Free education policy and hidden cost inequality: A literature review on indirect economic burdens on students’ families
Main Article Content
Abstract
The free education policy has become a global strategy to improve access to education, but in practice, it still leaves challenges in the form of hidden costs that continue to burden students' families, especially from low-income groups. This research aims to identify the types of indirect costs in free education and analyze their impact on the economic burden of families and access and quality of education. This study uses a library research approach with a qualitative-descriptive design and documentation techniques as data collection methods. Data sources are obtained from scholarly journal articles, books, policy reports, and relevant dissertations, which are analyzed using a thematic approach and content analysis. The results of the study show that costs such as uniforms, transportation, stationery, activity fees, and digital needs become significant burdens for poor families. This has an impact on disparities in participation, achievement, and learning experiences of students. This research concludes that free education is not yet fully economically inclusive and needs to be redesigned to include support for hidden costs. This study makes an important contribution to advocating for education policies based on distributive justice and opens up opportunities for further research with a field approach.
Article Details
How to Cite
FADIL, Khaidir et al.
Free education policy and hidden cost inequality: A literature review on indirect economic burdens on students’ families.
Proceeding of International Conference on Islamic Education (ICIED), [S.l.], v. 10, n. 1, p. 1202-1212, dec. 2025.
ISSN 2613-9804.
Available at: <https://conferences.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/icied/article/view/3767>. Date accessed: 03 feb. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18860/icied.v10i1.3767.
Section
Articles
References
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McKinley Yoder, C., Cantrell, M. A., & Hinkle, J. L. (2024). Disparities in High School Graduation by Identity and Disability Using Intermediate and Long-Term Educational Outcomes. The Journal of School Nursing, 40(3), 266–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405221078989
Morimoto, T., & Tabata, K. (2020). Higher education subsidy policy and R& D-based growth. Macroeconomic Dynamics, 24(8), 2129–2168. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1365100519000142
Muchiri, S. (2021). Impact of Free/Subsidized Secondary School Education on the Likelihood of Teenage Motherhood. Demography, 58(4), 1401–1421. https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-9357498
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Mulyaningsih, T., Miranti, R., Dong, S., & Suryandari, R. T. (2025). Why are low-income eligible students reluctant to apply for financial aid? An empirical study from Central Java, Indonesia. Asia Pacific Education Review, 26(1), 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-024-09973-2
Nugroho, D., Anzany, A., & Fajri, T. (2023). Poverty and women’s access in higher education: Dynamics, prospects, shared choices of Liman-Benawi women education. SETARA: Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Anak, 5(01), 98. https://doi.org/10.32332/jsga.v5i01.6848
Nugroho, W. S., & Jamilatuzzahro. (2024). Bridging the Educational Divide: Making Higher Education Affordable for All. https://equitas.feb.ugm.ac.id/2024/08/07/bridging-the-educational-divide-making-higher-education-affordable-for-all/
Permatasari, A. N., & Syafi’i, I. (2022). Pendidikan gratis di era kapitalis dalam usaha pemerataan hak atas pendidikan. Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi Dan Humaniora, 13(2), 899. https://doi.org/10.26418/j-psh.v13i2.56241
Rusina, H. (2022). Education Financing and Assessment in Improving the Quality of Education In Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Education (INJOE), 3(2), 207–215. https://doi.org/10.54443/injoe.v3i2.26
Safitri, S., Tarbiyah, F., Keguruan, D. A. N., Islam, U., Sultan, N., & Kasim, S. (2024). Implementasi Bantuan Operasional Sekolah Untuk Meningkatkan Pengelolaan Pendidikan Di Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Kubu Skripsi [UIN Suska Riau]. https://repository.uin-suska.ac.id/81069/2/SKRIPSI SAPIYA SAFITRI.pdf
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Shaheen, N. L. (2022). Accessibility4Equity: Cripping technology‐mediated compulsory education through sociotechnical praxis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(1), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13153
Shi, Z., & Qamruzzaman, M. (2022). Re-Visiting the Role of Education on Poverty Through the Channel of Financial Inclusion: Evidence From Lower-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Countries. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.873652
Shukia, R. (2021). Fee-free Basic Education Policy Implementation in Tanzania: A ‘Phenomenon’ Worth Rethinking. Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania, 27(1), 115–138. https://doi.org/10.61538/huria.v27i1.871
Sibarani, S., & Sinamo, N. (2020). Implementation of Educational Policy in Indonesia. KnE Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v4i14.7900
Thelma, C. C., Mpolomoka, D. L., Gilbert, M. M., Mulenga, D. M., & Sain, Z. H. (2024). Free Education vs . Quality Education : A systematic analysis. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 23(01).
