The sail-shaped Burj Al Arab in the foreground with the Burj Khalifa and downtown Dubai skyline rising through a hazy blue sky behind.

United Arab Emirates Check current round

AURAK Academic Merit Scholarship

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah is a UAE public-private university offering American-style degrees in engineering, business, arts and sciences, and it runs one of the more generous and openly published merit scholarship schemes in the Emirates. AURAK states that it offers academic merit scholarships to eligible full-time students of all nationalities, with awards ranging from 20% to 100% of tuition fees depending on academic achievement and chosen programme. Scholarships are available to all new students pursuing a master's degree as well as to undergraduates, and the university describes the aim as encouraging qualified students from Ras Al Khaimah, the wider region and overseas to join its programmes. The thresholds are demanding at the top end: to be eligible for the 70% merit scholarship AURAK specifies a high school percentage of 99% or above together with IELTS 7.0 or its TOEFL or EmSAT equivalent. Lower percentage bands apply at lower award levels. Beyond merit, AURAK offers a 20% tuition discount for the second or subsequent sibling of a fully enrolled student, and athletic scholarships giving a 30% tuition reduction, limited to one or two per budget year for entering undergraduates with exceptional sporting ability. For Sri Lankan students the appeal of Ras Al Khaimah is cost: it sits well outside Dubai's rental market while remaining about an hour's drive from Dubai, so total living costs are considerably lower than a Dubai campus would demand. Bear in mind these awards cover tuition only. Accommodation, food, transport, the UAE student residence visa, medical insurance and flights are all separate, and the UAE has no post-study work visa in the way the UK or Australia does — plan your route to a work permit deliberately.

Assessed as part of admission for the autumn and spring intakes. AURAK also awards scholarships in partnership with external agencies — confirm the current bands and criteria on aurak.ac.ae/admissions/scholarship

American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)

University-funded

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Value

20%-100% of tuition

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Level

Undergraduate & master's

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Eligibility

All nationalities

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

20% to 100% Tuition Scholarships for All Nationalities. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Open to All Nationalities

AURAK offers academic merit scholarships to eligible full-time students of all nationalities, expressly including students from overseas. Sri Lankan applicants are eligible for the same bands as Emirati and regional students.

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Award Bands Tied to Results

Scholarships range from 20% to 100% of tuition depending on academic achievement and programme. For the 70% band AURAK specifies a high school percentage of 99% or above plus IELTS 7.0 or equivalent in TOEFL or EmSAT.

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Sibling Discount

A 20% tuition discount applies to the second or subsequent sibling of a student already fully enrolled in any AURAK academic programme.

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Athletic Scholarships

Athletic scholarships giving a 30% tuition reduction are limited to one or two per budget year, for entering undergraduates who are highly talented and skilled athletes.

account_tree Application Process

Apply for admission to AURAK

Apply online with your A/L or equivalent results, transcripts, passport copy and English test scores. Master's applicants submit their bachelor's transcripts and degree certificate.

Sit the English test that matches the band you want

Higher merit bands specify IELTS 7.0 or the TOEFL or EmSAT equivalent. Book and sit the test in Colombo well before your application, not after.

Confirm your scholarship band in writing

Your offer letter should state the percentage awarded and the conditions for maintaining it in later years. Ask explicitly what GPA you must hold to keep the award.

Ask about sibling and external-agency awards

If a sibling is already enrolled, claim the 20% discount. AURAK also awards scholarships in partnership with external agencies — ask admissions what is currently available.

Apply for the UAE student residence visa

AURAK sponsors the student residence visa. Budget for medical testing, Emirates ID, medical insurance, accommodation and flights, none of which the scholarship covers.

Why AURAK?

AURAK delivers American-style degrees under UAE Ministry of Education accreditation, with engineering and business as its strongest faculties. Ras Al Khaimah is about an hour from Dubai, which makes accommodation and living costs substantially cheaper than a Dubai campus while keeping the same job market within reach.

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Maximum Tuition Covered

20%

Sibling Discount

1 hr

From Dubai

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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