Inp.polri.go.id - Semarang. Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian affirmed that regional administrations are allowed to allocate grants to universities, despite higher education being under central government authority.

“There are government and ministerial regulations allowing regional grants, even to state universities, although Law No. 23/2014 places higher education under the central government,” he said during a working meeting of the Legal Entity State Universities’ Board of Trustees Forum in Semarang on Friday (9/5/2025).

Minister Tito clarified that while management of primary and secondary education is divided among local administrations, grants can be legally given to legally incorporated institutions.

Tito encouraged local governments to collaborate with universities, especially in research downstreaming. 

“But it’s up to the universities to convince them—it’s market logic,” he said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

Echoing him, Board of Trustees Chair of Diponegoro University Prof. M. Nasir said the law allows university income from the state budget, the regional administration budgets, donations, or loans.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)