19 June 2025
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Present at the meeting was the Deputy Chairman II of Baznas North Sumatra, Dr. H. Sultoni Trikusuma, M.A., along with his team, who presented various educational scholarship schemes already running at Baznas partner campuses, including the State Islamic University of North Sumatra (UINSU). These programs include the Dhuafa Student Scholarship and Zakat Collection Unit (UPZ) Kafalah Assistance, which have provided educational aid to hundreds of active students.
"Through income zakat collected from civil servants and the academic community, we can help students facing financial difficulties with their education. This is not just a form of charity, but also a strategy to advance student achievement," stated Dr. Sultoni.
USU welcomes this initiative and hopes to introduce a similar program, adjusted to the campus's needs. Professor Poppy emphasized that the potential for this collaboration aligns well with the spirit of the higher education Tridharma and the principle of social justice in education.
"We fully support the integration of a zakat collection system, potentially through the payroll mechanism for lecturers and education staff. With a clear and transparent mechanism, we are confident this program can help many USU students in need," said Professor Poppy.
Discussions also included input from faculty and unit representatives, such as the Faculty of Medicine, FISIP, FEB, and the Finance Bureau, who highlighted the importance of aligning the program with practical needs and the necessity of administrative coordination for future technical implementation. The collection of zakat will also be carried out by creating a statement of willingness for lecturers and education staff who are willing to contribute this zakat mal.
As a follow-up, USU plans to formulate a cooperation scheme and design a scholarship distribution mechanism to ensure it reaches the right targets. Internal socialization to the academic community regarding the benefits and process of zakat collection will also be carried out so that this collaboration can run optimally.
Through this collaboration, USU and Baznas North Sumatra hope to broaden access to inclusive higher education and offer a concrete solution to the challenges of education financing, particularly for students from lower-to-middle-income backgrounds.
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