Jakarta. Indonesia is preparing a plan to make tuition free at state universities, with the government calculating the cost and assessing how the policy could be implemented within the state budget.

President Prabowo Subianto chaired a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday to discuss the plan, including financing options and possible implementation stages.

Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto said the government had begun calculating revenue currently collected by state universities, including tuition fees, development contributions paid by students entering through independent admission routes and other sources of income.

“We have made several calculations, starting with current tuition revenue, revenue from independent admission routes and other sources,” Brian told reporters after the meeting.

The government is also considering existing cross-subsidy arrangements at state universities, where revenue from postgraduate programs can help finance undergraduate programs.

The calculations will then be matched against the fiscal space available in the state budget, Brian said. The government has not yet announced the amount needed to fund the program.

Prabowo has called for the program to be implemented as soon as possible, but Brian said it would be introduced in stages rather than immediately.

The president has also ordered the formation of a cross-ministerial team led by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs to refine the financing model and implementation stages. The team is expected to report its findings to Prabowo within two weeks to one month.

The Higher Education Ministry said it had already assessed the standard financing needs of students at state universities as part of preparations for the policy. The assessment is intended to determine the budget required and possible implementation models.

Prabowo previously said on Sept. 18 that education at state schools, from primary school through state universities, should be free.

Indonesia's state universities currently charge students under a tiered tuition system, with fees varying according to household income and study programs, ranging from Rp500,000 (around $30) to Rp25 million per semester. The government subsidizes higher education, while financial assistance programs such as the KIP Kuliah scholarship scheme support students from lower-income families.

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