Challenges: How to Enhance Financial Aid Systems to Give Accessible Education?
Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) is a prestigious state university in Indonesia, located in Bandung, West Java, with a mission to excel as a world-class university. ITB aims to strengthen its academic influence both locally and regionally, particularly in Asia, through its contributions in education, research, and the development of science, technology, and arts. The university’s vision emphasizes academic excellence alongside a deep commitment to social and human values, fostering a holistic educational environment.
Currently, ITB needs improvements on their financial aid and scholarship management processes and if not implemented, the administrative inefficiencies will continue to hinder the smooth distribution of educational support. Although their SIX system allows students to apply for scholarships independently, the limited integration and manual steps in the process could lead to delays and confusion in meeting students’ financial needs. These ongoing inefficiencies may create barriers for students seeking educational support, impacting ITB’s goal to provide an accessible and supportive academic environment.
This project aims to develop a streamlined system for ITB that effectively manages the administration of financial aid and scholarships. The solution will enhance process efficiency by automating application tracking and facilitating better data management for tuition assistance. Furthermore, the new system will provide students with additional support through integrated facilities and on-campus work opportunities, ultimately aligning with ITB’s commitment to facilitating access to education.
Solutions: Create a Seamless Scholarship Management System as One-Door Financial Aid Solution
Suitmedia’s approach to solving ITB’s financial aid challenges focuses on creating a centralized system that serves as both the entry and exit point for all tuition assistance applications. This strategy ensures a seamless process, providing students and administrators with a streamlined experience from application submission to the disbursement of aid. The system is designed to simplify administrative tasks and enhance user convenience in managing educational assistance programs.
Suitmedia developed a comprehensive platform to manage student assistance programs at ITB, including scholarships, tuition fee waivers, and employment opportunities. The development process was divided into two phases to ensure an optimal and efficient platform launch. Phase one prioritized core functionalities, such as disseminating information about assistance programs, facilitating student registration, and announcing selection results. Phase two focused on enhancing supporting features, including a monitoring dashboard for scholarships, status updates for recipients, and analytics for program evaluation. This phased approach was designed to promote efficient, transparent, and sustainable management of student financial aid programs.
The hallmark of this project lies in its integration with ITB’s existing systems, creating a "one-door" solution for tuition assistance applications. The development involves integrating with five key ITB systems—SIX, SIBPP, SISPRAN, HRIS, and Oracle. The Financial Aid system is designed to streamline the tuition assistance application process, serving as a centralized platform that integrates all stages—from submission to the receipt of financial aid.
Results: A New Era of ITB’s Scholarship System for Better Student Support
Suitmedia successfully addressed ITB’s challenges by delivering an efficient and scalable integrated scholarship management system. Leveraging N-Tier architecture, which separates the system into distinct layers (Frontend, Backend, and Database), the solution ensures optimal performance and ease of future redevelopment. The integrated system has significantly enhanced coordination and data management across different academic units, paving the way for streamlined scholarship planning and execution.
Previously, ITB faced significant challenges in managing an integrated scholarship system. Each department, such as undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, operated independently with standalone systems. This lack of integration hindered effective coordination and comprehensive management of scholarship data. With this collaboration, ITB expressed high satisfaction with Suitmedia’s approach and execution by stating that the solution provided by Suitmedia was efficient, well-planned, and highly impactful through meticulous and efficient planning. ITB acknowledges the significant benefits of the integrated scholarship system, which has greatly enhanced scholarship planning and management, supporting more effective future initiatives. The university also highlighted Suitmedia’s expertise and track record in academic system development as key factors in their selection, reinforcing the value and professionalism Suitmedia brought to the project.
Based on their positive experience, ITB highly recommends Suitmedia to other organizations in need of professional and dedicated digital solutions. ITB stated that Suitmedia has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, delivering top-quality results with professionalism. This endorsement underscores Suitmedia’s ability to provide impactful solutions that exceed expectations.
