Smart Indonesia Program Scholarship for Madrasah Students

Jakarta, MINA – The 2024 Smart Indonesia Program (PIP) scholarships for madrasah students will be available soon. The PIP scholarship is intended for madrasah students at primary and secondary education levels.

This was confirmed by the Director General of Islamic Education M Ali Ramdhani in the Technical Coordination Meeting Preparing for the Distribution of the 2024 PIP Budget online via zoom meeting on Tuesday.

Director of KSKK Madrasah, M. Sidik Sisdiyanto, revealed that his party had prepared a budget for PIP Madrasah amounting to IDR 1,3 trillion.

Sidik said this amount consisted of IDR 422 billion for Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) students, IDR 558 billion for Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) students, and IDR 320 billion for Madrasah Aliyah (MA) students.

He explained that the budget would be disbursed in two stages. The first phase will be disbursed in the second week of February 2024, amounting to IDR 900 billion.

No less than 1,000 participants joined this online meeting. The coordination meeting was also broadcast via the Islamic Education YouTube Channel. Present were the Director General of Islamic Education, M. Ali Ramdhani, Director of Curriculum, Facilities, Institutions and Student Affairs (KSKK) Madrasah, M. Sidik Sisdiyanto and also Head of Sub-Directorate for Student Affairs, Imam Bukhari.

M Ali Ramdhani emphasized that PIP is a form of government attention to underprivileged communities so that they remain in school.

“Madrasah students must aspire as high as possible. Don’t let economic limitations or other limitations limit their dreams. Cultivate continued enthusiasm for studying and learning. Don’t worry about costs. “The Indonesian government has facilitated all of you,” said Kang Dhani, M. Ali Ramdhani’s nickname, providing motivation to the Zoom participants.

“Don’t let students not be able to continue their quality undergraduate education just because of economic limitations. “The government provides scholarships for Indonesian children, one of which is through the Ministry of Religion,” he continued.

“Thank God, this year, for the first time, the nominal PIP Madrasah has increased at the Madrasah Aliyah level, which was originally only 1 million per student, now it is 1.8 million per student. “We really understand that even though this budget is large, it is not yet able to reach all students who meet the criteria for PIP recipients,” explained M. Sidik Sisdiyanto.

“The Ministry of Religion will continue to coordinate with other ministries/institutions regarding additional budgets so that it can accommodate all madrasah students who have met the requirements as regulated in the applicable regulations,” he continued.

For the PIP distribution process, the Regional Office of the Provincial Ministry of Religion, the Regency/City Ministry of Religion, and the Madrasah Education Unit are asked to coordinate with the Distributing Bank. Synergy aims to provide assistance and also easy and efficient access to all students regarding the disbursement of the PIP budget. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)