Our actions and goals
Click the SDG Goals to read the initiatives
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Universitas Indonesia is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable educational environment. We realize this commitment through implementing a series of holistic support programs. The following are strategic steps Universitas Indonesia has taken to ensure that every member of our academic community, especially students, can achieve their best potential at Universitas Indonesia without being hindered by economic or accessibility constraints.
As regulated in the Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia No. 75 of 2021 on the Statute of Universitas Indonesia, Article 13 Paragraph (4), Universitas Indonesia is obligated to identify and recruit prospective Indonesian students who demonstrate high academic potential but are economically disadvantaged, as well as prospective students from frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped regions, to be admitted in no less than 20% of the total number of new students admitted through the national admission scheme.
Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 75 Tahun 2021 tentang Statuta Universitas Indonesia Pasal 13 ayat (4)
“Universitas Indonesia wajib mencari dan menjaring calon Mahasiswa berkewarganegaraan Indonesia yang memiliki potensi akademik tinggi, tetapi kurang mampu secara ekonomi dan calon Mahasiswa dari daerah terdepan, terluar, dan tertinggal untuk diterima paling sedikit 20% (dua puluh persen) dari seluruh Mahasiswa baru yang diterima melalui pola penerimaan secara nasional.”
In 2024, Universitas Indonesia managed to provide tuition assistance to 3.929 students and award scholarships to 11.732 students with the help of our 176 partners. Our 176 partners in 2024 included 60 government organizations that provided assistance to 9.458 students and 116 non-governmental organizations that provided assistance to 2.274 students. These statistics show an increase from 2023’s 9.496 scholarship recipients, highlighting Universitas Indonesia’s commitment to expanding collaborations to increase our capacity to provide financial assistance for students. Information on these scholarships are easily accessible through Universitas Indonesia’s Scholarships System: beasiswa.ui.ac.id.
Universitas Indonesia’s Scholarships System is a centralized information hub for all scholarship schemes (government, corporate, foundation, alumni, and internal UI sources). This online platform is linked to student academic and financial records (SIAK-NG), therefore providing ease of access for students to apply for scholarships by providing transparency as well as standardizing the application process.
To further ensure that no student ceases their academic pursuit due to financial difficulties or constraints, UI provides the Equitable Tuition Fee (BOP-B) scheme, a financial assistance program funded through UI’s internal funds. With this scheme, the amount of tuition a student has to pay is adjusted to their financial capabilities, based on the documents provided by the students upon applying. The Directorate for Student Affairs and Scholarships (DKB) conducts a thorough administrative and economic eligibility verification process to ensure fairness in determination of tuition fee.
For transparency, statistical data on scholarship and financial aid recipients are available in Universitas Indonesia’s Annual Report, published in Universitas Indonesia’s Information and Documentation Management (PPID) website: ppid.ui.ac.id.
Annual Report of Universitas Indonesia 2024
Mentoring and Development Programs by Scholarships
Universitas Indonesia is not only committed to supporting our students financially, but also in other aspects of their lives to enhance their academic experience on campus. To ensure the success of our students in pursuing their studies, certain scholarship programs are also equipped with mentoring and development programs. Among others are the Daesang Scholarship Program, Mata Air Biru Scholarship, NAMA Fund Scholarship, Bank Indonesia’s Outstanding Undergraduate Scholarship, Pertamina Sobat Bumi Scholarship, etc. These development and mentoring programs are also expected to aid our students in expanding their professional network and opening doors to future career opportunities.
Universitas Indonesia Dormitory for Affordable and Strategic Accomodation
The provision of student dormitory facilities at Universitas Indonesia (UI) is carried out strategically by the university to support accommodation needs, character development, and the formation of an inclusive academic community. UI builds and manages dormitories to:
The UI Dormitory is managed under the coordination of the UI Dormitory Office, which is supervised by the Directorate for Supporting Educational Facilities Management.
The UI Dormitory is located in the complex near Universitas Indonesia’s main gate (Gerbatama) and the Health Sciences Cluster (RIK), accommodating ± 2,000 residents. Facilities at the UI Dormitory include bedrooms, Wi-Fi, a communal kitchen, study rooms, laundry services, prayer rooms, and 24-hour security.
