A cohort of 152 students, beneficiaries of the Cendekia Baznas scholarship from seven universities in Yogyakarta, gathered for guidance, particularly in financial literacy, at the UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences on Thursday (Feb. 22). These scholars hail from UGM, UNY, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, UAD, UII, UNU, and UMY.
Dr. Sindung Tjahyadi, the Director of Student Affairs at UGM, thanked Baznas for supporting education at UGM. This enduring partnership is exemplified through providing scholarships to students since 2018.
Dr. Tjahyadi underscored the vital role of scholarships in bolstering students’ educational journey, including those at UGM. Despite UGM managing scholarships from various sources, spanning governmental to private partnerships, the continued support for scholarships remains paramount. Approximately 30-40 percent of UGM students rely on scholarship aid.
“UGM greatly benefits from the collaborative support of scholarship partners, not only in terms of the financial assistance but also in expanding the reach to more deserving recipients,” he said.
Currently, 21 UGM scholars are beneficiaries of the Cendekia Baznas scholarships. These scholars belong to batch 4, representing the 2022 class, and batch 5 from the 2023 cohort. Each student receives scholarship aid amounting to a maximum of Rp5 million, earmarked for tuition expenses, along with invaluable mentoring.
Rizaludin Kurniawan, the Head of the Baznas Collection Division, elucidated Baznas’ commitment to providing scholarships for students across Indonesia, including the Cendekia Baznas scholarship. In Yogyakarta alone, Baznas disburses this scholarship to approximately 250 students across seven campuses.
“We’ve established MoUs with universities, engaging nearly 131 campuses in facilitating the Cendekia Baznas scholarships,” he disclosed.
Kurniawan noted the surge in student scholarship applications for the Cendekia Baznas program, highlighting the challenge of meeting the growing demand with limited quotas. Looking ahead, he aspires to expand the scholarship offerings to accommodate more deserving students nationwide.
The scholarship funds, derived from zakat, infaq, and sadaqah from the community and corporate contributions, including PT Henan Putihrai Sekuritas, serve as these scholars’ lifelines. Kurniawan also extended appreciation to PT Henan Putihrai Sekuritas for their generous donation of stock alms, bolstering the Cendekia Baznas scholarship initiative.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the patrons of PT Henan Putihrai Sekuritas for their contributions through stock alms via Baznas. Through this collaboration, we aim to encourage more participation from capital market stakeholders in giving alms and zakat,” he conveyed.
Meanwhile, Astri Faizati, the Head of Marketing, Sharia, and Customer Care at HPS, expressed sincere appreciation to Baznas for their joint efforts in raising stock alms through the HPX application to support educational initiatives for the underprivileged.
Faizati emphasized that the transparent dissemination of stock alms to support scholarship programs underscores the company’s commitment to its stakeholders, showcasing that their zakat, infaq, and sadaqah contributions are effectively distributed through Baznas to those in need.
“Baznas and PT Henan Putihrai Sekuritas have been engaged in a fruitful collaboration since 2017 through the stock alms and zakat program. We look forward to nurturing and expanding this collaboration, seeking blessings from Allah SWT,” she affirmed.
Author: Ika