Undana offers flexible return and UKT relief for Flores quake-hit students

Kupang — Universitas Nusa Cendana (Undana) has introduced academic flexibility and potential tuition relief for students affected by the August 15 Flores earthquake and tsunami, allowing those still in disaster-hit areas to delay joining classes until 1 September 2026 while the university finalises further payment concessions.

In a statement dated 22 August 2026, Undana Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Dr. drh. Annytha I.R. Detha said the measures are designed to ensure students can continue their studies despite ongoing emergency conditions and financial disruption in their families.

Academic flexibility and UKT deadline extension

According to Undana, students who remain in affected parts of Flores and cannot yet return to the campus in Kupang are being granted flexibility to postpone their class schedule until early September, specifically up to 1 September 2026. The policy is targeted at students identified by their study programmes as still impacted by the disaster.

The university also extended the deadline for paying the Single Tuition Fee, or Uang Kuliah Tunggal (UKT). The original payment cut-off of 18 August 2026 was shifted to 22 August 2026 to give affected students and families more time to organise finances during the emergency response period.

Undana said each study programme had begun collecting information on affected students shortly after the earthquake, including the level of damage and individual circumstances, to support academic and financial decisions. The university has asked students facing difficulties to stay in contact with their programme management so that assistance can be tailored using existing student data.

Planned tuition relief and humanitarian support

Beyond the deadline extension, Undana is preparing additional financial options for UKT payments. The university’s statement outlines several scenarios under consideration, including moving payments to the following month, adjusting payment mechanisms through banking partners and a possible 50 percent reduction in UKT for affected students.

The potential 50 percent reduction is being discussed as part of these options rather than as a final decision. Undana said the technical decision and implementation details for any reduction or rescheduling of UKT would be announced once the scheme is fully agreed.

Key dates mentioned by the university include:

• 18 August 2026: Original UKT payment deadline.
• 22 August 2026: Extended UKT payment deadline for affected students.
• 1 September 2026: Latest date by which affected students may postpone joining classes.

In parallel with academic and tuition measures, Undana is also deploying humanitarian assistance to students and communities in disaster-hit areas. The university has mobilised a humanitarian team and integrated community service programmes to distribute aid and conduct assessments on Flores following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami reported by Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

Earthquake and semester context

BMKG reported that a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck north of Flores Island on 15 August 2026 at around 05:58 local time, triggering a tsunami recorded at multiple locations in East Nusa Tenggara and neighbouring provinces. The agency and provincial authorities have reported casualties, injuries and housing damage across regencies including West Manggarai, Manggarai, East Manggarai and Sikka.

Undana announced its academic and financial measures ahead of the new semester, which the university scheduled to begin on 26 August 2026. The combination of delayed participation for students unable to travel, an extended UKT deadline and planned payment relief is intended, according to Undana, to reduce the risk that the disaster and its aftershocks will interrupt students’ higher education.

The university continues to monitor conditions in Flores in coordination with its study programmes and humanitarian teams. Further details on the final UKT mechanism, including any approved reduction and the duration of deferred payment arrangements, are expected to be issued in subsequent Undana announcements.

Sources

• Universitas Nusa Cendana official announcement: "Jamin Keberlanjutan Studi Korban Gempa Flores, Undana Siapkan Kebijakan Afirmasi Perkuliahan dan Keringanan UKT
• BMKG press release: "BMKG: 1624 Gempa Bumi Susulan Pasca-Tsunami Flores Masih Terjadi, Masyarakat Diimbau Tetap Tenang dan Waspada"
• ACT Alliance alert note on Indonesia earthquake, August 2026