MAHE Manipal Dubai Scholarship: A Complete Guide for International Students in 2026

Overview

Key Takeaways

• Indian students scoring above 95% in CBSE or ISC are eligible for the highest UG merit waiver of 30%, saving up to AED 17,325 per year on a BTech programme, or AED 69,300 over four years.
• The 100% tuition waiver under the Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan is the single largest scholarship at MAHE Dubai, offered in partnership with the Indian Consulate in Dubai exclusively for eligible female students.
• Scholarships cover tuition only. A student living on campus and commuting within Dubai Sector 2 will spend an additional AED 43,000 to AED 50,000 per year in non-tuition costs including visa, hostel, and transport.
• Applicants must maintain a minimum 7 CGPA with no backlogs every year to keep the scholarship. Falling below this threshold in any single academic year means the scholarship will not be renewed for the next.
• The only confirmed stackable combination is the Alumni Scholarship (25%) with merit. For all other combinations, including Sports and Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan, no stacking policy is confirmed yet. 
• There is no separate scholarship application form. Scholarship is determined entirely by the academic credentials submitted during the standard admissions process.

Introduction: What the AED 25 Million Initiative Means for You

Yes, and the scale of it matters. On 28 April 2026, marking its 25th year in the UAE, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai announced a dedicated AED 25 million (~INR 56.7 crore) scholarship initiative to expand access to quality higher education. The initiative spans 50+ programmes across Engineering, IT, Business, Design, Architecture, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Media, and Psychology.

This is not a token discount. It is a structured, multi-category scholarship framework built into the university's admissions process for the 2026-2027 academic year. One critical point students need to understand before applying: there is no separate scholarship application. The scholarship is determined by the academic credentials you submit during the admissions process itself. Your scores are your application.

Manipal University Dubai Courses: What You Can Study

The MAHE scholarship is applicable across all Manipal University Dubai courses offered under the university's six academic schools. Programmes span seven broad discipline clusters:

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai Scholarships: Every Category Explained

MAHE scholarship offerings cover both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Merit-Based Scholarship for Postgraduate Programmes:

MBA Scholarships:

Sports Scholarship:

Students who have played for national or state teams are eligible for a tuition waiver ranging from 5% to 50% for the first year. Awards are made on the recommendation of the Sports Committee following a personal interview and document evaluation. Students who have represented national or state teams have to follow this process to see if they are eligible for the tuition waiver.

Alumni Scholarship:

Students who completed their undergraduate degree at MAHE Dubai are eligible to get a 25% waiver on the full programme fee, applied on top of any merit scholarship they qualify for. This discount is added to any merit scholarship they qualify for, making it the only confirmed stackable combination in their official published scholarship framework.

Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan (Girl Child Scholarship):

At MAHE Dubai, by working with the Indian Consulate, in Dubai,  The Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan is doing something great to give a 100 percent tuition waiver to women. This is to help women get the education and skills they need. The goal of the Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan is to empower women through education and skill development. This is the single largest scholarship available at MAHE Dubai and is stated directly on the official scholarship page.

The official page does not publish detailed eligibility criteria for this scheme beyond the partnership with the Indian Consulate in Dubai and its purpose. Indian female applicants are advised to contact the MAHE Dubai admissions team at admissions@manipaldubai.com or on +971 4 4290 888 well in advance of applying to confirm current eligibility requirements.

Al Da'em Scholarship Programme:

The Al Da'em Scholarship Programme is about helping students who really deserve it to go to college. This is made possible by people who care, like alumni, companies and individuals who want to support students who are doing a job with their studies. No fixed percentage or score threshold is published for this category.

Eligibility is assessed on an individual basis. 

Scholarship Stacking Rules: What Can and Cannot Be Combined

This is the question every parent asks first, and the answer needs to be precise.

The official MAHE Dubai scholarship page explicitly states that the Alumni Scholarship (25% off the full programme fee) can be combined with any applicable merit scholarship. This is the only confirmed stackable combination published on the official page.

