United Arab Emirates Government Scholarship Programs

The United States remains the top destination for Emirati students who study abroad. UAE students are eligible for 10 different full scholarships to study in the United States, some of which are specific to a particular emirate. Benefits differ depending on the UAE government entity awarding the scholarship. UAE students on scholarship must attend universities and study majors approved by the scholarship-granting institution. The UAE Ministry of Education, for example, approves the top 200 universities in the world as ranked by Quacquarrelli Symonds (QS) (50 of these are U.S. universities). To qualify for a scholarship, students must be admitted into one of those universities as well as have English- language proficiency and a high GPA in Grade 12. Similarly, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEK) restricts its scholarships to a list of 150 schools, based on a variety of academic rankings including QS, Times Higher Education, and US News. The approved majors are determined by projected UAE job market needs and tend to favor STEM fields. Institutions interested in getting on the UAE sponsored list can contact the Ministry of Education in Abu Dhabi to obtain and submit the “Recommendation Standards for Educational Institutions and Programs” form. The form can be submitted to Deputy Director of Equivalence Certificates, Equivalency Certificates Department, Ms. Hanan Abdula Mohamed, hanan.abdula@moe.gov.ae Tel: +971-2-695-1440 or Ms. Mouza Al Ali atmouza.alali@moe.gov.ae Tel: +971-2-695-1264