is committed to helping those in our communities who may not have access to traditional higher education, including students from households in the lowest 20% income bracket. Our mission is to make higher education accessible and inclusive, providing flexible learning options that support individuals who face financial or logistical barriers to attending conventional universities. Through this approach, we strive to create educational opportunities for all, regardless of their economic or geographical limitations.

UT manages the Kartu Indonesia Pintar scholarship, a scholarship program from the Indonesian government for low-income students. In 2023, the number of recipients of this scholarship reached 2.591 students. UT also distributes scholarships funded by CSR contributions from UT partners, which are allocated to low-income students, with a total recipient of 2023 of 2.007 students. UT also distributed scholarships from the local government for students from low-income families, with a total recipient of 2.352 students. As proof, UT Regional Offices has announced the admission of prospective new students for the 2023 KIP-K Scholarship Program and CSR Scholarship Program

Through the ICE Institute, Universitas Terbuka offers scholarships to students from Myanmar, allowing them to take online micro-credential courses free of charge to enhance their competencies. The programs include Global Linguistics and Communication, Public Sector Leadership and Governance, Legal Frameworks, and Cultural Norms in Indonesia.

Community Anti-poverty Programs

Universitas Terbuka, as an educational institution, is committed to community empowerment. Provides to support to local communities to foster development usaha/bisnis yang berkelanjutan. Through programs designed under community service initiatives, Universitas Terbuka focuses on developing relevant entrepreneurial skills that align with local needs. Some of these activities include "Mentoring Kewirausahaan Mahasiswa Dalam Bisnis Digital Printing: “Bara Digital Printing,” "Peningkatan Kemampuan Menghitung BEP dan Pemasaran Melalui E-Commerce pada Usaha” Aprilla Puding and Cake,” "Peningkatan Kualitas & Strategi Pengembangan Usaha Kelompok Tani Kopi Silih Asih, Bogor."

Universitas Terbuka (UT) is committed to supporting the local community through funding through the lecturers' one-year community service program. Such financing is provided by the Institute of Research and Community Service UT, and the selected proposal proposed by UT's lecturer will be funded for approximately 20 million IDR (1500 USD). The service conducted for start-ups or local small and medium enterprises includes supporting financial and specific skill-set training to sustainably increase the business's potential.

Several topics include Improving the Ability to Calculate BEP (break-even point) and Marketing Through E-Commerce, Practices of Accounting Fraud Prevention in the Management of Village-Owned Business Units, Improving the Promotion of the Jaya Laksana BUMDes Coffee Business Through the Utilization of social media, Marketing and Innovation of Micro, Small And Medium Enterprise Products, Entrepreneurship Strategy Training for Scholarship Students. Additionally, UT regularly organizes Senmaster as a platform to showcase the results of its Community Service Programs, including products from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) supported by Universitas Terbuka

Universitas Terbuka, through its Community Service Program, has various activities to increase community access to essential services. One of the community service activities conducted is a community service team from Universitas Terbuka (UT) working to improve road access in Ketenger Village, making it easier to reach local tourist attractions. This initiative aims to boost the local economy by increasing visitor accessibility, which is expected to benefit the village’s economic conditions and enhance the quality of life for its residents. In addition, another community service team from Universitas Terbuka is carrying out initiatives to improve the quality of health for residents in Tegal Village. This program is focused on enhancing community access to essential healthcare services, aiming to elevate the overall health and well-being of the villagers.

Universitas Terbuka grants each faculty member full autonomy to contribute to various forms of professional and scientific activities and actively participate as experts in policymaking to provide insights and recommendations in policy formulation aligned with societal needs. On the scale of local, regional, and national levels, UT values faculty engagement as part of its commitment to advancing knowledge while supporting sustainable community development. This emphasized UT’s commitment to enhancing the academic capacity of its faculty and served as a tangible manifestation of UT’s dedication to delivering positive impacts on society at large.

One example of the contributions made by faculty members and researchers at Universitas Terbuka is Bapak Mirza Permana, who served as a Speaker in the Technical Guidance on Spatial Planning for National Border Areas (Indonesia) (Bimbingan Teknis Penataan Ruang Kawasan Perbatasan Negara). Many national border regions in Indonesia continue to experience relatively low living standards and economic conditions. By providing knowledge on spatial planning, significant positive impacts can be made on the daily lives of low-income communities in these border areas.

Picture: Proof of Bapak Mirza’s Certification as a Speaker in the Technical Guidance on Spatial Planning for National Border Areas (Indonesia)

Moreover, UT’s rector and leader also contributed as a keynote speaker in the “10th Asian Development Bank (ADB) International Skills Forum 2023: A New Era of Digitalized and Climate Resilient Human and Social Development”. This forum is ADB's flagship event in the education sector, which brings together more than 100 government officials and global education experts from more than 30 countries. Prof. Ojat Darojat, Rector of UT, spoke in the session "Roundtable of University Presidents/Leaders: Rethinking the Future of Higher Education," where he discussed the future of higher education that is more responsive to change. Meanwhile, Prof. Paulina Pannen acted as a speaker for the topic "Adopting Tech-inclusive Approaches to Learning Quality, Assessment, and Reforms to Scale-up Education Access," highlighting the need for a technology-based approach to expand access and quality of education in the digital era, primarily focusing on citizen with low income or economically inadequate

Picture: 10th Asian Development Bank (ADB) INTERNATIONAL SKILLS FORUM 2023: A New Era of Digitalized and Climate Resilient Human and Social Development