The increase in UKT fees at the tertiary level is not the only issue of soaring education funding in Indonesia. Based on BPS data, education costs in Indonesia almost continue to increase every year.

The most prominent cost which continues to increase every year is the tuition fee, unfortunately this increase in education costs is not in line with the increase in parents' income. Especially for some parents who do not have a fixed salary as office employees.

This percentage increase in education costs each year ultimately becomes a burden for parents, especially those who have more than one child. This increase is even predicted to continue accelerating for the next 10 to 20 years.

The increase in education costs is not balanced with the increase in salaries

The increasing cost of education is not balanced with the increase in parents' salaries, where for Bachelor's degrees alone it only increases by 3.8 percent per year. Meanwhile, for workers who graduate from high school, it is predicted that their salary will increase by only 2.7 percent per year.

Based on the data collected, this statistical agency claims that basic tuition fees will reach an average of IDR 14.47 million for the 2021 period. Meanwhile, secondary level funds are approximately half that figure, namely IDR 7.80 million.

The data collected states that the average fee for primary school level is IDR 2.81 million. This data only refers to state schools, not to private schools that do not receive government subsidies at all.

In the same academic period, the average cost of education at private elementary schools was estimated at around IDR 4.98 million. Meanwhile for junior high school it costs IDR 6.79 million and at high school level it costs around IDR 9.04 million.

Continuing to the cost of education at the state university level, the average annual cost is IDR 12.71 million, while at private universities it is IDR 17.01 million. The data summarized by BPS includes transportation costs, meals and other additional costs.

The data collected by BPS above proves that education, especially at higher levels, is still an expensive item for some groups. The goal of making the nation's life smarter remains a dream if costs continue to rise.

Solution to Rising Education Costs

The cost of education, which always rises every year, will forever be a luxury for various groups. However, this does not mean that this cannot be avoided because once you are aware of the importance of education, you should follow these tips:

1. Preparing Education Funds
   
   Prepare cost of education in accordance with the desired school targets is the right first step. Long before your child enters school age, you can do research first regarding the amount of education money per year.
   
   Even if you can predict your education funds until you graduate, that would be even better. All forms of expenses will be better controlled because there is a separate education funding post that is intended every time you earn income or profit.
   
   
2. Make Insurance
   
   Register your child to education insurance This is a decision that is one step further because children are protected under any circumstances. Apart from playing a role in protecting children's education, insurance can also be an investment tool.
   
   If a bad disaster befalls the guardian, the child will not be threatened with dropping out of school because the education funds have been prepared. The student's guardian or both parents and closest family can plan the child's future as best as possible through participation in this insurance.
   
   
3. Long Term Education Savings
   
   Education savings usually exist in every bank, both state-owned and private, with various special terms and conditions. You can take advantage of one of these services to ensure your child's school fees are secure.
   
   Sometimes everyone is actually able to pay for their child's education, but their expenses are not focused so it feels like they are spending too much. By intending to save for your children, you can focus on education costs more securely.
   
   

Overview of 2024 Education Costs

The data collected in 2021 can be used as material or an illustration of education costs in 2024. For example, the cost per semester at PTN is Rp. 3 million, meaning that normally for 8 semesters you will spend Rp. 24 million.

That's just an illustration of UKT payments for the middle class, not the accumulated fees per semester for higher class students who can pay up to IDR 20 million per semester. This basic cost still has to be added to other costs.

For example, if the boarding house costs IDR 5 million per year, multiplied by four equals IDR 20 million. Then eating Rp. 20 thousand per day for four years is equal to Rp. 7.3 million. Additional costs for photocopying, purchasing course requirements, organizational costs, and so on.

More or less each student will spend at least IDR 50 million from entering college until graduating. That's just the minimum cost estimate, the maximum could be hundreds of millions of rupiah for the year 2024 alone, the next time it could be bigger.

Because education is still a luxury for all groups to obtain. Based on data collected by BPS regarding education costs in Indonesia, the following conclusions were found:

1. The average cost of education always increases every year.
2. The higher the level of education, the more expensive the costs.
3. Preparing children's education funds can be through savings, investment and insurance.

The three conclusions above provide provisions for young parents and prospective parents to manage their finances more wisely. If your regular income is still lacking, you can look for other sources of income.