Student Sponsorship
As Muslims, we are one nation, a big family that takes care of each other and helps one another in whatever blessing Allah has given us.
It is not an accident that the first word of the Quran to be revealed was “Read”.
Right from the start, education, study, and research are all held in high esteem in Islam.
Education is the key to balancing the growth of every person; intellectual, spiritual, and rational growth. Therefore, education in Islam means acquiring divine knowledge.
And the Prophet Mohammad taught us in many hadith texts the importance of seeking knowledge. He said, “whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise”.
In Islam, education is not only a right for everyone to have; it is a duty of every Muslim, male or female. As Mohammad (PBUH) said:
“The seeking of knowledge is an obligation for each and every Muslim”.
Sunan Ibn Majah.
“It’s permitted to pay the zakat to a seeker of knowledge, even for forty years long”.
Al-Imam Bin Aabdeen.
The (Thawab) for those who sponsor others to learn is such a big reward from Allah. As our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said; “whoever guides to good, then for him is the same reward as the one who does it”. Now can you measure the reward for those who are guiding to a good thing like “learning”! Can you imagine what a great Thawab they will receive from Allah for guiding others, who cannot afford to pay education, and paying their expenses to facilitate their way of seeking knowledge?
Sponsorship Programs for Students
There are many factors behind education’s relapse; wars, conflicts, and poverty have been the main factors for it for the past decade.
Sponsorship programs for students mainly have similar programs to give to their students. Many individuals, charities, and organizations hold the responsibility to give full educational support to their students.
Mainly most programs provide the following;
- Building Schools, universities, and student housing.
- Preparing teaching staff.
- Educational materials, including; school bags, school stationery, and uniforms.
- Digital libraries.
- Nutrition and health care.
- Financial support.
It is a need we, as Muslims, need to fulfill. We need to help the young generation seek knowledge instead of drifting towards the path of violence and crime. We need to prepare them to become the nation to lead Islam to a better future. And knowledge is the only key for this approach.
Bonyan contributes through their Sponsorship Programs in providing their help and support to students in need, especially in poor countries and areas of war and conflict, such as; Yemen, Syria, Palestine, and many more.
Scholar Sponsorship
Education of all levels is a basic need for all students. However, sponsoring high school and high education students to receive a full-tuition scholarship, helping these students graduate and move on to a better future of their own, has been the main focus of many sponsors, individuals, and organizations.
Finance Sponsorship for a Student
A finance sponsorship for a student is a monthly-paid sponsorship or a set of payments during a specific period of time given to students to help them finish their studies.
Higher Education and Scholarship
Higher education is limited to postgraduate students, such as; doctorate, master’s, or dissertation students.
Sponsors, whether individuals or organizations, will support and sponsor postgraduate students, by sponsoring full tuition fees, or just a part of it.
Student Sponsoring Objectives
Statistics show that more than 50% of students can’t afford an education. And with the ongoing conflict in many countries around the world these recent years, with millions of displaced refugees around the world, and millions more internally, hardly 20% of the population in the regions of conflict can afford to go on with their education.
Therefore, many organizations, charities, and even individuals took it upon themselves to sponsor students in these regions in particular.
Now, as a Muslim nation, student sponsoring objectives are not only focused on; sharing the blessing of Allah with our less-fortunate brothers and sisters and paving the path of knowledge to all Muslims and non-Muslims as well.
It is our responsibility to help lead those who can’t lead a decent life of their own, to help them live a better life, for they are the generation of tomorrow.
Nevertheless; other important objectives for sponsorship of students are;
- Improving cause awareness.
- Gaining media exposure.
- Extending our reach.
- Driving more donations.
- Lead sponsors.
Even big charities and organizations need to lead on-going lead sponsors and drive more donations and awareness to the cause of the relapse of education taking place nowadays. There is so much to cover, and much more children and teenage students for us to sponsor.
Sponsorship Includes
Things that are included in the sponsorship of students
- Financial support; whether paying all or a portion of a student’s tuition and fees.
- School stationery.
- School uniforms.
- School bags.
- General educational materials.
- Housing fees.
- Nutrition and health care.
Duration of the Scholarship
A student is eligible for the scholarship for a total duration not exceeding 5 years.
Read More
FAQ
What is a Student Sponsor?
A student sponsor is an education provider that can sponsor a student’s tuition, all of it, or part of it, for their years of education.
What is Educational Sponsorship?
It is the act of sponsoring a student for several academic years to help and support them to finish their education by paying their full tuition fees or just a part of it.
What Does a Sponsor Get in Return?
The sponsor gains what he was hoping for when he took on his shoulders to sponsor “a student”; it is the ultimate award and mercy from Allah, the Greatest, Most Merciful. The great award (Thawab) for doing one of the best deeds that Allah loves.
Who Can Sponsor?
As Muslims; sponsorship of students is one of the good deeds that we must do, especially if we have the capacity to do so. As the Prophet Mohammad said; “whoever seeks the path of knowledge, Allah paves his path to Paradise”. Therefore, sponsoring students has a huge Thawab for those who sponsor incapable students to finish their education, whether they are;
– Individuals or families.
– Charities –
Or organizations.
Does sponsoring an orphan count as zakat?
sponsoring an orphan does count as Zakat. This is because sponsoring an orphan is one of the eight categories as set out in the Qur’an under the guidelines for acceptable Zakat beneficiaries.