Birmingham Dubai Chancellor's Merit Scholarship

The University of Birmingham Dubai Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship is a prestigious, merit-based financial award offered to high-achieving students joining the university's Dubai campus. As the first global top-100 and UK Russell Group university to establish a campus in Dubai, the University of Birmingham Dubai offers this scholarship to attract and reward the brightest academic talent from around the world.

The Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship is automatically considered for all applicants — no separate scholarship application is needed. The award is based entirely on predicted or final academic grades submitted with the university application and applies to every year of study, including the student exchange year at the UK Edgbaston campus where applicable.

The scholarship is available across four levels of study:

• Foundation (Pre-University) Scholarship: Awarded to students joining the Foundation Year programme based on their high school predicted or final grades. Discount ranges from 10% to 30%.
• Undergraduate Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship: Recognises high-achieving undergraduate entrants based on predicted or achieved grades (A Levels, IB, CBSE, American High School, Al Thaneweya, and other curricula). Discount ranges from 10% to 30% per year.
• Postgraduate Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship: Open to Master's programme applicants assessed on their Bachelor's degree results or equivalent grades. Discount ranges from 20% to 30% per year.
• PhD Scholarship: Available to doctoral candidates assessed on their prior academic record. Discount ranges from 20% to 30% for the full duration of the PhD programme.

Maximum and Minimum Award

The Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship offers a tuition fee discount of up to 30% per year. The minimum discount available is 10% per year (for Foundation and Undergraduate applicants meeting the lower grade thresholds). The exact percentage depends on the applicant's curriculum and academic grades as shown in the tables below.

To put the value in context: undergraduate annual tuition fees at UoBD typically range from approximately AED 106,592 to AED 144,064 per year. A 30% discount represents a saving of approximately AED 31,977 to AED 43,219 per year - and across a three-year degree, this can amount to over AED 95,000 to AED 130,000 in total savings.

Duration of the Award

• Undergraduate & Foundation: The scholarship applies to each year of undergraduate study, including the exchange year at the UK campus (except for specific programmes where final years are completed in the UK - see Additional Information).
• Postgraduate: The scholarship applies to each year of the postgraduate programme.
• PhD: The scholarship is applied for the full duration of the PhD programme.
• Annual Tuition Fee Lock: The tuition fees confirmed at entry remain fixed throughout the course - no year-on-year increases.

Type of Expense Covered

Application Process

• No Separate Application Required: All applicants are automatically assessed for the Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship. There is no separate scholarship application form to fill out.
• How to Trigger Scholarship Review: After applying to the University of Birmingham Dubai and receiving a Conditional Offer, applicants must:
  1. Click 'Accept' on their offer to confirm interest.
  2. Pay the AED 5,000 non-refundable tuition fee deposit by the deadline stated in the offer letter.
• Scholarship Notification: Once the deposit is received, the scholarship award is issued within 10 working days via email. The scholarship amount will be confirmed in the award notification, not in the initial offer letter.

Eligibility & Grade Requirements

The scholarship is grade-based only. Eligible curricula and their corresponding discount bands are as follows:

Foundation Year - Grade Eligibility

Undergraduate - Grade Eligibility

Postgraduate & PhD - Grade Eligibility

Note: Percentage-based grades are assessed on a case-by-case basis, as grading standards vary by country. Students from countries not listed above should contact the UoBD Admissions Team for guidance.

English Language Requirements

All non-native English speakers must provide proof of English proficiency. Accepted tests include:

• IELTS Academic: Minimum overall score of 6.0 (undergraduate) or higher for postgraduate entry (programme-specific).
• TOEFL iBT: Minimum score of 72 or above.
• PTE Academic: Accepted - minimum score varies by programme.

Required Documents for Application

• Academic Transcripts: Certified copies of all relevant academic records (high school for undergraduate applicants, bachelor's degree for postgraduate applicants).
• English Proficiency Certificate: IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE score report.
• Personal Statement: A written Statement of Purpose (SOP) required for postgraduate applicants.
• References/Recommendation Letters: Typically, two letters of recommendation for postgraduate applicants.
• Updated CV: Required for postgraduate programme applications.
• Deposit Payment: AED 5,000 non-refundable tuition fee deposit (deducted from total tuition fees) to activate scholarship review.

• Can Be Combined with Other Awards: The Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship (Undergraduate and Postgraduate) can be combined with the Alumni Scholarship (additional AED 5,000 in Year 1) and the Secure Your Spot Scholarship (additional 10% discount in Year 1 for UAE residents who accept their offer and pay the deposit by 30 June 2026). This means eligible UAE-resident students could access up to 40% discount in their first year.
• Cannot Be Combined with Certain Awards: The Chancellor's Merit Scholarship cannot be combined with the Corporate Scholarship, Jinan University Joint Institute Scholarship, or PhD Scholarship (the PhD award is stand-alone).
• Non-Deferrable: Scholarships cannot be deferred. If a student defers their intake, the scholarship does not carry over automatically.
• No Re-sit Coverage: The scholarship does not apply to any re-sit examinations.
• Confidentiality: Once issued, scholarship amounts must remain confidential.
• Non-Negotiable: All scholarship decisions are reviewed on an individual basis and are final once issued.
• Tuition Fee Deposit Requirement: The AED 5,000 deposit is non-refundable and must be paid to trigger the scholarship award. It is counted as an advance payment against total tuition fees.
• Programmes Excluding the UK Exchange Year from Scholarship: The scholarship does not cover the UK study year for the following specific programmes: BSc Biomedical Science, MSc Biomedical Science, MEng Mechanical Engineering, MEng Computer Science and Software Engineering, BEng Civil Engineering, BEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering, MSc Clinical Psychology
• University Background: The University of Birmingham was founded in 1900 and is ranked in the global top 100 (QS World University Rankings 2025 - #80 globally). It is a founding member of the UK Russell Group and has produced 10 Nobel Prize laureates. The Dubai campus, located in Dubai International Academic City, welcomed its first students in 2018 and serves over 2,900 students.