Education is one of the primary needs in life. However, due to inflation and some other factors, the tuition fees for university are getting higher each year. According to several people, universities should decrease the tuition fees, especially for the less fortunate students or for those coming from rural areas. I personally agree with this opinion. There are two reasons why I agree for universities to reduce their tuition fees. First, the economic condition of all people has not been fully recovered after the pandemic. Second, education is the right for all people, thus, all people should have equal access to education, including those who live below the poverty line.
As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economic condition of all countries. There were several companies who laid off their employees, because they did not have enough money to pay for their salaries and wages expenses. This made the inflation rate and poverty rate increased significantly during the pandemic. For instance, the parents in a family were laid off in September 2020. They got their new job in March 2021. During those six months, they had to use their saving to fulfil their daily needs. Meanwhile, their only child has to enter university in 2024. The economic condition of this family has not been fully recovered. They were living in poverty since 2021 until now.
Furthermore, university should accommodate the less privileged and those coming from rural areas. According to the preamble of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, to educate the life of the people is one of the purposes of Indonesia. Therefore, it can be said that education is the right for all people and is included in the primary needs. For example, there are some people coming from rural areas who have capability to continue their study to university. However, they cannot afford the tuition fees that must be paid to the university. Here, the role of scholarships provided by institutions, both inside and outside the university is important.
In conclusion, lowering the tuition fees for universities will be beneficial for students, especially those coming from rural areas and the less privileged. Besides accommodating their primary needs, it also eases their family’s financial burden which may not been fully recovered after the pandemic era.