Zakat and BAZNAS-Funded Scholarships for Indonesian University Students

Zakat as a funding source you can apply to directly

Zakat, the mandatory Islamic almsgiving that Muslim Indonesians pay each year, funds an active scholarship system for university students, not just charity for basic needs. BAZNAS (Badan Amil Zakat Nasional), the national zakat management body, and licensed lembaga amil zakat (LAZ) such as Dompet Dhuafa and Rumah Zakat run structured, competitive scholarships that Indonesian S1 and D4 students can apply to directly, separate from LPDP, KIP Kuliah or corporate scholarships.

Beasiswa Cendekia BAZNAS

Beasiswa Cendekia BAZNAS (BCB) Dalam Negeri is BAZNAS's main higher education scholarship, open to S1/D4 students studying at one of 133 partner campuses across Indonesia. For the 2025 cycle, registration ran from 4 to 17 August 2025 through baznas.go.id .

• You must be in semester 5 of a regular S1 or D4 program, shown through your semester 5 KRS or semester 4 KHS

• STEM majors are prioritized, though other fields can apply

• Minimum GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale

• You need to fit one of three special categories: Prestasi (national or international achievement), Aktivis (at least 2 years active in student or community organizations), or Disabilitas

BCB pays tuition subsidy and a living allowance across 4 semesters, from semester 5 through graduation, and since 2018 has supported more than 6,000 students to finish their degrees, according to program details published by partner university offices including Universitas Brawijaya's student affairs office .

Beasiswa Zakat Indonesia

Beasiswa Zakat Indonesia is a joint program run by the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance together with BAZNAS and national LAZ including Dompet Dhuafa Republika and Rumah Zakat Indonesia. It targets S1 students in the odd semester of the 2025/2026 academic year at PTKIN and partner PTN campuses. Registration for the 2025 intake ran from 27 June to 11 July 2025 through Kemenag's shared scholarship portal , the same login system PBSB and other Kemenag-linked scholarships use.

Scholarships from individual LAZ organizations

Dompet Dhuafa runs Beasiswa Etos ID, one of its longest-standing programs, aimed at high-achieving students from underprivileged families and paired with leadership and character development coaching alongside tuition support. Rumah Zakat runs its own scholarship lines spanning primary school through university level, often tied to specific fields of study or the regions where Rumah Zakat has active community programs. Both organizations publish current openings on their own websites rather than through a shared national calendar, so check dompetdhuafa.org and Rumah Zakat's site directly for the cycle you plan to apply in.

Who these scholarships are for

Zakat-funded scholarships weigh financial need more heavily than most government or corporate scholarships, since zakat by Islamic rule must reach recipients who qualify as asnaf (eligible categories, including those in genuine financial hardship). If your family income falls below the threshold a program sets, or you come from a low-income household without other funding options, these scholarships often fit better than merit-only programs where competition concentrates among top-scoring applicants regardless of need.

How to apply without missing a cycle

Confirm your campus is a BAZNAS or Beasiswa Zakat Indonesia partner before preparing documents, since both programs run only at listed partner institutions rather than accepting applications from any Indonesian university. Prepare your KRS or KHS, GPA transcript, and any organizational or achievement certificates ahead of the registration window, since both programs run short 2 to 3 week application periods rather than staying open year-round.