University of Dubai Scholarship 2026: Complete Guide for Indian and International Students

Updated on 24th Aug 2026 | 10 min read

By Ravi Jaiswal

University of Dubai Scholarship 2026: Complete Guide for Indian and International Students

Quick Overview

Before the eligibility details, here is what a University of Dubai scholarship actually covers in 2026. Verified against University of Dubai's official Scholarships & Discounts page on 19 August 2026.

Detail	Information
Highest available scholarship	100% tuition waiver (Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Scholarship), 3 seats a year, open to any nationality
Standard merit scholarship	50% tuition discount for a high school score of 95% and above
Second merit tier	30% tuition discount for a high school score of 90% and above
If you miss 90%	Continuing UD students can still earn a 20% discount for one semester with a CGPA of 3.60 or above once enrolled
Admission floor (before any scholarship)	CBSE/ICSE minimum 55%, with conditional admission possible at 60-69%
Application process	Automatic on admission for merit discounts; no separate scholarship form in most cases
Published deadlines	None stated on University of Dubai's Scholarships & Discounts page. There is no published cut-off date for merit review or for the International Students Scholarship; apply as early in your intake cycle as you can rather than working to an assumed deadline
Levels covered	Mainly undergraduate; limited postgraduate discounts; PhD is not covered
International Students Scholarship	Partial scholarship for students who completed high school outside the UAE; funds are limited
Where to verify current terms	University of Dubai's official Scholarships & Discounts page (ud.ac.ae)

Key Takeaways

University of Dubai does not run one general international scholarship fund. It runs a tiered merit discount plus several category-specific schemes, and the full list is longer than most guides mention.

The highest automatic discount for high scorers is 50% tuition, reserved for a high school score of 95% and above; 90% and above earns 30%.

A limited, fully funded award exists for top applicants of any nationality (see the Quick Overview above), but seats are capped at three a year.

The majority of scholarships are allocated to students pursuing an undergraduate program, whereas candidates interested in postgraduate and doctoral degrees have limited options available.

Discounts on the fees are given automatically upon admission; therefore, most Indian students are recommended to submit a strong application with correct supporting documents instead of a separate scholarship form.

University of Dubai's own BBA fee schedule caps the maximum combined discount any one student can receive at 30% of tuition, which matters if you are hoping to stack multiple category-specific awards.

University of Dubai does not publish a fixed application or scholarship deadline, so "apply early" here means as soon as your documents are ready, not before a specific date.

Scholarships reduce tuition only; visa, accommodation, and living costs are billed and budgeted for separately.

Planning to Study in the UAE? Let Us Guide You the Right Way.

Introduction

University of Dubai's tiered merit scholarship reduces tuition by 30% for a high school score of 90% and above, and by 50% for 95% and above, assessed automatically when you apply for admission. A separate, fully funded award covers three students a year across any nationality, but postgraduate and PhD applicants have far fewer published discount options. That is the core answer; the rest of this guide fills in the details.

Can a University of Dubai scholarship really bring your Dubai tuition bill down to a number your family can manage? It is one of the first questions Indian students ask before they shortlist Dubai at all, and the honest answer depends heavily on your high school score and your programme level.

This guide breaks down every University of Dubai scholarship for international students, including the merit tiers, the International Students Scholarship, and where University of Dubai scholarships for Indian students actually fit in. In addition, you will also find information on admission and requirement thresholds, application steps, errors to avoid, and a comparison with scholarships at other Dubai universities. First, let us familiarize you with the University of Dubai itself. You can get more information on courses, fees, and admission requirements, compare the other universities on list of best universities in Dubai, or check your level of preparation for the English tests on our IELTS and TOEFL pages, since language tests are often required to apply and are an integral part of any scholarship examination.

What Scholarships Does University of Dubai Offer?

University of Dubai official page with information on Scholarships & Discounts features several opportunities instead of a single grant or prize. The two most beneficial options for Indian and other foreign undergraduate students are the merit-based discount on tuition fees and the International Students Scholarship, but the university offers more than these two. The table below includes the available scholarships and discounts that can be claimed by most applicants.

