The uniform worn by professional dental clinical students carries long struggles that often go unseen. It is not only about learning to treat patients, completing clinical requirements , or pursuing graduation targets, but also about dealing with the significant financial burden of education and maintaining mental resilience while living far away from family.
Amid this reality, the Dentes Scholarship program was introduced for clinical students at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKG UGM), not merely as financial assistance, but also as a source of hope and encouragement.
The program was once again distributed in the second wave of 2026 to three professional dental students — Devita, Naomi, and Putri — who were considered in need of support to complete their studies. The scholarship was presented by Ian Pasani, S.Kom., Deputy Director of Dentes Dental Clinic, as tangible proof that solidarity from alumni can help bridge the struggles of future generations in dental education amid Indonesia’s growing need for dentists. The scholarship itself originated from one of FKG UGM’s 1984 alumni and founder of Dentes, drg. Handoko Setiawan Susilo, Sp.Ort.
Dean of FKG UGM, Prof. drg. Suryono, S.H., M.M., Ph.D., stated that the scholarship carries great significance because it directly addresses the needs of professional students who face considerable financial pressure. The Dentes Scholarship also represents a form of sustainable and cyclical synergy within the dental ecosystem.
“Not all Faculty of Dentistry students come from wealthy families. Many are in the lower tuition fee categories. Therefore, assistance like this is extremely meaningful in helping them complete their education,” said drg. Trianna Wahyu Utami, MD.Sc., Ph.D., Vice Dean for Collaboration, Research, and Community Service at FKG UGM, who also attended the scholarship ceremony.
She explained that the recipient selection process was conducted through multiple stages, beginning with professional student organizations, followed by study program evaluations, and finally faculty-level verification of all administrative requirements and recipient eligibility.
Support from alumni through Dentes also represents a concrete form of social concern aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in terms of educational equality and reducing inequality.
“This is purely educational assistance. There are no binding obligations whatsoever. The spirit is simply to help students complete their clinical training and become dentists,” said drg. Trianna.
Over the past two years, the program has distributed a total of seventy-two million rupiah to support professional dental students. This time, the assistance amounted to thirty-six million rupiah.
Yet behind those numbers are deeply touching personal stories.
One scholarship recipient, Devita Wijayakusuma, a clinical student from the 87th cohort and originally from Yogyakarta, admitted that the assistance greatly helped her manage the needs of professional education.
“The costs during clinical training are huge, especially for patients, because we still cover patient expenses ourselves. This assistance has truly helped me,” she said.
She explained that the biggest challenge for professional students is not only completing clinical requirements, but also finding patients who match the required cases.
“Sometimes patients are available, but the requirements case has already been completed. Meanwhile, other requirements are difficult because suitable patients are hard to find,” she explained.
Another emotional story came from Naomi Elizabeth, a clinical student from the 84th cohort originally from Samarinda. Holding back tears, she recounted how her educational journey changed after her father passed away from cancer.
“My father used to support my education. But after he passed away, there was no longer anyone working. A lot of savings were spent on medical treatment and funeral expenses,” she said.
Naomi admitted that she has continuously applied for tuition fee reductions in order to continue her studies. At the same time, she also has to think about patient expenses, clinical materials, and daily living costs as an out-of-town student.
“Whenever tuition payment time comes, it feels very difficult to talk to my family about it. I am afraid of becoming a burden,” she said softly.
As an only child living far away from her family, Naomi also faces significant mental pressure. She admitted that she often feels lonely while undergoing clinical training, searching for patients, and struggling financially.
Meanwhile, Putri Amali Arin, a professional student from the 90th cohort originally from Pekanbaru, Riau, stated that professional education costs have become a major challenge for her family, especially since she has several younger siblings who are still in school.
“As semesters progress, educational expenses become even greater. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable asking my parents to pay tuition fees that are not small,” she said.
Despite this, Putri continues striving for independence by working as a teaching assistant to support her daily living expenses.
She said her parents’ message has always been simple yet deeply meaningful: finish her education quickly so she can help the family.
Within the educational clinic rooms, clinical students are indeed learning to become dentists. But beyond that, they are also learning about resilience, sacrifice, and survival.
The Dentes Scholarship may not instantly eliminate all of their hardships. However, at the very least, it provides something that professional students truly need — reassurance that their struggles are seen, heard, and supported with sincere encouragement.
Amid demanding academic pressures, scholarship support can become a powerful motivation for students to continue moving forward until they complete their studies and graduate.
(Reporter: Andri Wicaksono, Photographer: Fajar Budi Harsakti)
