Assalaam-o-Aleikum   

Dear UET Lahore Alumni and Friends,  

I am reaching out to you for the fourth year in a row to inform you that UET Lahore has been going through the serious financial crisis and request you to help support the needy students at the university by contributing to UET Zakat Fund. A number of you have donated generously in the past for which my administration and I remain grateful to you. Through this message, I request you again to kindly continue to support the cause of supporting the financially stressed students at the university.   

First, let me give you a brief on the contributions made to the UET Zakat Fund during the 2021-22 campaign and compare them with that of 2020-21. Some statistics on the contributions and expenditure of the collected funds as well as the process followed to identify needy students are given below.   

• Time period: 3-Apr-22 to 20-Mar-23  
• Total transactions: 219  
• Funds collected: Rs 27.477 Million compared to Rs 23.831 Million in 2021-22 (15.3% increase)  
• Smallest contribution: Rs 1  
• Largest contribution: Rs 6.49 Million (by the same UET alum in Pakistan who contributed Rs 4.032 Million each of the previous two years.)  
• Other significant contributions: 3.330 million, 3.014 million (I-Care), 2.6 million, 1.304 Million, 1.092 Million, 0.758 Million, 0.7 Million, 0.6 Million, 0.565 Million  

These funds were used to pay up to 50% and 100% tuition fees of 1202 students, compared to 1109 last year, including 17% orphans and 30% female. The need assessment of these students was carried out by academic departments based on a student’s family income, residence (owned, rented, covered area, rent, etc.), amount of monthly utility bills, etc. The lists provided by the academic departments were pruned by a university-wide committee under the office of the Director of Financial Aid and Career Services for final interviews of applicants and tuition-fee concession decisions.  

Here is the university's policy for the disbursement of financial aid to its needy students:  

• Need-based financial aid is meant only for undergraduate students.   
• A deserving orphan student receives up to 100% tuition fee concession.  
• A deserving non-orphan receives up to 50% tuition fee concession.  

There are several sources of financial aid for needy students at the UET, but primary sources are the federal government’s Ehsaas Program, HEC need-based scholarships, and need-based financial aid through the university’s own funds. The number of HEC need-based scholarships continues to decrease and funds for the Ehsaas program have been cut by over 80%. Thus, the university has to rely on private donations and its own sources to ensure that no student leaves UET due to financial hardship. The tuition fee for 2023-24 is Rs 100,337 per year; other dues are in addition to this amount. Kindly donate generously. 

Here are the details of the UET Zakat Fund account:  

Thanks to the help and guidance of Mr. Anwar Khan, a 75-Electrical alumnus, UET registered with I-care Foundation as a non-profit entity in 2021. Residents of the USA can make tax-deductible contributions to UET Zakat Fund through I-Care, which charges a 5% fee for such contributions. You can make donations through I-Care by using the following URL/link:  

https://i-care-foundation.org/charity/uet/

UET - i-Care Foundation The institution started its career in 1921 as the ‘Mughalpura Technical College ’. Later it became the ‘Maclagan Engineering College’, a name given to it in 1923 when Sir Edwards Maclagan, the then Governor of the Punjab who laid the foundation stone of the main building, now called the Main Block, which still retains its majesty despite the wear and tear of over eight decades. At that stage the institution offered courses of study in only two disciplines; Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Vision To generate knowledge for global competitive advantage and become a leading world class research University. Mission To play a leading role as a University of Engineering and Technology in teaching, research, innovation and commercialization that is internationally relevant and has a direct bearing on national industrial, technological and socio-economic development. Core Values For the accomplishment of its mission the University is guided by the following core values:- Recognize and reward i-care-foundation.org

Those of you who work for organizations that match your donations, kindly seek matching donations through them.  

Thank you for spending the time to read this message. I request you again to donate generously to UET Zakat Fund and help raise funds for the financially challenged students at the university whose number continues to rise considerably post-COVID-19, post-2022 floods, and serious financial crises that have gripped the country with weekly, short-term, inflation standing at historic high 46.65% for the week ending March 22 (an increase of 1.8% for the current week). Please share this message with friends and relations who may like to donate to the noble cause. Remember, based on the data for the last three years, your support is on track to help graduate over 1100 needy students and, potentially, bring their families and future generations out of financial stress.   

This year, members of UET Alumni of Canada (UETAC), in addition to donating Rs 2.0 million to UET Zakat Fund, also contributed Rs 2.015 million for merit scholarships. These funds were disbursed to 38 final-year high achievers based on their CGPAs at the end of the 6th semester. Whereas they comprise only 24% of the student body, 19 (50%) of the recipients were female students. 

I remain grateful to you for what you do for the needy students at the UET. May Allah SWT enhance your Rizq and grant you hasanah here and in the Hereafter.   

Once again, Ramadan Kareem Mubarak.