Scholarship or Discount	Value	Who Qualifies
ICT Fund Scholarship	100% tuition	UAE nationals only, for select Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Communication), Bachelor of Computer Engineering, MSc Data Science, and MSc Cyber Security programmes.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Scholarship	100% tuition, 3 seats a year	Open to any nationality, for Dubai Business School, Engineering & IT, or Law.
Merit Scholarship (95% and above)	50% tuition	New undergraduate students with a high school score of 95% or above.
Merit Scholarship (90% and above)	30% tuition	New undergraduate students with a high school score of 90% or above but below 95%.
Continuing Student Discount	20% tuition, one semester	Current UD students with a CGPA of 3.60 or above.
International Students Scholarship	Partial (amount not published)	Students who completed high school outside the UAE; funds are limited, so competition is high.
Esad Cardholder Discount	20% tuition	Esad cardholders and their immediate family, subject to credit-load conditions.
AMAF Discount	20% tuition	Members of the Armed Forces and their immediate family, subject to credit-load conditions.
Business Partner Discount	15% tuition	Employees (and immediate family) of DED Dubai, Dubai Land Department, Financial Audit Department, Beit Al Khair, Wasil, and Dubai Courts, subject to credit-load conditions.
Referral Discount	AED 2,500 or 5% per referral, up to 50%	Current UD students who refer a new student to the university.
Academic Partner Discount	20% for scores below 85%	Graduates of University of Dubai's partner schools. Also runs on a separate scheme for scores of 85% and above, but does not publish its exact value; confirm with admissions directly.

Note that the ICT Fund Scholarship is reserved for UAE nationals, so it will not apply to most Indian applicants. It is listed here for completeness, since it often appears alongside the other awards on the university's own page. If your grades fall just under the 90% merit threshold, the continuing-student discount above is worth planning around once you are enrolled, since it is one of the few awards you can earn on your own after admission.

Not sure which tier your score is on? Take a second and run your profile through our University Finder Quiz. It'll show you exactly how University of Dubai stacks up against other schools similar in budget and requirements.

Admission Eligibility vs. Scholarship Eligibility

It is important to distinguish between two different thresholds: the score you need to get in at all, and the (much higher) score you need to get in with a scholarship on top of admission.

Requirement	Threshold
CBSE/ICSE minimum for admission	55%
Conditional admission	Possible at 60-69%, subject to additional review
IELTS Academic	5.0
TOEFL iBT	61
TOEFL PBT	500
PTE Academic	42
EmSAT	1100 (a qualifying EmSAT score waives the other English test options)
Math placement	SAT Math 400 or above, or University of Dubai's own math placement test approved

The University of Dubai does not give any information on how to convert a particular aggregate (e.g., best of the 5) CBSE percentage into the admission or scholarship bands. Therefore, find out from the University of Dubai which particular percentage (i.e., best of the 5 or overall) will be considered in admission/scholarship purposes, because it can make a big difference between 90% and 95% scholarships.

University of Dubai Scholarship Requirements

Depending upon the scholarship, which one has been chosen, different discounts are given, and there are certain requirements, which have to be fulfilled while applying:

An application form for admission to University of Dubai as every merit discount is given on the basis of application review, which means that no separate scholarship application forms are needed.

A high school percentage or grades, which is equivalent to UAE standard. For those students, who have studied in a foreign education system (CBSE, ICSE, state board, etc.) an equivalency check against UAE norms will be required.

An English language proficiency test, such as IELTS or TOEFL, depending upon the program chosen. In case of having no language test scores, a less expensive alternative is taking the university’s own English Placement Test. However, please note that you will have to pay AED 300 for it, and results are available within 48 hours. For those preparing for the IELTS exam, it may be more convenient to use the IELTS tips from the toppers guide.

A CGPA of at least 3.5 (or 3.3 for the 30% discount) – the minimum requirement to maintain the scholarship, according to the University of Dubai policy. It is not mentioned whether a student below threshold will be given a scholarship or not. To be safe, it is better to contact the admission office and clarify the conditions.

At least 12 credit hours (6 credit hours for summer school) per semester – to maintain Esaad, AMAF, or Business Partner discount. The merit-based tiers instead carry a CGPA retention condition rather than a blanket credit-hour rule.

The discounts are given only to students studying on a full-time basis. The visiting students, students on a short-term course or a PhD program are not eligible to receive any discounts.

