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Dubai is climbing the charts and becoming one of the most popular destinations for Indian students to study abroad. Courses such as MBA, Hospitality and Tourism, Design and Arts are among the top 5 ones on the list. A most frequently googled question is “How to Study in Dubai for free?” Studying in Dubai for free might sound like an enticing option for many, but in reality, it will not be the kind of “free” that you imagine.

To study in Dubai for free, one needs either of the following three things:

Citizenship of the UAE
Scholarships or grants
Internships

Many universities in UAE provide a full tuition fee waiver if the student is a resident national of the UAE. For non-resident nationals, some scholarships and grants give a partial waiver on the fees. Meanwhile for students who are non-nationals, certain merit-based scholarships, and internships help tremendously in reducing academic fees. Moreover, if one is provided with a licensed and paid internship following the rules of the UAE government, one can earn one’s keep and thus reduce the total expenditure.

Before we move ahead to understanding each of these categories in detail, let us first look at the type of scholarships and their classifications based in the colleges of Dubai.

Types of Scholarships Available:

To study in Dubai, these are the multiple types of scholarships largely classified into:

● Government Scholarship: The UAE government provides the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum scholarship, the LSE Middle East Centre Emirates Masters Scholarship, the Al Qasimi Foundation’s Doctoral Research Grants, etc. There are many others under the Ministry of Education and Dubai Knowledge Foundation.

● Merit-Based Scholarships: Awarded to students based on exceptional academic achievements and standardized test scores, providing partial or full coverage of tuition fees.

● Need-Based Scholarships: Aimed at students with demonstrated financial need, these scholarships support accessibility to education by covering tuition fees and other related costs.

● Sports Scholarships: Granted to talented athletes excelling in sports, allowing them to pursue their academic and athletic goals simultaneously.

● Research Scholarships: Support students interested in research endeavors, providing financial assistance for research projects and advanced studies.

● Cultural Scholarships: Promote cultural exchange by awarding scholarships to students representing diverse nationalities and backgrounds.

● Women in STEM Scholarships: Encourage gender diversity in STEM fields by offering scholarships exclusively for women pursuing STEM degrees.

● Industry Partnerships Scholarships: Collaborating with leading industries, scholarships may include internships or cooperative education programs for practical experience.

● Community Impact Scholarships: Awarded to students with a strong commitment to community service and making a positive societal impact.

● Alumni Scholarships: Exclusively for graduates of partner institutions, fostering a sense of community among international students and alumni.

● University Scholarships: Universities and Institutions in Dubai offer numerous scholarship opportunities, tailored to attract and support international students in their pursuit of academic excellence.

● Government Grants: Government grants in Dubai are typically awarded for specific programs or research initiatives aligned with national priorities. These might be difficult for typical students to access directly.

● External Grants: International organizations or NGOs might offer grants for students in Dubai pursuing studies related to their focus areas. For example, an environmental NGO might offer grants for students studying sustainability.

Financial aid particularly for UAE resident students:

Zayed University provides a monthly stipend and educational devices for students of Emirati mother
University of Birmingham in Dubai provides an Emirati excellence scholarship to outstanding student based on invitation only.
The University of Dubai provides a 100 per cent scholarship to Emirati students under the ICT fund. This applies to those students who wish to study electrical engineering or Information technology at the University of Dubai.

Scholarships for International Students (Applicable to Indian students also):

Zayed University provides Education Devices and financial aid to International students who qualify for their mentioned requirements. Education devices cover up costs of buying a laptop or tablet and so on.
The University of Wollongong in Dubai provides Academic merit scholarships, and sports scholarships for new and continuing students of any nationality, given they fulfil the criteria mentioned by the university.
The Canadian University in Dubai provides multiple scholarships ranging from Academic excellence or merit scholarships to sports scholarships, special needs scholarships, and financial hardship scholarships.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medical Science has programs like the Future Doctor’s program and the Jood scholarship program that award the top-ranking students and students with financial hardships with a tuition fee waiver respectively.