For all other combinations, including whether the Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan 100% waiver can combine with merit, whether the Sports Scholarship can stack, or whether there is an overall cap on combined waivers, the official scholarship page does not publish a stacking policy or a cap. Before making any financial assumptions about combined scholarship value, contact the MAHE Dubai admissions office directly to confirm what combinations are permitted for your specific profile and programme.

Scholarship Continuation Conditions: What You Must Maintain Year on Year

Receiving a scholarship in the first year does not guarantee it continues automatically. The following four conditions apply to all scholarship categories for continuation in subsequent years, as published on the official scholarship page:

• The student must have scored a minimum of 7 CGPA in the previous academic year.
• The student must not carry any academic backlog from the previous year.
• The student must not have been penalised for any disciplinary incident under university policy.
• The student must not fall under the academic or financial dropout category as defined by university policy.

Two additional conditions apply based on programme type. For all one-year programmes, the scholarship applies as a tuition fee waiver for the first year only. For PG programmes, there is no extended scholarship as the waiver is applied to the full programme fee at the point of admission.

Manipal University Dubai Fees and Total Programme Cost

Understanding the real value of the MAHE Dubai scholarship means looking beyond the annual fee to the total cost over the full programme duration. All tuition figures below are inclusive of 5% UAE VAT and are applicable to the September 2026 intake batch.

INR conversions use an indicative rate of 1 AED = INR 22.7, which is illustrative only as of June 2026. Exchange rates fluctuate and should be verified at the time of payment.

Total Programme Cost: Undergraduate Programmes (Pre-Aid and Net of Maximum Merit Scholarship)

Maximum merit waiver assumes CBSE/ISC above 95% (30% slab). Students in lower slabs should recalculate using their applicable percentage.

Total Programme Cost: Postgraduate Programmes (Pre-Aid and Net of Scholarship)

Additional Costs to Budget For

Education Loans and Financing Options

Most Indian families funding a UAE degree are financing at least part of it, and it is worth acknowledging this directly rather than treating the scholarship as the only financial lever available.

Several Indian nationalised banks and private sector banks offer education loans for international degree programmes at recognised overseas universities. MAHE Dubai's CAA accreditation and MoE licensing generally support loan eligibility at Indian banks, though individual banks set their own criteria and approval is subject to assessment of the applicant's academic profile, the programme, and collateral if required.

Some UAE-based banks also offer personal or education financing products that resident families in the UAE can explore. The UAE Central Bank regulates consumer lending, and any financing product should be reviewed against the total cost of attendance, including tuition net of scholarship, visa fees, accommodation, and living costs, so you are borrowing an amount that reflects the actual financial gap rather than the gross tuition figure.

Study From UAE recommends speaking with your bank directly about international education loan options applicable to your situation. We do not recommend or endorse any specific lender.

Documents You Will Need to Apply

1. Gathering your documents early is one of the most effective idea as it helps you avoid delays 
2. All applicants need to provide some documents:
• A completed online application formA valid passport copy
• Passport-sized photograph
• Previous academic transcripts and certificates
• Proof of English language proficiency if this is required for you
3. UG applicants additionally require Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets (CBSE/ISC students: aggregate percentage across subjects), A Level or O Level certificates for international board students, and provisional or predicted grades if final results are not yet available.
4. PG and MBA applicants would need UG degree certificate and complete transcripts, work experience letters or certificates if applying under the 3-plus-years experience slab, and a Statement of Purpose if required by the chosen programme.
5. Sports Scholarship applicants additionally require certificates confirming national or state team representation, and supporting documentation for the Sports Committee evaluation. 

Note: Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan applicants should contact the admissions team directly to confirm the documentation required, as this scholarship is administered in coordination with the Indian Consulate in Dubai and specific eligibility criteria are not published on the official page.