Degree and Mark Sheet Equivalency

For Indian applicants specifically, equivalency runs through a defined chain rather than a single check: attestation of your mark sheet by the relevant Indian education authority, followed by attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India, then the UAE Embassy in India, and finally an Equivalency Certificate from the UAE Ministry of Education. If your certificate is still in progress at the time you apply, University of Dubai accepts a Declaration Letter as an interim document, which gives you one semester's grace to complete the equivalency chain. Keep your original mark sheets and, once issued, your equivalency certificate ready before your review stage, since a missing document here is one of the most common causes of delay.

Does the University of Dubai Offer a Master's Scholarship?

If you are interested in a general, high-score based University of Dubai masters scholarship, you need to know that, as of now, the institution does not provide an open merit discount for postgraduate studies as it does for bachelor's degrees. The graduate-level discounts are only available in certain categories and are not general. Here are the existing discounts:

A 20% discount on the MBA for University of Dubai alumni.

A 15% discount on the Master of Data Science for applicants with a bachelor's CGPA of 3.00 or above at entry, subject to management approval, and a CGPA of 3.5 or above plus at least 6 credit hours a term to maintain it during the programme.

15% discounts for employees (and their immediate family) of specific partner organisations, including DEWA, ADNOC, Dubai Police, and a few government departments, subject to CGPA and credit-load conditions.

A 50% discount for University of Dubai employees and their immediate family, across most postgraduate programmes except the PhD.

If none of these categories applies to you, budget for full tuition and view any discount as a bonus. Be sure to check the website for any updates to the information given here before making any financial commitments, since tuition discounts and scholarships may very well change at the beginning of each new school year.

Does the University of Dubai Offer a PhD Scholarship?

A University of Dubai PhD scholarship based on the standard discount and scholarship policy does not currently exist. University of Dubai's own scholarships and discounts page states clearly that PhD students are excluded from the listed discounts and scholarships. If you are exploring doctoral study at University of Dubai, your realistic funding routes are:

Direct enquiry with University of Dubai's graduate studies or admissions office about research assistantships or departmental funding tied to specific faculty projects.

External, government-linked scholarships that some Indian doctoral applicants use to fund study in the UAE, which you would apply for and manage separately from the university.

Employer or institutional sponsorship, common among working professionals pursuing a UAE-based PhD alongside their careers.

Please verify the latest PhD funding information directly with University of Dubai, since doctoral funding is handled case by case rather than through a published discount table.

How to Apply for a University of Dubai Scholarship

University of Dubai describes its scholarship process in three steps, which apply to most of the discounts covered above:

Submit: Fill in the undergraduate application form, either online through the university's e-services portal or in person on campus.

Review: The admissions team checks your documents against the requirements for each scholarship or discount you may be eligible for.

Decision: You are informed of the outcome and the next steps, including any conditions to keep the discount active each semester.

A few practical additions worth knowing before you apply:

For the merit-based discounts, there is likely to be no separate application form. You just apply for admission and send your official results, and you will be considered automatically.

For the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Scholarship and the ICT Fund Scholarship, you will need to contact the admissions office directly as these are competitive and sometimes do not follow automated algorithms, and the University of Dubai admissions office is available for your convenience.

You should make sure you have your high school mark sheet/equivalency certificate or declaration letter/passport copy/test of proficiency in English (or your English Placement Test results) ready before you start your application, so that the office is not waiting while you track down documents.

Since there is no published admission deadline for merit review or for International Students Scholarship, think of these as "as soon as you've completed the documents listed above", and contact admissions to make sure if you have to meet any specific upcoming intake deadline, if you are applying close to one.

Application Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming every scholarship is automatic: The merit discounts are, but the Shaikh Hamdan and ICT Fund awards need direct follow-up with the admissions office.

Waiting for a scholarship offer before applying for admission: Most merit discounts are only assessed once your admission application and transcripts are already in the system, so apply first.

Forgetting non-tuition costs: A scholarship reduces tuition only. Visa, accommodation, and living costs still need a separate budget.

Leaving English test preparation too late: IELTS or TOEFL slots fill up close to intake deadlines, so book early through our IELTS and TOEFL pages, or ask about the university's own English Placement Test if you are short on time.