Usman, D. H., Sauri, S., & Fath, A. F. (2022). Dampak kebijakan pendidikan gratis bagi kualitas pendidikan di Pesantren Fath. Ta’dibuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 11(4), 589. https://doi.org/10.32832/tadibuna.v11i4.8706
Xiao, C., & Selvaratnam, D. P. (2023). The Relationship between Family Education Expenditure and Education Equalization. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 06(07). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v6-i7-25
Xu, W., & Zammit, K. (2020). Applying Thematic Analysis to Education: A Hybrid Approach to Interpreting Data in Practitioner Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920918810
Yusuf, E., & Sari, W. (2022). Pengaruh Beasiswa KIP Uang Kuliah Tunggal (UKT) Terhadap Prestasi Belajar Mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Ekonomi Fakultas Keguruan Dan Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu. Jurnal Multidisiplin Dehasen (MUDE), 1(3). https://doi.org/10.37676/mude.v1i3.2496
Abdullah Junaid, Athar Iqbal, Siddiqui, A. A., & Muhammad Hassan. (2023). Government Spending in Education Division, Urbanization and Economic Escalation in Under-Developed and Developing Countries. Voyage Journal of Educational Studies, 3(1), 207–219. https://doi.org/10.58622/vjes.v3i1.37
Anisha, D. (2024). Memahami Dampak Faktor Sosial Ekonomi terhadap Pemerataan Pendidikan dan Keberhasilan Siswa. EDUCARE: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kesehatan, 1(2), 57–62. https://doi.org/10.70437/jedu.v1i2.5
Asante, G., Nkansah, G. B., & Agbee, D. (2024). (De)centralisation in fee-free policymaking process: Comparative review of Progressive Free Senior High and Free Senior High School policies in Ghana. Policy Futures in Education, 22(1), 66–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103221135919
Bang, J. (2022). Script Analysis. In Script Analysis (pp. 5–6). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003138853-4
Bao, W., Ni, J., & Singh, S. (2021). Educational Inequality and Reservation Policy in Developing Markets. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3772113
Barnett, T., Tollit, M., Ratnapalan, S., Sawyer, S. M., & Kelaher, M. (2023). Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2023(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011538.pub2
Brown, K. J., Haer, R., & Østby, G. (2023). Local Food Price Volatility and School Dropout in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Population and Development Review, 49(3), 443–468. https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.12567
Espinoza, O., Corradi, B., González, L., Sandoval, L., McGinn, N., Maldonado, K., & Larrondo, Y. (2023). The effects of free tuition on the persistence of university students in Chile. International Journal of Educational Development, 101, 102838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102838
Fadhil, I., & Sabic-El-Rayess, A. (2021). Providing Equity of Access to Higher Education in Indonesia: A Policy Evaluation. Indonesian Journal on Learning and Advanced Education (IJOLAE), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.23917/ijolae.v3i1.10376
Halal, R., Aji, S., Hartana, M., & Putra, I. (2021). SALAM Jurnal Sosial dan Budaya Syar-i Role Model Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka Pada Program Studi Non-Agama . 8(6), 2001–2010. https://doi.org/10.15408/sjsbs.v8i6.23821
Hidayah, S. (2022). Online Learning during the Pandemic in Indonesia: A Case Study on Digital Divide and Sociality among Students. Jurnal Humaniora, 34(2), 149. https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.72605
Jaya, G. P., Warsah, I., & Istan, M. (2023). Kiat Penelitian Dengan Model Pendekatan Telaah Kepustakaan. Tik Ilmeu : Jurnal Ilmu Perpustakaan Dan Informasi, 7(1), 117. https://doi.org/10.29240/tik.v7i1.6494
Kaminska, M. (2022). Perspective of educational and social changes: Educational freedom. Osvitolohiya, 11. https://doi.org/10.28925/2226-3012.2022.11.1
Kramer, P., Wibowo, U. B., & Eveline, E. (2024). Fee-Free Education In Indonesia: A Review Of Fifteen-Years Fee-Free Education Law And The Reality Application And Needs In Bantul District, Yogyakarta. Edunity Kajian Ilmu Sosial Dan Pendidikan, 3(10), 941–951. https://doi.org/10.57096/edunity.v3i10.323
Lazaro, K. N., & Matiku, E. (2022). The Challenges Faced in Implementing Fee-Free Education Policy for Secondary Schools in Tanzania: The Case of Morogoro Municipality. East African Journal of Education Studies, 5(4), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.5.4.965
Madhakomala, R., Hakim, M. A., & Syifauzzuhrah, N. (2022). PROBLEMS OF EDUCATION IN INDONESIA AND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS. International Journal of Business, Law, and Education, 3(3), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.56442/ijble.v3i3.64
Magesa, W., & Mtebe, W. L. (2022). Challenges Facing Implementation of Fee-free Education in Public Secondary Schools. The Case of Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. East African Journal of Education Studies, 5(3), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.5.3.847
