Why Indonesia's Middle-Class Students Struggle to Find Scholarships
A university student in Indonesia highlights the difficulty middle-class students face in securing scholarships, as most programs prioritize either high achievers or underprivileged families. She advocates for more financial support tailored to the 'sandwich' demographic that lacks social assistance but cannot afford tuition independently.
Why it matters
This highlights a gap in educational equity where middle-class students are often overlooked by traditional scholarship criteria, potentially limiting social mobility.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Raisiya Rahma, 20, emphasized the importance of private companies providing more scholarships for college students from the middle-class. "In Indonesia, it is quite challenging for middle-class students to find scholarships. Usually, scholarship providers look for students who have outstanding achievements or come from underprivileged families. Our position is quite tricky," said Raisiya, who admitted to being from the middle-class, on July 22, 2026.Raisiya, a recipient of the Lotte Shin Kyuk-ho Global Scholarship by Lotte Scholarship Foundation, majoring in Public Health at the University of Indonesia, mentioned that the scholarship specifically targets middle-class students. However, currently, the number of similar scholarships is not abundant.Raisiya mentioned that opportunities for students from middle-class families often do not qualify for social assistance but also do not have sufficient economic means to finance their studies independently.Raisiya hopes for more scholarship programs that provide opportunities for students from middle-class families.
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