EduAsiaNews, Yogyakarta – Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) officially sent off participants of the Mudik Bareng UMY 2026 program on Saturday (7/3). A total of 335 students were dispatched to various regions across Indonesia after completing a registration and selection process that attracted 675 applicants.
The send-off ceremony took place at the Sportorium UMY concourse and was attended by university leaders, program partners, and participating students. Since early morning, participants had already gathered to prepare for departure, loading their luggage onto buses provided by the organizing committee.
In her remarks, Dyah Mutiarin, Vice Rector for Resources at UMY, stated that the free homecoming program reflects the university’s concern for students who live far from home, enabling them to return to their hometowns safely and comfortably ahead of Eid al-Fitr.
“This program is a form of the university’s concern for students living away from their hometowns. We hope this joint homecoming initiative can continue to be held every year so that more students can benefit from it,” she said.
She also reminded students to maintain their health during the journey and to make the most of the Eid holiday to spend time with their families.
“Before departing, don’t forget to pray. Hopefully all of you will arrive safely in your hometowns and reunite with your beloved families,” she added.
The homecoming program was organized by UMY with support and partnership from BMT UMY, as well as transportation cooperation with Big Bird, which provided the bus fleet for the participants.
The travel routes covered several destinations across Indonesia, including Brebes, Purwokerto, Pemalang, Blora, Cimahi, Surabaya, Subang, Bekasi, Cilegon, Jakarta, Lampung, and Palembang, involving nine buses and four HiAce vehicles.
Students Greatly Benefited
One of the participants, Rifqi Alvian, a 2022 Communication Studies student from Metro, Lampung, expressed that the program was extremely helpful.
“As a student living away from home, receiving a facility to return home for free is truly an extraordinary privilege,” he said.
According to Rifqi, traveling from Yogyakarta to Lampung usually requires significant expenses when using public transportation. Therefore, the free homecoming facility provided by the university is very beneficial for students like him.
“Usually, if we take public transportation, the ticket prices are quite expensive. Now, because UMY provides a free homecoming program, it saves a lot. The budget to go home can be zero rupiah,” he explained.
Through the Mudik Bareng UMY 2026 program, the university hopes that students will be able to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with their families in their hometowns and return to Yogyakarta with renewed spirit to continue their studies. (ZA)
