PTPTN loan or wait and save to pay uni cash, which is smarter?

From my experience, PTPTN is one of the cheapest loans you'll ever get, the administrative charge is low compared to any commercial loan, and repayment only starts after she graduates and earns. Draining your emergency fund to avoid a low-cost student loan is usually the riskier move, because if an emergency hits (medical, job loss) you'll be forced into expensive borrowing. I'd take PTPTN, keep your emergency fund intact, and if you want, use spare cash to help her repay faster later or benefit from any early-settlement discounts PTPTN sometimes offers. Also, good results can qualify for partial or full loan conversion to scholarship, so encourage her grades. Teaching her to manage the loan responsibly is a life skill too. But do check the latest PTPTN terms.

I understand hating debt, but not all debt is bad. PTPTN is low-cost and student-friendly, repayment after graduation, flexible, and sometimes early repayment or top-scorer discounts apply. From experience, keeping your emergency fund is more important than being debt-free on paper, because an empty safety net is dangerous for a family. I'd let her take PTPTN, preserve your savings, and treat any extra cash as a buffer or to reduce the loan later. Also apply for every scholarship and Yayasan grant she's eligible for in parallel, that can shrink or erase the loan. Involve her in understanding the repayment so she owns it. Just read the current PTPTN terms carefully and borrow only what's needed, not the maximum. This way nobody's future is put at risk.