Universitas Indonesia ensures housing remains highly affordable for students by setting average rental fees between IDR 200,000 and IDR 500,000 per month (or approximately USD 11,76 and USD 29,41 per month), depending on the room type. These fees are significantly below commercial prices in the Depok area.
Furthermore, students who are recipients of specific financial aid programs, such as KIP-K scholarships, BOP Berkeadilan (Equity Tuition Fee), or regional affirmation programs for 3T areas, can obtain even greater financial relief, including additional subsidies or a complete dormitory fee waiver managed by the Directorate for Student Affairs and Scholarships (DKB).
Bus Kuning, Universitas Indonesia’s Free and Accessible On-Campus Transportation
Universitas Indonesia provides a free internal transportation service called the Yellow Bus (Bus Kuning, commonly abbreviated to Bikun) as part of the university’s commitment to creating an inclusive, environmentally friendly, and sustainable campus. This transportation facility has been a UI icon for decades and serves as the primary means of mobility for students, lecturers, educational staff, and the general public operating within Universitas Indonesia’s Depok Campus environment.
The Yellow Bus service operates daily on a loop system circling the campus area, which spans over 300 hectares, connecting various faculties, student dormitories, hospitals, the library, and various public transport stations connected to Universitas Indonesia. This bus service is entirely free, requiring no tickets or access cards, and can be used by the entire academic community without restrictions. Universitas Indonesia manages this service through the Directorate for Student Affairs and Scholarships (DKB) and the UI Transportation Technical Implementation Unit, supported by a fleet of approximately 30 large-capacity and micro buses.
As a modern public service innovation, the Yellow Bus’s position can be tracked in real-time via the web-based application https://bikun.ui.ac.id/. Through this application, users can view the bus location, direction of travel, estimated arrival time at each stop, and daily operational schedules. This feature allows students to plan their travel time efficiently and enhances convenience in mobility across the campus area.
In addition to supporting academic activities, the presence of the Yellow Bus also serves as tangible support for students from low-income families, particularly dormitory residents who require daily mobility without the burden of extra costs. With this free transportation, students can focus on their studies without worrying about transportation expenses within campus.
Adhering to environmental principles, part of the Yellow Bus fleet now utilizes low-emission fuels and is currently in the transition phase towards electric campus buses, demonstrating UI’s commitment to carbon footprint reduction. The presence of this free transportation service reflects Universitas Indonesia’s dedication to continuously providing facilities that are fair, sustainable, and inclusive for the entire academic community.
Universitas Indonesia Provides Healthy and Affordable Meals on Campus
Universitas Indonesia provides comprehensive access to healthy and affordable food facilities within the campus environment as a form of concern for student welfare and support for inclusive education. This program is centrally managed by Universitas Indonesia’s Safety Office, with the primary goal of ensuring that all campus members can obtain balanced nutritional intake at pocket-friendly prices. Importantly, these subsidized and monitored food options are available and accessible to everyone on campus without restriction. Prices at the student canteens generally range from IDR 8,000 to IDR 28,000 (approximately USD 0,50 – 1,80).
The operation of these canteens is regulated under Universitas Indonesia’s Rector’s Regulation No. 57 of 2017 concerning the Implementation of OSH and Environmental (K3L) Standards for Canteens within the UI Environment. This regulation mandates that official canteen operators across various faculties adhere to three main principles: healthy, hygienic, and affordable. Every tenant is required to maintain a price range compatible with students’ purchasing power. Furthermore, the UI Safety Office conducts routine supervision of food quality, kitchen sanitation, and waste management systems to ensure both public health and environmental sustainability.
This initiative to provide affordable food is a core component of UI’s strategy to reduce students’ living expenses, particularly benefiting those from low-income families. The program is integrated with other social support initiatives, such as free meal vouchers for dormitory residents, living cost scholarships, and free internal transportation (the Yellow Bus/Bikun). Through this ecosystem of support, UI demonstrates its commitment to creating a learning environment that is healthy, equitable, and sustainable.
