Jakarta (Koran Tempo : 10/09/06) They have become icons symbolizing hard work while thousands of other students are unable to pay for their tuition fee on time.  The class has just ended when the heat of the mid-day sun strikes.

Most students at the Syarif Hidayatullah State University in Ciputat, Tangerang, are rushing to cafeteria, library, mosque or return to their boarding houses. At the corner of the park a student wearing black T-shirt is seen busy collecting unused cartons and plastic bottle. Those stuffs are gathered in a plastic bag, along with his books on philosophy which he carry to his boarding house on Jalan the Al-Ikhlas, around 350 meters from Syarif Hidayatullah campus. Those stuffs are piled inside his 2.5 x 3.5 square meter room.

The 22 year-old student introduced himself as Ismanurohman, his friends call him Isman. His side job makes his friends call the student of 5th semester of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Syarif Hidayatullah State University “The Campus Scavenger.” Everyday he managed to collect around 20 kilograms of used stuffs, which he then piled neatly in front of his rented room. After the pile is getting higher, he sells it to the procurer. "I could earn Rp 500 thousand per months from these trashes," said Isman.

The sum of money is only enough to pay for his rented room and daily meal. His total monthly expenses reach Rp 1.2 million including the rented room, meal and other daily needs. Each semester he has to pay Rp 1.025 million for tuition fee and Rp 300,000 for books.

To earn more money, Isman has to take any other available job, like cleaning swimming pools in elite housing complexes and working as newspapers distributor. “In total I can earn Rp1.4 million per month,” said Isman. The revenue is enough for him. “It also allows me to send some money for my parents,” he said proudly. Even though Isman has to come home late quite often, his side jobs do not hamper his study. He is included in the top-3 in his class with the GPA 3.4.

At the beginning, no one seemed to appreciate his job that seemed dismissive and even demeaning.  However, recently, has become a role model for his friends. Imagine, while thousands of students in Indonesia could not pay their tuition fee on time, Isman always pay it timely. The strategy: “Forget about shame and prestige, but at the same time we have to uphold on our idealism," he said.

Isman is not alone. In Yogyakarta, there is Marsudi Fuad Wardi, a-23 years-old students of the faculty of Economy at the Gadjah Mada University. The son of a farmer in Lampung has to work in a library. Marsudi does not feel awkward when he have to serve his friend who wants to borrow books. No wonder, the students who study management from the class 2001 at the faculty of Economy have been working as a part timer in the library for 2 years. “I have to work to pay for my tuition fee and to cover my daily expenses. My parents are only small farmers in Lampung," said Odik, what Marsudi’s friends call him, proudly.

The Rp 200 thousands of remuneration is not enough. To earn more money, Odik is working at a telecommunication kiosk in Pandega Mandala, not far from his rented room in Jalan Kaliurang, Yogyakarta.He earns Rp 200 thousands per month from this kiosk. Aside of taking two side jobs, Odik also give tutorial from pupils. He moves here and fro to carry out his entire activities by riding on his bicycle. “With God’s blessing, My GPA is always above 3," said Odik.

His hard work has been paid. He uses some of the money he saves to cover his tuition fee. He enjoys all his works. “Since the fourth semester, my parents did not have to send me money anymore," Odik said. His two siblings are still in Senior and Junior High schools and they need money for their study. Odik have to find his own way to survive.

In other campuses like the Institute Technology of Bandung, there are may creative students who managed to pursue their education without burdening their parents.

A student of civil engineering who wants his name concealed as Arga, for instance, said he took any job as log as it is honest.He prefers to sell his uncle paintings. He established a small gallery in his rented room. Not bad, he can earn between 3 and 10 million from a painting. “This could support the whole family, including paying for tuition fee," said Arga. This semester, Arga have to ask dispensation to delay the payment of his tuition fee. This is the seventh time he asked for the delay of tuition fee payment since he enters the ITB six years ago.

Arga is not alone. There are 1,117 undergraduate students in his campus who ask for tuition fee payment delay. According to Ciptati, Deputy of Students Welfare and Character Building, there are 1268 students of ITB who demanded for tuition fee payment delay, including those from under-graduate, post-graduate  and doctorate programs. "The total amount of arrears reached over Rp2.76 billion,” said Ciptati. All students, in expectation the newly admitted students, are given until December 2006 to pay for their tuition fee.