Assuming PhD or short courses qualify: They currently do not, under University of Dubai's published policy.

Budgeting only in AED: Convert your expected tuition and living costs into INR early, using a live exchange rate, so your family has a realistic number to plan around.

Assuming a published deadline exists: University of Dubai does not list a fixed cut-off date for scholarship review on its official page. Do not delay your application waiting for a deadline reminder; apply once your documents are ready.

Scholarships at Other Dubai Universities: A Quick Comparison

If you are comparing a University of Dubai scholarship against other campuses before you shortlist, here is how a few well-known Dubai universities structure their awards. Figures below are indicative; always confirm the current terms on each university's official page.

University	Scholarship Range	Learn More
American University of Dubai	Senior scholarship up to 25/50/100% for top-scoring applicants, a 25% Alumni waiver, and a 40% School of Education scholarship. (AUD's William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship is a separate, U.S.-only award restricted to U.S. citizens accredited for four-year U.S. colleges, so it does not apply to Indian applicants)	See our American University of Dubai guide
Canadian University Dubai	Up to 50% tuition waiver, though combined caps for a single student typically fall in a 30-60% range depending on term and award mix	See our Canadian University Dubai fees guide
University of Birmingham Dubai	Awards of up to 30%, reviewed automatically once your Conditional Offer is issued	See our University of Birmingham Dubai profile
University of Wollongong in Dubai	15% to 50% tuition, merit-based, awarded first-come, first-served	See our UOWD complete guide
University of Europe for Applied Sciences Dubai	20% to 25% guaranteed scholarship for undergraduate and postgraduate students	See our University of Europe Dubai profile

Shortlisting more broadly? Our guides to the Sharjah University scholarship and the Amity University Dubai scholarship cover two more commonly compared campuses in similar depth.

Fully Funded Scholarships in Dubai and the UAE for International Students

A genuinely 100% funded award open to any international applicant regardless of nationality is rare across Dubai's private university sector, and most published options are tuition-only discounts rather than a full ride covering tuition, accommodation, and living costs together. University of Dubai's own fully funded route is the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Scholarship detailed in the Quick Overview above. For a wider comparison across UAE universities and government-run institutions, see our complete guide to UAE scholarships for Indian students.

University of Dubai Scholarship for Indian Students: What to Prepare

Indian students weighing a University of Dubai scholarship should plan around a few UAE-specific realities that differ from applying to a domestic college.

Currency planning: As of 19 August 2026, 1 AED is approximately equal to ₹26.07. This is a planning snapshot, not a live rate, so check a currency converter again at the time you actually transfer funds. University of Dubai's published BBA fee schedule, verified as of the same date, charges AED 5,800 per course across 42 courses, which totals approximately AED 243,600 for the full degree (roughly AED 60,900 a year), plus AED 1,000 in lab fees on each of 4 lab-based courses and a one-time AED 700 technology fee. That converts to roughly ₹63.5 lakh for the full degree, or about ₹15.9 lakh a year, before any scholarship is applied. University of Dubai also reserves the right to raise fees by up to 10% a year, so budget with some margin and confirm your specific programme's current fee before finalising. A 30% scholarship on the full degree would save approximately AED 73,080 (around ₹19 lakh) over the programme; a 50% scholarship would save approximately AED 121,800 (around ₹31.75 lakh).

See how this plays out for your budget: run these figures through our ROI Calculator to compare your expected savings and payback timeline in INR.

Education loan planning: Since most University of Dubai discounts are partial, many Indian families combine a scholarship with an education loan to cover the remaining tuition and living costs. Current TCS rates on education remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, and collateral-free loan thresholds, are reviewed periodically, so check our detailed education loans for UAE studies guide for the latest figures rather than relying on a fixed number here. Factor loan approval time into your application timeline, since it can take several weeks.

For a broader look at day-to-day costs beyond tuition, see our cost of studying in the UAE comparison.

How Study From UAE Helps You Plan Your University of Dubai Application

Comparing scholarship tiers, tuition figures, and admission thresholds across multiple Dubai universities takes time, especially while you are still finishing school or managing a job. Study From UAE brings together verified university profiles, including University of Dubai's courses, fees, and admissions details, alongside scholarship information, so you can see your options in one place rather than across a dozen browser tabs.

