Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Almost a thousand Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) students rallied in front of the campus' rectory Wednesday demanding a recent decision to raise tuition fees be reversed. The institution recently raised it fees from Rp 750,000 per semester to Rp 1.2 million per semester, saying the extra funds would be used to provide cross subsidies for poor students.

Students gathered at the IPB's Graha Wisuda Auditorium and marched to the rectory at around 10 a.m. and demanded to see IPB rector Ahmad Ansori Mattjik.

Only when several students fainted in the midst of the crush in front of the building's closed entrance did campus security allow the students to enter the rectory. Mattjik and the institute's deputy rectors then met with student body head Jaenal Abidin.

In the meeting, Jaenal said the scheme was flawed because it was charged on the basis of students parents' incomes and ignored their financial earning capacity and how many people the family had to support. He added that the manner in which additional fees were determined was inconsistent as each faculty determines its own charges.

Jaenal also said that the IPB needed to be more transparent in its management of fees and had to guarantee that poor students would be entitled to an affordable education.

In response, however, Mattjik said that the police would not be changed and the subsidy scheme would still be applied. although he added that poor students would not have to pay for admission.

Deputy rector Herry Suhardiyanto said parents were often dishonest about their incomes during student registration.

"Most parents only write that their income is more than Rp 1 million on the registration form. Many other demand a reduction in school fees," he said, adding that around 400 parents had asked for a discount this year.

The school reported that 81 students had been exempt from paying fees in last year's intake.