Mashur, M. (2023). Improving access to higher education for low-income high school students through PIP and student’s mentorship: Scholarship awardee experiences in Lombok. NUSRA: Jurnal Penelitian Dan Ilmu Pendidikan, 4(2), 178–193. https://doi.org/10.55681/nusra.v4i2.804
McKinley Yoder, C., Cantrell, M. A., & Hinkle, J. L. (2024). Disparities in High School Graduation by Identity and Disability Using Intermediate and Long-Term Educational Outcomes. The Journal of School Nursing, 40(3), 266–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405221078989
Morimoto, T., & Tabata, K. (2020). Higher education subsidy policy and R& D-based growth. Macroeconomic Dynamics, 24(8), 2129–2168. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1365100519000142
Muchiri, S. (2021). Impact of Free/Subsidized Secondary School Education on the Likelihood of Teenage Motherhood. Demography, 58(4), 1401–1421. https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-9357498
MulyaMulya, M. H. W., & Rahaju, T. (2021). Evaluasi pengelolaan dana bantuan operasional sekolah di Surabaya. Publika, 9(3), 181–194. https://doi.org/10.26740/publika.v9n3.p181-194
Mulyaningsih, T., Miranti, R., Dong, S., & Suryandari, R. T. (2025). Why are low-income eligible students reluctant to apply for financial aid? An empirical study from Central Java, Indonesia. Asia Pacific Education Review, 26(1), 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-024-09973-2
Nugroho, D., Anzany, A., & Fajri, T. (2023). Poverty and women’s access in higher education: Dynamics, prospects, shared choices of Liman-Benawi women education. SETARA: Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Anak, 5(01), 98. https://doi.org/10.32332/jsga.v5i01.6848
Nugroho, W. S., & Jamilatuzzahro. (2024). Bridging the Educational Divide: Making Higher Education Affordable for All. https://equitas.feb.ugm.ac.id/2024/08/07/bridging-the-educational-divide-making-higher-education-affordable-for-all/
Permatasari, A. N., & Syafi’i, I. (2022). Pendidikan gratis di era kapitalis dalam usaha pemerataan hak atas pendidikan. Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi Dan Humaniora, 13(2), 899. https://doi.org/10.26418/j-psh.v13i2.56241
Rusina, H. (2022). Education Financing and Assessment in Improving the Quality of Education In Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Education (INJOE), 3(2), 207–215. https://doi.org/10.54443/injoe.v3i2.26
Safitri, S., Tarbiyah, F., Keguruan, D. A. N., Islam, U., Sultan, N., & Kasim, S. (2024). Implementasi Bantuan Operasional Sekolah Untuk Meningkatkan Pengelolaan Pendidikan Di Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Kubu Skripsi [UIN Suska Riau]. https://repository.uin-suska.ac.id/81069/2/SKRIPSI SAPIYA SAFITRI.pdf
Sari, D. W., & Khoiri, Q. (2023). Pendidikan untuk Semua: Studi pada Kebijakan Wajib Belajar 9 Tahun. Journal on Education, 5(3), 9441–9450. https://doi.org/10.31004/joe.v5i3.1757
Shaheen, N. L. (2022). Accessibility4Equity: Cripping technology‐mediated compulsory education through sociotechnical praxis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(1), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13153
Shi, Z., & Qamruzzaman, M. (2022). Re-Visiting the Role of Education on Poverty Through the Channel of Financial Inclusion: Evidence From Lower-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Countries. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.873652
Shukia, R. (2021). Fee-free Basic Education Policy Implementation in Tanzania: A ‘Phenomenon’ Worth Rethinking. Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania, 27(1), 115–138. https://doi.org/10.61538/huria.v27i1.871
Sibarani, S., & Sinamo, N. (2020). Implementation of Educational Policy in Indonesia. KnE Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v4i14.7900
Thelma, C. C., Mpolomoka, D. L., Gilbert, M. M., Mulenga, D. M., & Sain, Z. H. (2024). Free Education vs . Quality Education : A systematic analysis. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 23(01).
Usman, D. H., Sauri, S., & Fath, A. F. (2022). Dampak kebijakan pendidikan gratis bagi kualitas pendidikan di Pesantren Fath. Ta’dibuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 11(4), 589. https://doi.org/10.32832/tadibuna.v11i4.8706
Xiao, C., & Selvaratnam, D. P. (2023). The Relationship between Family Education Expenditure and Education Equalization. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 06(07). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v6-i7-25
Xu, W., & Zammit, K. (2020). Applying Thematic Analysis to Education: A Hybrid Approach to Interpreting Data in Practitioner Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920918810
Yusuf, E., & Sari, W. (2022). Pengaruh Beasiswa KIP Uang Kuliah Tunggal (UKT) Terhadap Prestasi Belajar Mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Ekonomi Fakultas Keguruan Dan Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu. Jurnal Multidisiplin Dehasen (MUDE), 1(3). https://doi.org/10.37676/mude.v1i3.2496