You can use the University Finder Quiz to match your profile against suitable UAE universities, run the numbers through our ROI Calculator to see your likely savings and recovery timeline in INR, and refer to our UAE scholarships guide for Indian students for a wider view beyond University of Dubai. If you would rather talk it through, get in touch with our counsellors for documentation, visa preparation, and admission guidance once you are ready to apply.

Conclusion

A University of Dubai scholarship can meaningfully reduce your tuition bill, but the value depends heavily on your high school score, your programme level, and which specific award you qualify for. Undergraduate applicants with a strong academic record have the clearest path, through the 30% and 50% merit tiers, while postgraduate and PhD applicants should treat published discounts as narrow exceptions rather than the norm. University of Dubai does not publish a fixed application deadline for these awards, so apply as soon as your documents are ready rather than waiting for a cut-off date. Whichever tier applies to you, confirm the current terms, and your exact per-course tuition, directly with University of Dubai before you finalise your budget, since scholarship and fee policies are reviewed each academic year.

Explore your UAE study options with Study From UAE and take the next step toward your academic goals.

FAQs

The highest is the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Scholarship, a full 100% tuition waiver awarded to three students a year across Dubai Business School, Engineering & IT, or Law, open to any nationality. Seats are limited, so competition is high.

Yes. Indian students can qualify for the merit-based tuition discounts (30% or 50%, depending on high school score) and the International Students Scholarship, since neither is restricted by nationality. The ICT Fund Scholarship is the only award limited to UAE nationals.

No. The admission floor for CBSE/ICSE applicants is 55%, with conditional admission possible at 60-69%. That is separate from, and much lower than, the 90% and 95% thresholds needed for the merit scholarships.

You generally need a verifiable high school percentage, a completed admission application, English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL, or University of Dubai's own English Placement Test) where required by your programme, and a minimum CGPA each term to keep the discount active. PhD and short-course students are excluded.

Not as a general merit-based award. Current graduate discounts are tied to specific categories, such as UD alumni pursuing an MBA or Master of Data Science applicants with a strong bachelor's CGPA, rather than an open academic merit scheme.

No. University of Dubai's published discount and scholarship policy excludes PhD students. Doctoral applicants should contact the graduate studies office directly about assistantships or project-based funding.

For most merit discounts, no. They are assessed automatically once you apply for admission with your transcripts. For the Shaikh Hamdan and ICT Fund awards, direct follow-up with admissions is recommended.

A high school score of 95% or above qualifies for the 50% tuition discount. A score of 90% or above, but below 95%, qualifies for the 30% tier. If you fall short of 90% but enrol anyway, a 20% one-semester discount is available later if you maintain a CGPA of 3.60 or above as a continuing student.

International students can access the same merit tiers as UAE-based applicants, plus the dedicated International Students Scholarship. However, funds for the international scheme are limited and no specific application deadline is published, so applying as soon as your documents are ready strengthens your chances more than waiting for a cut-off announcement.

University of Dubai's published BBA fee schedule states a maximum combined discount of 30% of tuition per student, though this figure is on a dated fee page and specific category discounts (such as employer or partner-school schemes) may apply differently. Confirm combinability directly with the admissions office for your exact situation.

All three offer merit-based tuition discounts in a broadly similar 20% to 50% range for undergraduates, with occasional full-tuition awards for exceptional candidates. Exact percentages, eligibility, and application steps differ, so compare current terms on each university's page before deciding.

Yes. University of Dubai runs its own English Placement Test for AED 300, with results typically available within 48 hours, which can be a useful fallback if your intake timeline is tight and you have not yet booked IELTS or TOEFL.

No fixed cut-off date is published on University of Dubai's official Scholarships & Discounts page for either merit review or the International Students Scholarship pool. Apply as soon as your documents (transcripts, equivalency paperwork, and English score) are ready, and confirm your specific intake's practical timeline with admissions rather than assuming a set date.

Ravi Jaiswal

Admissions Strategist | Higher Education Consultant | Co-Founder

Ravi Jaiswal is a higher education and admissions specialist with extensive experience guiding students through university applications, admission requirements, eligibility assessments, and international study pathways.

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