Some other scholarships are based on the universities, scholarships are as follows:

● The University of Dubai offers International student scholarships which are known to be full or partial tuition fee waivers.
● Al Qasimi Foundation’s Doctoral Research Grants by Al Qasimi Foundation, provides full tuition fees, living stipend and research allowance for outstanding international students pursuing PhD research.
● Zayed University Scholarships are restricted to Zayed University students but cover full or partial tuition fees and living stipends (for some programmes)
● Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship granted by the Dubai Government, which covers all tuition fees, living expenses, and health insurance for outstanding academic achievers.
● Several universities that are located in Dubai, including Dubai University, offer merit-based scholarships to international students with outstanding academic records.
● Mohamed Bin Zayed University Scholarship for AI is offered by Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence to exceptional international students pursuing postgraduate studies in Artificial Intelligence. It covers full tuition fees, a monthly stipend, health insurance, and accommodation.
● The bachelor’s academic merit scholarship at the University of Wollongong Dubai covers 15% – 50% of tuition fees each trimester.
● Amity University’s Merit-Based scholarship is an international student Bursary Scholarship known to offer a 20% bursary. It offers a 20% reduction in tuition fees for the whole of the student’s program.

Internships:

Universities in Dubai, also have the provision of part-time work within the University campus, or MOUs with partner companies that allow students to earn money. Although it does not make education free, at least you can earn a small percentage of it.

To sum it all up, merit-based students in terms of academics, sports, or special talent will find it relatively financially less burdening. Internships, assistantships in the university, and part-time jobs as permitted by the type of Visa are other ways to earn money and make it easy to Study in Dubai.

In a recent interview from May of 2024, a senior official of Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, explained how the buoyant job market, the booming business sector, high rates of employability in Multi-National Companies and relatively easy Visa rules and application process makes Dubai one of the prime choice for Indian students to study abroad.

Dubai, is home to around 50 plus universities, out of which multiple are accredited by the Ministry of Education, UAE. Out of the many aspects of these universities, in this blog, we will be addressing the financial factors. The fee structure for every course is different based on the structure and design of the course, as well as the University that hosts it. We will primarily be discussing the scholarships and Financial aid provided by the top universities in Dubai.

Value of UAED and INR

Let us first know the value an Indian rupee holds in the market of the UAE. A Hundred Indian Rupees equals 4.41 UAE Dirhams; conversely, a Hundred UAE Dirhams equals 2270 Indian Rupees. Based on the exchange rates, the value changes, but is still approximately around the above-mentioned value.

Because the value of the UAE Dirham is higher than that of the Indian Rupee, tuition fees, accommodation fees, and other miscellaneous finances might be a little taxing economically. Hence, applying and qualifying for scholarships in Dubai can prove to be a very beneficial and helpful financial aid.

Scholarships

According to the classic definition, a Scholarship is a financial award given to a student to help support their education. Scholarships can be based on academic merit, special academic achievements, athletic achievements (the field of sports activities), the background of the student, special quotas like the military or the minority, and based on financial needs of the student.

In the following paragraphs, the scholarships provided by the Top universities in Dubai, and applicable to Indian students will be explained.

Zayed University

Ranked at the 4th place in UAE, Zayed University has an Undergrad tuition fee of 2500 AED per credit hour. Here are details regarding the fee structure and scholarships.

The fee is not exempted for Indian students.

In case the complete payment cannot be processed in one go, they can be divided into instalments payable in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms of the undergraduate level.

At the graduate level, scholarships are provided for international students who fit in the given criteria.
- The applicant must submit the complete application before the due date and must receive an offer for full admission to Zayed University.
- The scholarship level and value are determined by the student’s academic CGPA. For instance, a student scoring a 3.70 CGPA, will be provided with 25% of the tuition fee as the scholarship.
- The scholarship is withdrawn if the student fails to maintain their CGPA above 3, and if the student is dismissed from the course for any reason.

The Zayed University alumni scholarship is applicable to students passing out of Zayed University and holding a Zayed University Bachelor’s or Masters degree.

