Targeted Aid, Real Impact: UniMAP Supports Bottom-Income Students Through SULUNG & Zakat

JHEP advances SDG 1 (No Poverty), Indicator 1.3.4

Arau, Perlis — The Student Affairs Department (JHEP) of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) is strengthening social mobility by delivering targeted financial support to students from the lowest-income households. In 2024, the flagship SULUNG programme—a financial-aid scheme for first-generation students—supported 140 students across three cohorts: SULUNG 1.0 (8 students), SULUNG 2.0 (32), and SULUNG 3.0 (100) (HEPA Annual Report 2024, p. 33).

Alongside SULUNG, JHEP channelled zakat disbursements to 1,100 students, including RM500 per recipient via Tabung Haji, to help cover essential living and study costs (p. 31). Together, these measures reduce immediate financial stressors and sustain academic continuity for the most vulnerable student groups.

Why This Matters for SDG 1.3.4

What we support: SDG 1 — No Poverty, Indicator 1.3.4 (Bottom financial quintile student support).
How we support it:

• SULUNG directly targets first-generation learners—often from bottom-income households—lowering financial barriers and improving the likelihood of persistence to graduation.
• Zakat assistance provides an additional safety net that stabilises day-to-day needs, reducing dropout risk linked to financial hardship.

Together, these targeted interventions directly advance SDG 1.3.4 by ensuring students in the bottom income quintiles can remain enrolled and complete their degrees.

2024 At-a-Glance

• SULUNG beneficiaries: 140 (1.0: 8 • 2.0: 32 • 3.0: 100) (p. 33)
• Zakat aid: 1,100 students supported • RM500 per recipient from Tabung Haji (p. 31)

Source: HEPA Annual Report 2024