The Basic — PPA/PPTI BCA Bachelor’s Degree Scholarship (Part 1)
Hello, my name is Alfian Wijayakusuma, part of PPTI scholarship program in 4th batch. I am a tech and IT security enthusiast. At this chance I will share you about scholarship that I am struggling in, named PPA/PPTI.
Brief history
Knowing that the needs of potential human capital was the matter that many companies struggling with, BCA (Bank Central Asia) as one of biggest and leading banking industry company in Indonesia launched a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program called PPA (Program Pendidikan Akuntansi) in 1996. The PPA itself is program that educate accounting field of study to students. The presence of PPA was to solve human capital needs especially in banking industry. Beside to solve the problem, the initial purpose of PPA was to provide facility or medium for potential Indonesian student who have economy problem to pursue bachelor degree.
Years by years passed by, technology started to dominate the world. Facing the fact that technology is the key of success resulting the needs of potential human capital increase even more especially for information technology sector. To solve the problem, again, BCA launched another a program called PPTI (Program Pendidikan Teknologi Informatika) as CSR program in 2013. PPTI had same initial purposes as PPA, but the field of study that is taught is Information Technology to accommodate needs of IT human capital in banking industry.
Year by year passed as PPA/PPTI creates outstanding generation, the issue and the fact shows that the scholarship program is not only aimed to students who have economy problem (although it is not mentioned in its official site, however we can realize its development).
The Scholarship
PPA/PPTI BCA is a non-title scholarship program. It means graduated students of PPA/PPTI will not get educational degree. “So why this article say that PPA/PPTI is a bachelor degree scholarship program?”. Wait, It is not finished yet! Though the program will not give educational degree to graduated students, PPA/PPTI collaborates with education institutions to provide a way so that graduated students will get the degree from associated university. That is why I call it as a bachelor degree program (note that the BCA itself do not mention it as bachelor degree program, it is just my perspective). The PPA/PPTI program itself will be held in 30 months while students also is registered as students in associated university and supposed to be graduated from university in 4 years (normally). The scope or responsibility of the scholarship is only first 30 months (2,5 years) in 4 years of formal education program. Hence, student will need to pay their tuition fee for the rest 1,5 years or you can get it free (again) by joining further scholarship that will be offered in last period of PPA/PPTI program.
That first 30 months period (scholarship period) will be divided into 6 quarter (1 quarter is equal to 4.5 months). After graduated from scholarship, scholars will have a chance to get offering to be BCA full time worker. Note that it is not an obligation to be full time worker of BCA, instead it is an offering. Scholars then will study in PPA/PPTI program in ‘knockout’ system with minimum 2.75 on 4.0 scale GPA. It means if they could not maintain their GPA, then scholar would be dropped out.
There is several tests to join this precious scholarship. The selection tests are planned, tested, and improved for better selection result. The participants will be filtered on batch. After years, now the tests are consist of 7 layers and if you fail on one of those layer then you are knocked out. These are the test list:
- Administrative test
- Online test
- Psychotest 1
- Psychotest 2
- Interview 1
- Interview 2
- Medical checkup
The cost of the registration is free. You only need to cover your transportation cost to do onsite psychotests, interviews, and medical checkup. If you begin to be curious to know my experience and tips to prepare yourself to pass kind of those tests, you might want to check out my prequel story (coming soon).
BCA Learning Institute (BLI)
As the program is not held by education institution, BCA provides a learning center which is used as place to study/train for all BCA employees including PPA/PPTI scholars. The name is “BCA Learning Institute”, a great place to study. It is located in Sentul, Bogor Regency in Indonesia. BLI also being a workplace for BCA workers from some divisions. Because of trainees, scholars, and workers are put together in same environment, the environment is standardized to become formal.
It is enjoyable experience to be there. BLI consists of 2 main buildings, those are A and B building. The A side is purposed for studying/training process to be held while B side is purposed for workplace. BCA gives best experience for us to study with many facilities it offers and some of them are listed below.
- Library (it has material books for lecturing)
- Computer laboratory
- Shuttle service (from and to some point of interests around Jakarta, Bogor, etc)
- Free lunch and snacks (along two coffee breaks)
- Comfortable class rooms which equipped by carpeted floor, AC, and tools needed for presentation
- Energizing room which filled with fitness and game tools for people to refresh themselves
- Sport court for basketball and football
- Ping pong table
- Discussion room for people to chit chat and eat their snacks when coffee break
And other facilities which I can not write it down here, will make you comfortable and effective to study.
The location which BLI is located is far from crowded city causing the BLI has comfortable environment. Green trees is coloring the BLI environment and make air fresher. Many trainees and students walking to BLI from boarding house and accompanied by morning view and air. Simple, but it is just situation which (maybe) many people need and want while crowded city full of pollution rather than fresh air and green nature view.
PPA/PPTI Partner and Curriculum
With the intention of delivering best education experience to scholars, PPA/PPTI collaborates with qualified university. Then they created and maintain a curriculum that is specially designed for PPA/PPTI program. The curriculum is designed so that first 2.5 years of education program will be held onsite in BLI and rest of 1.5 years will be held via online. Thus the curriculum is made by placing all core subjects for associated major in early quarters so that scholars can continue rest of 1.5 year education process via online and working in BCA (if scholar accept the offering).
Summary of PPA/PPTI Benefits
Summary of PPA/PPTI program benefits are listed below.
- Intensive lecturing curriculum
- Great quality of lecturers from qualified universities
- Learning additional banking materials
- Facilities it provides in BLI (as I mention before)
- Pocket money
- Facilities on lecturing (laptop for PPTI and calculator for PPA scholars, etc)
- Great culture (will be shared in coming soon story)
- Chance for getting job offering to be full time worker in BCA after graduated from PPA/PPTI
- Chance for getting further or next scholarship in BCA after PPA/PPTI program
Who is recommended to join PPA/PPTI
Every student who almost or just graduated from SHS or Vocational School and searching for place to study intensively, then this program is for you. Facilities, human capital, and its special education curriculum will support you for your great education experience.
How and When to Register PPA/PPTI
First of all, you need to check its requirements (PPTI link / PPA link) and availability for registration in here. PPA/PPTI program opens registration every year and it is available start from you who are in 3rd class of SHS/Vocational School. If you are eligible to register then follow one of this link below for registration form and fill all needed information.
Wait for registration confirmation and test schedule.
You have read the basic or introduction of PPA/PPTI. It may be not the best scholarship program, but I am sure it is one of the best. If you are searching for scholarship or just inspired to be part of us by reading this article, then you might want to see my next story about Life of PPA/PPTI (coming soon).