ZU also provides a financial compensation award for students selected under the Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Graduate Research Assistantship, and Graduate Administrative Assistantship.

They also provide tuition discounts for students who are sponsored by another entity that is in partnership with ZU and follows the protocol decided upon.

University of Wollongong in Dubai

UOWD has provisions to provide scholarships to qualifying students based on Merit, and athletic excellence. These scholarships cover an aggregate sum of the tuition fees but do not cover the living expenses or the additional study-related costs.

Scholarships provided for bachelor’s degree with integrated freshman-year students are:

The scholarship is limited to the students who fit in the required criteria and is based on early applications for the same. The following scholarship

The value of scholarships for Indian students is as follows:
- Students securing 95% and above in the State boards or CBSE, receive a 50% scholarship on tuition fees, meanwhile, a student pursuing a 3-year bachelor’s degree gets 25% off.
- Students securing between 85 to 95% in the State Board or CBSE examinations, receive a 25% scholarship on tuition fees, meanwhile, a student pursuing a 3-year bachelor’s degree gets 15% off.
- Students securing between 80% to 85% in the State Board or CBSE examinations, receive a 15% scholarship on tuition fees, meanwhile, a student pursuing a 3-year bachelor’s degree gets 10% off.
- To continue the scholarship, one must maintain a certain level of scores, and enroll in a specified number of courses as declared by the University.

Masters’ students are provided with a 15% and 25% scholarship based on the following requirements:
- Acceptance from the University for a full-time course in ZU.
- A minimum of 9/10 GPA in the bachelor course for a 25% scholarship.
- A minimum of 8.5 /10 GPA in the bachelor course for a 15% scholarship.

The Adam Gilchrist sports scholarship is awarded to two students who are professionally representing a team or playing at the state and national level and have had a 65% and above score in their board exams. This is applicable to both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For continuing students, a 15% to 25% scholarship is provided with a requirement of a minimum cumulative Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 75 in their studies, and the completion of a minimum of 36 credit points.

The number of Sports scholarships for continuing students is unlimited in number

The British University in Dubai

Following the University of Wollongong in the list of University rankings, BUiD provides Scholarships for Undergraduate and Graduate level programs.

The scholarships at the undergraduate level are segregated depending on the departments like Law, Computer Science, Business, and Electromechanical Engineering degrees.

For Indian students, merit-based scholarship is provisioned:
- 50% scholarship for high school grades > 98%; required to maintain a GPA around 3.9
- 35% scholarship for high school grades > 90%; required to maintain a GPA around 3.5
- 30% scholarship for high school grades > 80%; required to maintain a GPA around 3.2
- Other scholarships involve a Sibling discount (if one of your siblings is also studying at BUiD, scholarships for people of determination, and for children of BUiD alumni.

Scholarships for the Master’s programs include:
- Discount if there is a first-degree relative studying in the University at the same time.
- Group discount for a minimum of 5 employees from the same company joining at the same time.
- Getting a score of Distinction in your bachelor’s degree.

Amity University Dubai Campus

The scholarships provided by Amity University in Dubai are granted annually after the re-evaluation of merit scores. Indian students can qualify for the International student scholarship.

Manipal Institute of Higher Education Dubai

The MAHE Dubai provides scholarships to Indian students in the following categories:

Merit-based scholarships for students meeting the required criteria in terms of their academic performance. 30% of the tuition fee wavered during the first year of study.

Sports Scholarship for individuals exhibiting athletic excellence. 50% of tuition fee is waivered during the first year of study.

Girl Child Scholarship provides a 100% waiver on tuition fees. This scholarship is provided in partnership with the Embassy of India in UAE.

Alumni Scholarships with a 25% waiver for students of MAHE Dubai pursuing higher studies in the same University.

All of the above-mentioned scholarships are subject to terms and conditions set by the Universities. Read carefully before applying. It is suggested that you opt for tele-consultation, or discuss with the administration staff regarding the scholarship that benefits you the best.

Make sure to visit the websites of these colleges to know more about the last date of application, and apply in due time

Happy learning!