Abu Dhabi University Scholarship 2026–27: Types, Eligibility, Benefits & Application Process

Overview

What is the Abu Dhabi University Scholarship?

The Abu Dhabi University Scholarship is a merit-based financial support programme available at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Unlike universities where a scholarship is a single competitive award, ADU structures its support into seven separate categories, each targeting a different student profile.

A critical point that many applicants miss: for most categories, you do not submit a scholarship application before admission. The process begins after you are formally admitted and issued a student ID. Once your academic records are processed, any scholarships you qualify for appear automatically on your self-service account. You then complete and submit the application online.

*Important: Your admission application quality — including CGPA, transcripts and programme choice — directly determines which scholarships appear on your account. Meeting only minimum admission requirements does not guarantee any scholarship.

Is the ADU Scholarship Fully Funded?

One ADU scholarship is fully funded: the H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Scholarship. It provides a 100% waiver on tuition fees and also covers application, registration, student services and health service fees in full.

However, this award is exclusively available to the top 20 graduates from UAE public secondary schools who join ADU in the fall semester of their graduation year. It is not open to international students, private school graduates, or students joining in later years.

For the majority of students — including all international applicants — ADU scholarships are partial tuition waivers ranging from 15% to 25%. These still represent meaningful savings over a full degree programme, but students must plan finances accordingly. 

All 7 Scholarship Types: Complete Breakdown;

Who Can Apply? Full Eligibility Guide

Documents Required

Most documents are submitted as part of the general ADU admission application. After your student ID is issued, the scholarship application is completed via the self-service system.

 All Applicants

• Valid passport copy
• Passport-size photograph with white background
• UAE residence visa copy (if currently in the UAE)
• Emirates ID copy (if applicable)

Undergraduate Applicants

• Secondary school certificate or equivalent
• Official academic transcripts with grading scale
• English proficiency results (IELTS, TOEFL iBT or EmSAT)
• EmSAT Math, English and Arabic scores (required for H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Scholarship)

Postgraduate Applicants (Master's)

• Bachelor's degree certificate
• Official academic transcripts with CGPA and grading scale clearly shown
• English proficiency results (IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79 minimum for MBA)
• CV or résumé
• Statement of Purpose / personal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• Any credential evaluation or attestation if degree is from outside the UAE

PhD Applicants — Additional

• Master's degree certificate
• Proof of 2 years' full-time work experience (where required by programme)
• Research proposal or research statement

Athletic Scholarship — Additional

Official recommendation letter from ADU Student Affairs Department

Step-by-Step Application Guide

Select your programme

Choose a programme aligned with your academic background and career goals. ADU offers 65+ undergraduate and graduate programmes across five colleges: Arts, Education & Social Sciences; Business; Engineering; Health Sciences; and Law.

Check admission eligibility

Confirm your CGPA, English score and any other programme-specific requirements match the criteria. For the Merit-Based Graduate Scholarship, ensure your undergraduate CGPA is 3.5 or above.

Submit your admission application

Apply through the official ADU portal at adu.ac.ae. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Upload all documents clearly — blurry transcripts or missing grading scales delay processing.

Pay the application fee

The current application fee is listed on the ADU admissions page. Verify the latest amount before applying.

Receive your Student ID

Once ADU processes your application, you receive a unique student ID number used to access the self-service portal.

Log in and check eligible scholarships

Any scholarships you qualify for appear automatically on your account based on your academic records processed during admission.

Complete and submit the scholarship application

Fill in the required fields, upload any additional documents for the specific scholarship, and submit online. For the Athletic Scholarship, include the ADU Student Affairs recommendation letter.

Track your application

Check status via the self-service portal or contact the Scholarships and Financial Aid office: Finaid@adu.ac.ae or +971 2 501 5903.

ADU Scholarship for Indian Students

ADU is one of the most popular destinations for Indian students in the UAE. The university reports that approximately 60% of its student body is international, and a significant share comes from South Asia.

The Merit-Based Graduate Scholarship is the most accessible award for Indian postgraduate applicants: a 25% tuition waiver for students with an undergraduate CGPA of 3.5 or above.

Why Choose Abu Dhabi University?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming all scholarships are open to international students. The H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Scholarship and University Scholarship are not available to international applicants.
• Expecting full funding as an international student. The maximum award for international students is 25% (Merit-Based or Athletic). Plan finances around partial support.
• Ignoring the 3.5 CGPA threshold. Students admitted with a 2.5–3.4 CGPA will not see the Merit-Based Graduate Scholarship on their account.
• Confusing financial aid with scholarships. ADU does not offer financial aid at postgraduate level. The only postgraduate financial support is the merit-based waiver and the alumni waiver.
• Missing the financial aid window. Need-based financial aid at undergraduate level has published application dates on the ADU Academic Calendar. Late applications are not accepted.
• Not converting CGPA before applying. International transcripts on non-4.0 scales must be converted or explained. A percentage-to-CGPA mismatch can cause delays.
• Skipping document attestation. Transcripts from outside the UAE may require multi-step attestation. Late starts on this process delay scholarship activation.
• Choosing the wrong postgraduate waiver. If eligible for both the Merit-Based and Alumni Scholarship, you must choose one and cannot switch later.

Final Checklist Before Submitting

1. Selected programme and confirmed it is open for the target intake
2. Verified latest intake dates on the ADU Academic Calendar at adu.ac.ae
3. Confirmed CGPA meets the threshold for the target scholarship category
4. Completed IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT with required score for chosen programme
5. Collected transcripts with grading scale clearly shown
6. Started document attestation if degree is from outside the UAE
7. Prepared Statement of Purpose / personal statement (postgraduate)
8. Collected two letters of recommendation (postgraduate)
9. Prepared clear scanned copies of passport, visa, Emirates ID
10. Budgeted for the ADU application fee
11. For Athletic Scholarship: obtained recommendation letter from ADU Student Affairs
12. Checked that self-service portal login details are ready for post-admission scholarship activation