UPH Expands Access to Higher Education Through Inclusive Scholarship and Financial Aid
TANGERANG, 2024 – Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) continues to demonstrate its commitment to expanding access to higher education through a range of scholarship and financial-aid schemes. These include scholarships based on academic achievement, student-athlete scholarships, and financial-aid programmes specifically designed to support prospective students from low- and lower-middle-income families.
In the Academic Year (AY) 2024/2025, UPH set a target of 875 scholarship recipients as part of its educational assistance programme. This target reflects the university’s continued commitment to strengthening inclusivity and providing opportunities for capable students who face financial constraints. The programme ultimately supported 842 Indonesian students and 53 international students, providing educational assistance and scholarships to the new student cohort from diverse geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds across the Indonesian archipelago, as well as international origins of the United States, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Myanmar, Kenya, India, China, Canada, and Cambodia. The achievement represents a 2.3% increase of the original target and a 24% increase from last year’s admission.
Data from Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) Indonesia indicate that scholarship recipients largely come from households within the lower income groups, particularly the bottom 40% of the income distribution (quintiles I and II), commonly associated with low-income and lower-middle-income households. Through targeted scholarship recruitment and financial assistance, UPH prioritises students who face financial barriers to higher education, helping ensure that educational opportunities reach those who need them most.
UPH’s scholarship programme exemplifies this inclusive approach by providing full scholarships covering tuition, dormitory accommodation, and, in some cases, living expenses. Scholarship recipients undergo a four-year holistic formation process that combines academic development, spiritual formation, and community engagement. The programme is offered across various faculties and study programmes, with the Teacher’s College and International Teacher’s College receiving a significant proportion of scholarship students. In these programmes, students undertake a one-year teaching internship during their fourth year at schools under Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan (YPPH) or partner institutions. This enables students to apply their academic preparation in real classroom settings, including communities with limited educational resources. Following graduation, alumni may be placed in YPPH or partner schools to serve as educators for a designated period, creating a sustainable cycle of educational access, professional formation, and community service.
UPH also actively disseminates information about scholarship opportunities through its official communication channels, including YouTube, Instagram, and the UPH website, as well as through direct outreach to schools, churches, and community leaders across Indonesia. These outreach efforts help ensure that prospective students from remote and underserved communities are aware of available financial assistance and have opportunities to apply. Additionally, the New Student Orientation of AY 2024/2025 can be further watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVsE_N-i_7Q
By continuing to provide scholarships and financial assistance to students facing economic barriers, UPH reinforces its commitment to integrating social equity, inclusion, and accessibility into its institutional development. Through these initiatives, UPH contributes to broader efforts to expand equitable access to quality higher education for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
