Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) awarded Muhammadiyah scholarship for new students of Medical Faculty. Accepted scholarship applicants were announced by Rector of UMY Dr. Gunawan Budiyanto in an Islamic sermon of Muhammadiyah on Thursday (1/6) at amphitheater of A.R. Fachruddin.
Gunawan stated, “When the awardees graduate, they will be spearheads of Muhammadiyah. Thus, medical faculty of Muhammadiyah-affiliated universities can provide scholarship for the students.” He also told that UMY now possess 23 medical students achieving fully funded university scholarship.
Meanwhile, Head of Student Admissions of UMY Dr. Siti Dyah Handayani, S.E., M.M. mentioned that the scholarship is prospective students living in an orphanage of Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah or studying at an Islamic boarding school of Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah and having a financial issue. UMY has provided the scholarship for seven years. “We only gave the scholarship for three students in the first year, five students in the second year, and six to seven students in the following years. In the seventh year, UMY rewarded the scholarship for eight students comprising of five medical students and three dentistry students,” she mentioned. Indeed, the scholarship are for students from in and out of Java.
Dr. Dyah informed, “Five students gaining the scholarship from Java were announced in the Muhammadiyah sermon, while the other three students from outside Java are still in the selection process.” The three medical students gaining the scholarship were Achmad Ardiyanto from Orphanage of Tunas Melati Situbondo, Laila Lathifah Tasniim from Muhammadiyah Boarding School of Klaten, and Muhammad Luthfi Qolbie from Muhammadiyah Boarding School of Al-Furqon Tasikmalaya, while the two dentistry students were Eni Puji Rahayu from dari Darul Ulum Muhammadiyah Boarding School of Kulon Progo and Rina Suharti from Blind Orphanage of ‘Aisyiyah Ponorogo. She also said that the number of students registering for the scholarship increased. There were about 170 scholarship applicants last year and 231 applicants this year.
Besides, UMY provides other scholarships such as Kader Unggulan Muhammadiyah (KAUM) scholarship for prospective students of any faculty except Medical and Health Science Faculty, Tahfidzul Qur’an scholarship for prospective students of any department except Medical Department and Dentistry Department, Bidikmisi scholarship, Prestasi Unggulan scholarship, and others.
Dr. Dyah asserted that Muhammadiyah’s strengths lie on its education and health. “Muhammadiyah possesses 150 higher education institutions that some of them also have health programs. It is expected that graduates of health programs of Muhamamdiyah higher education institutions can contribute to community,” she expected.