Universitas Indonesia’s Commitment to Alleviation of Poverty
These initiatives demonstrate that Universitas Indonesia is aware of the importance of fulfillment of basic, essential needs for all as a starting point for an accessible and inclusive academic environment. The initiatives outlined above are a concrete form of our commitment to tackle the issues the Universitas Indonesia community face from a holistic point of view, therefore prioritizing the alleviation of poverty.
In addition to the facilities for domestic students (i.e. affordable housing at Universitas Indonesia’s Dormitory, free campus-wide shuttle bus, food coupons, and affordable meals) also being available, international students are also entitled to apply for scholarships. To support the provision of equal access to opportunities, Universitas Indonesia consistently provides scholarships and grants for international students, particularly focusing on students coming from low or lower-middle income countries. These programs, managed by Universitas Indonesia’s Directorate for Internationalization of Education as well as the Directorate for Student Affairs and the Directorate for Student Admissions, include programs by Universitas Indonesia such as UI GREAT as well as programs by our partners such as KNB and TIAS.
UI Global Research Engagement Award for Talents (GREAT)
The UI GREAT Scholarship is a fully supported opportunity exclusively for international applicants to Master’s degree programs at Universitas Indonesia. To ensure equal opportunity for international students from low or lower-middle income countries, applicants do not need to pay the registration fee in order to apply for the UI GREAT scholarship.
Scholarship benefits include:
In 2024, 74 international students became recipients of the UI GREAT Scholarship, showing a consistent increase from 2023 (59 recipients) and 2022 (53 recipients).
Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) Scholarship
Kemitraan Negara Berkembang Scholarship, popularly known as KNB Scholarship, is a financial assistance offered by the Indonesian Government to prospective international students coming from developing countries to pursue their degree (Bachelor, Master or Doctorate Degree) in Indonesia. To date, the scholarship has been offered to members of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), as per the regulations in the first launch of KNB, as well as other developing countries in Asia, Pacific, South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe as per 2002.
The scholarship includes tuition fees, monthly living expenses, arrival allowance, book and research allowance, publication assistance, transportation for arrival and return (upon graduation), and monthly health insurance. To support academic processes, KNB awardees will take Indonesian Language classes (BIPA) for up to 1 year, which is a requirement to pass before starting their academic studies in Indonesian.
In 2024, 14 awardees of the KNB scholarship began their studies at Universitas Indonesia.
The Indonesian AID Scholarship (TIAS)
TIAS is a grant program from the Indonesian Government that aims to support the achievement of SDGs targets, especially in the education sector. TIAS provides opportunities for talented individuals to develop their potential, enhance their knowledge and skills, and contribute to their communities. Through this program, participants are expected to foster mutual understanding, strengthen international cooperation, and drive positive change in their respective fields, ultimately supporting sustainable development and global harmony.
The priority grantee areas are Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Fiji, Iran, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Solomon, Colombia, Laos, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Timor Leste, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea.
To support recipients, TIAS provides:
TIAS covers Academic Cost, Round-Trip Ticket, Visa Cost, Settle-in Allowances, Accommodation Allowances, Health Insurance, Monthly Living Allowances, Education Support Fund, Research Grant, International Seminar Grant, International Journal, Publication Assistance Fund, Bahasa Indonesia Enhancement Program Cost, English Lesson Program Cost (for applicants in kelas Bahasa Only), and Matriculation Program Cost.
In 2024, Universitas Indonesia welcomed 27 students from TIAS.
Universitas Indonesia (UI) demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering innovation and building a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem by launching the Innovation Product Funding Program (PPI) and the UI Incubate Program in 2024. This initiative is specifically designed to develop local startups and generate innovative products that create a positive impact on society, particularly in strategic sectors such as food, health, and agriculture.
Hackathon UI Incubate Provides Financial Support for 23 Winning Teams
Through UI Incubate’s Hackathon, Universitas Indonesia designated 23 best young startup teams who were entitled to receive direct funding from Universitas Indonesia to continue the incubation stage. To ensure equitable access and lower the barrier to entry for talented young entrepreneurs, the registration process for the UI Incubate program is entirely free of charge.
