Answered by Sidi Suheil Laher
Asalam Alaikum,
I am currently a full time university student and do not work. However because of the course that I am studying my tution fees are paid for by the government, and I also receive a bursary (caculated using my parents income). I wanted to know whether I have to pay Zakah on the bursary that I receive, which is for books, travel expenses etc.
wa`alaykum as-salam
If you are spending all the bursary money, then there is no zakat due on it. However, if you are saving more than the nisab (or similarly if what you save from it, combined with any other personal savings and investments you have exceeds the nisab, then zakat is due once you have been in this state for one lunar year. Please check other answers and resources on sunnipath.com for further details about how to compute zakat.
w’Allahu a`lam
-sl