The study outlined in this article aims to describe and explain the cognitive learning strategies used by foreign students in learning the Indonesian language. The research was designed as a qualitative study. The research participants are foreign students who were learning the Indonesian language in the BIPA program. The data sources of the research were students' behaviors that indicated the cognitive strategies they adopted in learning the Indonesian language. Data were collected by interview and observation, and were analyzed by (1) identifying the data, (2) classifying and categorizing the data, (3) interpreting the data, and (4) drawing a conclusion. Findings of the research showed that in learning Indonesian language, BIPA students used various learning strategies. The cognitive learning strategies used by BIPA students in learning Indonesia ranged from applying their understanding of language structures and punctuations to strategies that drew on higher-level thinking processes. BIPA students selected and applied the learning strategies depending on the types of learning tasks they encountered. Apart from that, individual factors and the learning environment were also influential in students' selection of learning strategies.