This financial support is strategically disbursed in two categories, adjusted to the teams’ business maturity level:
The Directorate for Innovation and Science Techno Park (now the Directorate for Innovation and High Impact Research) confirmed that the program’s activities are not solely focused on financial aid. Through a series of events, including the Hackathon UI Incubate, the university actively facilitates funding collaborations, involving meetings between selected entrepreneurs and prospective investors (venture capital and angel investors), and invention auctions for UI inventors. This creates an end-to-end ecosystem for young innovators.
The legal basis for this support is stipulated in the Rector’s Regulation on UI Cost Standards (No. 16 of 2024), which guarantees the provision of subsidies to student entrepreneurship groups.
While this regulation sets the general standard for student entrepreneurship grants (up to IDR15 million, approximately USD 937), the higher allocations of IDR50 million and IDR100 million disbursed through the PPI and UI Incubate program represent specialized funding for advanced-stage startups. This specialized allocation allows UI to provide the substantial capital required by teams reaching the Product-Market Fit stage, thereby ensuring the sustainability and market readiness of local innovations.
The Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at UI emphasized that the program positions the Hackathon UI Incubate as a meeting point between academic research on campus and real-world needs in the field, reinforcing UI’s role as the nation’s engine of innovation.
Peraturan Rektor Universitas Indonesia Nomor 16 Tahun 2024 Tentang Standar Biaya Universitas Indonesia Tahun 2024 Halaman 39
“Universitas Indonesia memberikan hibah kepada kelompok mahasiswa yang dinyatakan lolos seleksi oleh Direktorat Kemahasiswaan dalam program pembinaan dan hibah wirausaha mahasiswa. Penerima Hibah Wirausaha Mahasiswa ditetapkan dalam Keputusan Rektor terkait penerima hibah wirausaha mahasiswa.”
As a higher education institution bound by the obligation of the Three Pillars of Higher Education (Tridarma Pendidikan Tinggi), Universitas Indonesia is committed to addressing the issue of poverty. We implement programs and policies that push forward the eradication of poverty on campus, impacting the surrounding community as well as underdeveloped regions in Indonesia and the world.
Universitas Indonesia has implemented the Affirmative Action Scholarship (Beasiswa Afirmasi) which, as per Universitas Indonesia’s Rector’s Decree No. 1494 of 2024, targets students from the Papua region; students from special regions (frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged also known as 3T); students who are children of Indonesian migrant workers; and/or students who graduated from the Secondary Education Affirmative Program. This policy is renewed annually with every new generation of scholarship recipients and is based on the Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia No. 75 of 2021 on the Statute of Universitas Indonesia, Article 13 Paragraph (4).
Additionally, Universitas Indonesia also provides financial assistance to students and staff in various situations, including financial assistance for foreign postgraduate students; students experiencing disaster; students working part-time on campus; inbound and outbound students participating in non-degree programs; staffs experiencing disasters; as well as wedding and childbirth costs for staff; and medical check up fees for staff. Financial assistance is also extended to students participating in competitions and academic events, ensuring that there will be no missed opportunities for students with financial constraints. Details on eligibility and assistance value are regulated in the Universitas Indonesia’s Rector’s Regulation No. 16 of 2024 on Universitas Indonesia’s Standard Fees in 2024.
Universitas Indonesia Actively Participates in Local Policy Making to Address Poverty in Depok City
In August 2025, the Demography Institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business UI (LD FEB UI) initiated cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) and the Depok City Government. This collaboration focuses on the integration of social data with housing programs as part of settlement area arrangement efforts to break the cycle of poverty. LD FEB UI serves as an academic partner supporting Depok City’s plan as a pilot project for implementing integrated data. Universitas Indonesia provides data-driven, comprehensive assessments (through LD FEB UI) to ensure that social assistance and housing programs are accurately targeted and serve as a key instrument for lifting Depok residents out of poverty. This involvement directly supports the formulation of local policy aimed at ending poverty in Depok.