Efforts to make Universitas Negeri Gorontalo (UNG) excellent and competitive are the big vision of the Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. Eduart Wolok, S.T., M.T. since his first term of 2019-2023. During this period, UNG's institutional system keeps on improving to build the institution's reputation. An increase in the number of SINTA-accredited scientific journals, lecturer publications, lecturers with doctoral qualifications and professors, improvement of governance, public services, student achievement, and encouragement of excellent accreditation of study programs have made UNG included as one of the Public Service Agency (PTN-BLU) State University candidates to transform into a State Higher Education Institution of Incorporated Legal Entity (PTN-BH).

UNG was included as the 2nd candidate out of ten PTNs that were encouraged to become PTN-BH by the Institutional Directorate, Directorate General of Higher Education (Ditjen Dikti) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemdikbudristek). The assessment includes three components 1) Tridharma; 2) Institutional (governance); and 3) Finance. The results of Institutional Directorate assessment led to UNG being invited to seminar regarding the transformation of PTN into PTN-BH entitled “Roadmap for the Transformation of PTN-BLU in Eastern Indonesia towards an Excellent and World-Scale PTN-BH”. In this case, UNG was immediately included by the Institutional Directorate of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture to become one of the PTN BLU which was encouraged to become a PTN-BH.

The legal basis for the emergence of PTN-BH is Law No. 12 of 2012 concerning Higher Education which elucidates that PTN-BH is a concept for administering higher education with broader autonomy. Also, it is in accordance with Government Regulation No. 58 of 2013 concerning the Form and Mechanism of Funding for State Higher Education Institution of Incorporated Legal Entity and the technical regulations below, namely Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 88 of 2014 concerning the Change of State Universities to State Higher Education Institution of Incorporated Legal Entity which also explains that PTN-BH is a State Universities established by the Government with status as autonomous legal subject. The benefits of being a PTN-BH include:

1. More independent in managing internal institutions where internal campus policies can be formed internally without government intervention through the Ministry of Education and Culture. Thus, the internal policy making mechanism is easier, independent and faster in institutional development;

2. A university with PTN-BH status is given broader autonomy rights and freedom to develop. For example, it is easier to open a new study program without having to apply to the Directorate General of Higher Education. In terms of financial management, broad autonomy gives greater space and flexibility compared to PTNs with BLU status. This convenience can encourage PTN growth to be faster;

3. PTN-BH creates space to be more creative in finding funding sources by optimizing the use of assets owned, both from HR and non-HR aspects so that funding does not depend on the government budget and student tuition fees;

4. Independence as a PTN-BH encourages increased collaboration with external parties such as industry, government and other institutions without having to wait for the decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture;

5. PTN-BH universities are given the authority to manage human resources encompassing lecturers and education staff independently.

The independence and autonomy of universities with PTN-BH status does not necessarily mean that PTNs are arbitrary in setting tuition fees. In fact, before having PTN-BH status, UNG does not adjust the tuition fees in the last 11 years regardless  its once-in-three-year increase policy. This condition is applied due to UNG's sensitivity to the economic conditions of students' parents/guardians. Even since the Covid-19 pandemic until now, UNG continues to provide relief to students in paying tuition fees, either by reducing or paying in installments. Not to mention that UNG is one of the PTNs that provides KIP-K (Indonesia Smart College Card) to 41% of new students from low-income families, making UNG the PTN with the most KIP-K. All of these policies are based on UNG's commitment as a community campus. So changin to PTN-BH would not lead to an increase in tuition fees.

To ensure that UNG can transform into PTN-BH, in 2023 the Director General of Higher Education Prof. Nizam, M.Sc., DIC, Ph.D immediately gave a presentation to the UNG academic community through an FGD. According to Prof. Nizam "The results of the PTN-BH indicator assessment performed by the Ministry of Education and Culture on UNG denote the feasibility of UNG to develop and transform into PTN-BH. It also confirms that it is the right time for UNG to go further and jump higher by changing its status from PTN-BLU to PTN-BH. This change will further encourage international class universities. Apart from that, in mid-2023, UNG was visited by the Secretary of the Director General of Higher Education, Prof. Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie who strengthened UNG's transformation into PTN-BH. Following up on the results of the assessment by the Institutional Directorate of the Directorate General of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education and Culture sent a team from the Inspectorate General in November 2023 to carry out a field assessment that assessed three indicators, namely quality implementation of the Tridharma, PTN organizational management based on good governance principles, and financial feasibility. As a result, UNG obtained a score of 320 points from a range of 0-400, where it exceeds 300 points, the minimum PTN points to become PTN-BH. So, the points indicated UNG’s readiness to becoming a PTN-BH. Therefore, on January 29, 2024, UNG was invited to present its readiness before 27 PTN-BH verifiers appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The presentation was directly represented by UNG Rector Prof. Dr. Ir.E duart Wolok, S.T., M.Sc. and currently UNG is waiting for the verification results.

Previously, UNG had transformed from Work Unit (Satker) status to PTN-BLU in 2013. This transformation has made a big leap for UNG which not only increased the number of students, the number of study programs with excellent accreditation or institutions with excellent accreditation, but also the emergence of scientific journals indexed by Scopus and journals accredited by the Ministry of Education and Culture (SINTA). Since the change in status to PTN-BLU, UNG has implemented a remuneration system to improve the welfare of lecturers and education staff. Remuneration is an incentive for lecturers and education staff for their performance, the payment of which is made after a performance assessment is carried out each semester. Remuneration payments adjust to UNG's budget capabilities. Therefore, changing status to PTN-BH opens up greater opportunities to improve the welfare of the UNG academic community, due to the calculation of the remuneration budget is a maximum of 40% of UNG's PNBP (Non-Tax State Income) income each year. This means that a greater UNG's income will lead to a greater amount of remuneration provided.