The story of Apia, a farmer’s daughter from Mount Lawu who received an S1-S3 scholarship at UGM

TIME.CO, Jakarta – Family economic limitations did not prevent Apia Dewi Agustin from continuing her studies. Apia seeks out various opportunities in order to receive the highest education possible. Plan Scholarship he finally became the savior of Apia.

The son of a farmer from Gunung Lawu village, Magetan, East Java, completed his undergraduate studies funded through two scholarships namely Bidikmisi Scholarship and Alumni Family Scholarship, Faculty of Business and Economics, Gadjah University Mada (KAFEGAMA) . Apia also holds a bachelor’s degree in FEB Accounting UGM in 2020 with cum laude predicate.

At the ripe age of a college graduate, Apia is determined to continue her education at a higher level. Now, this 23-year-old girl has the opportunity to study a Master’s degree at UGM without having to pay any money. In fact, you had the opportunity to immediately continue your studies up to Doctorate level.

“Alhamdulillah. “I can continue my master education, continue my doctorate through Kemendikbudristek PMDSU (Masters to Doctorate Education for Excellent Bachelors) Scholarship,” Apia said, as quoted by the UGM official website on Thursday, September 7, 2023.

According to Apia, PMDSU aims to produce quality doctorates, accelerate the addition of faculty with doctoral degrees, and accelerate the increase in international publications.

Apia’s steps to getting a scholarship were not easy. Scholarships are only opened once every 2 years. Applicants’ graduate requirements are a maximum of one final year for undergraduate programs and age is no more than 24 years. Unfortunately, not all Indonesian universities can become partners of this program.

Thanks to the PMDSU program, Apia is one of 300 excellent scholars who will be in the process of becoming young doctoral students with accelerated postgraduate training at the Master’s and Doctoral levels. The program will be implemented for a maximum of 4 years, starting in 2023.

Apia is also enrolled as a 1st semester postgraduate student in Accounting at the UGM Faculty of Economics and Master’s Degree.

Financial limitations are not an obstacle

The family’s economic limitations push Apia to study diligently. His family is very simple. His father, who worked as a farmer, died when Apia was in the fifth semester of his degree.

As a result, the family’s economy is increasingly shaken. To survive, her mother sought sustenance by opening a small grocery store.

“From my mother’s sales yes, the results are just enough for daily life,” Apia said.

Apia is increasingly determined to study hard and become an exceptional child. Apia’s successes have been visible since elementary school, as she was always the star of the class, all the way up to high school. The first degree predicate is almost always with him.

Apia has been awarded scholarships since her school days. Funding for high school tuition also comes from full scholarships due to their achievements. As soon as she entered college, Apia began working part-time to earn extra pocket money. She has worked as a teaching assistant, classroom assistant, research assistant and laboratory assistant.

“I always remember your message. Even if parents don’t go to school, children must be able to go to school, because if they are endowed with riches they will never end, but if they are endowed with knowledge they will last forever,” Apia said.

Apia further said that everyone has the right to dream and make it come true. “Pray, we hope that the knowledge obtained will be blessed and will always be useful to others,” she said.

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