How to Apply: Step by Step

The MAHE Dubai scholarship application is embedded within the standard admissions process. There is no standalone scholarship form.

Step 1: Review the scholarship categories on manipaldubai.com/apply-for-scholarship and confirm your eligibility referring to the elimination criteria based on your board, score, and profile details. 

Step 2: Fill in the online admissions application and submit all required documents, including provisional grades if final results are not yet available for documentation.

Step 3: Scholarships may be provisionally offered during the application process based on submitted grades. (These scholarships are not final and are subject to verification on admission). 

Step 4: Final scholarship confirmation is issued after submission of your final results. Final board certificates must be verified through the HRD (regional) attestation process in India, then authenticated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and then validated by the UAE Embassy or UAE Ministry of Education before they are formally accepted for admission purposes. 

Note: Applicants are advised to start this process as soon as the results are declared to reduce delays in visa or any other complications. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Waiting for your final results before applying. The official process allows you to apply with provisional grades. Delaying until final results are in hand risks missing intake deadlines entirely.

Assuming your scholarship renews automatically. It does not. Applicants must maintain a 7 CGPA, carry no backlogs, and should not be disqualified under any disciplinary record throughout the tenure. 

Budgeting only for tuition. A student living in the hostel (triple occupancy), commuting within Dubai Sector 2, and processing a new visa from outside the country will spend approximately AED 43,000 to AED 50,000 on things that're not related to tuition fees in your first year . Scholarships cover tuition only and not with other costs. Planning for the full cost of attendance is crucial.

Making assumptions about scholarship stacking. The only confirmed stackable combination on the official page is Alumni plus merit. For all other categories, contact the admissions office before making financial assumptions.

Not contacting admissions about the Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan early. This scholarship requires coordination with the Indian Consulate in Dubai and is not a standard open application. Reach out to admissions well before applying, not after you have already submitted a general application.

Ignoring evening programme fee structures. Several BTech and BBA programmes have evening variants with lower annual fees. If your schedule and goals permit, an evening programme can reduce costs meaningfully even before a scholarship is applied.

Is MAHE Dubai the Right Choice for You?

MAHE Manipal UAE has built an academic reputation over 25 years in the UAE. It carries CAA accreditation, MoE licensing, a 5-Star KHDA rating, and an alumni network of over 9,500 graduates that makes it a good place to study in the UAE . The AED 25 million scholarship fund makes the financial case considerably stronger for students who qualify to pay for their education at MAHE Manipal UAE .

Choosing the right university depends on your specific programme, career goals, and total budget: tuition net of scholarship plus all surrounding costs. Study From UAE has detailed pages on universities in Dubai and a curated scholarships in UAE section where you can compare MAHE Dubai's offerings alongside other institutions in the region. If you are still mapping out what studying in the UAE will cost in total, our Study in Dubai page covers living costs, visa processes, and student life in detail.

Final Checklist Before You Submit

Use this checklist to confirm you are ready before submitting your MAHE Dubai application:

MAHE Manipal Dubai Scholarship at a Glance

Quick Reference Table for the various scholarship types are given below: 

All tuition fee figures are inclusive of 5% VAT as published for the September 2026 intake. INR conversions are indicative at 1 AED = INR 22.7 as of June 2026 (Figures may fluctuate with exchange rates).

Conclusion

Studying in Dubai can be a significant investment, but the scholarship opportunities at MAHE Dubai can make quality international education far more affordable for deserving students. From merit-based tuition waivers to the 100% Mahila Sarvashiksha Abhiyan scholarship, there are multiple pathways to reduce the overall cost of your degree. However, applicants should carefully review eligibility criteria, renewal requirements, and additional living expenses before making a decision. Most importantly, verify the latest scholarship policies directly with the university, as rules and benefits may change from year to year. With the right academic profile and financial planning, MAHE Dubai can be a strong option for Indian students seeking a globally recognized degree in the UAE.