The Regional Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (Pemda DIY) has shown strong commitment to supporting the continued education of students by providing living cost assistance to students from public and private universities whose families were affected by floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The handover took place on Monday, December 22, 2025, at Bangsal Kepatihan, Yogyakarta.

The event was attended by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X (Governor of DIY), the Regional Secretary of DIY, several regional officials, and representatives from relevant institutions, including Bank Indonesia DIY, OJK DIY, Bank BPD DIY, LLDIKTI, and various universities such as UNY. Representatives of students from affected regions were also present.

In his remarks, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X emphasized that the assistance reflects Yogyakarta’s long-standing tradition of humanitarian support. When disasters strike elsewhere, DIY tries to help ensure that students studying in Yogyakarta do not have to interrupt their education due to financial difficulties caused by emergency situations. This tradition reportedly dates back to the time of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX.

According to the Director of Student Affairs and Alumni at UNY, Prof. Dr. Guntur, there were 227 UNY students affected by disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. These students were categorized by level of impact: 130 with light impact, 36 with moderate impact, and 61 with severe impact. They came from various academic levels, including diploma (D4), bachelor’s (S1), master’s (S2), and doctoral (S3) programs.

As part of a sustained effort, UNY also opened a UNY Peduli post at the Student Center to collect funds and support humanitarian efforts. The first phase of fundraising was planned to close at the end of December 2025, and a UNY humanitarian team was being prepared to deliver aid directly to Posko UNY at Universitas Samudra in Aceh.

Sri Sultan expressed appreciation for the cooperation between the regional government, universities, foundations, and community organizations in providing both moral and material support. He hopes that this assistance will bring real benefits and help students continue their education without interruption.