Nevertheless, while many smaller private HEIs have encountered difficulty in running online learning, some have used their capacity to map whatever available options and ways to ensure learning in their institutions goes on. It was revealed that a private university¹ in Bengkulu (a province in Sumatra) had adopted and contextualised what is known as “revolutionise education”, where it used an e-learning portal coupled with Zoom and Google Meets to conduct online learning and teaching. Given that there were many students living in other areas with good internet connectivity, the lecturers were encouraged to communicate with students via Whatsapp and Telegram. Use of YouTube to post videos of learning content was also promoted.

Next, the case of a smaller private university in Makassar tells a different story. This university has very limited capacity to provide online learning. It employs a hybrid approach to learning that combines offline and online learning — with the latter focusing on the use of free online platforms such as Zoom and Google Meets in limited 40-minute sessions. In this case, learning that are entirely reliant on lecturers cannot be provided comprehensively, resulting in students’ lack of knowledge and mastery of such topics. In such circumstances, students are at a disadvantage. To address some of these concerns, the government has given free data packages of 50 GB for students and lecturers from September to December 2020, and of 15 GB for the same period in 2021 to facilitate the operation of online learning.

Also reported by APTISI, during the pandemic, the incomes of private HEIs have been affected due to the declining enrolment of new students (by roughly 30% to 50%) and an increase in the dropout rate of enrolled students. In coming to term with this condition, private HEIs with adequate support resources may have more discretion in planning strategic initiatives to keep current students from dropping out. For example, a university in Semarang, Central Java, used its capacity to take strategic actions and solutions. They identified students who were entitled to financial aid, and also determined which students’ parents or families have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 (forcing them to lose their jobs or income). These were then prioritised for assistance. In the assistance, the university made available a wide range of aid, from tuition price reductions to tuition fee waivers. This, however, is not the case for smaller private HEIs, whose financial resources are limited. Such institutions have no other option but to rely on the government for financial aid for their students. In 2021, the government, through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, provided financial aid totalling IDR 1 trillion — to assist 410,000 students at private and public HEIs in their tuition fees. Yet, not all students were eligible for this aid; only those who were studying in particular semesters (semesters 3, 5, and 7) could access the aid. With this amount limit and the restricted eligibility, the likelihood of students dropping out is likely to increase.

Larger private HEIs have also been able to practise their strategic actions and find solution to increase new student enrolment. The same university in Semarang, armed with resources in marketing, information technology, and finance, has been able promote and market its courses. A wide range of offline promotion programmes has also been conducted in the form of education fairs and outreach to senior high schools. Online promotions take the form of using social media advertisements. Smaller private HEIs like the university in Makassar, confined by their limitations in all aspects, cannot do the same things. They can only promote their institutions through simple pamphlets, word-of-mouth, and some school outreach. (Given the limited access to internet in some parts of Indonesia, institutions have to organise direct outreach to facilitate registration and payments; this remains a barrier for some potential students.)