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

Gulf Medical University Merit-Based Tuition Discounts

Gulf Medical University in Ajman is one of the Gulf's established private health sciences universities, teaching MBBS, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, medical laboratory sciences, medical imaging, anaesthesia technology and a range of postgraduate and PhD programmes. For Sri Lankan students who did not secure a state medical faculty place at home, the UAE is a common alternative to India or China, and GMU's published merit discount structure makes the cost more predictable. The university operates merit-based discounts ranging from 5% to 50% across its foundation, undergraduate, graduate and PhD programmes, assessed on Grade 12 marks for school-leavers or on prior academic performance for postgraduates. There is an important distinction to be clear about. GMU's headline scholarship, the NAFIS Full Scholarship covering up to 100% of tuition, registration and other fees, is for eligible Emirati students only and is not available to Sri Lankan applicants. The merit-based discounts are the relevant route for international students. GMU does not publish a fixed deadline or a detailed application procedure for the merit discounts, so the practical step is to contact admissions directly with your results and ask what band you qualify for before you commit to an application. Three cautions worth stating for a Sri Lankan family. Medical degrees in the UAE are expensive even at a 50% discount, and the discount applies to tuition only — not clinical fees, accommodation, the student residence visa, insurance or flights. Second, check carefully how a GMU qualification is treated by the Sri Lanka Medical Council if you intend to practise at home, because recognition and the ERPM examination pathway are what determine whether the degree is usable in Sri Lanka. Third, the UAE has no automatic post-study work route, so plan your licensing and employment path deliberately.

Merit discounts are assessed at admission for GMU's intakes; the university does not publish fixed deadlines or a separate application procedure — contact admissions@gmu.ac.ae with your results to confirm your band

Gulf Medical University, Ajman

University-funded

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Value

5%-50% tuition discount

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Fields

Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health

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Levels

Foundation, UG, PG and PhD

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

Gulf Medical University, Ajman — 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

5%-50% Tuition Discounts Across Foundation, UG, PG and PhD. 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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Assessed on Grade 12 or Prior Degree

Merit discounts are offered based on Grade 12 marks for school-leavers, or prior academic performance for graduate and PhD applicants. Bands run from 5% to 50% depending on results and programme.

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NAFIS Is Emirati-Only

GMU's 100% NAFIS Full Scholarship covers tuition, registration and other fees for eligible Emirati students only. Sri Lankan applicants cannot access it — the merit discounts are the route that applies to you.

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Health Sciences Programmes

Covers the College of Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and the College of Health Sciences programmes in nursing, physiotherapy, anaesthesia technology, medical laboratory sciences and medical imaging.

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Confirm Sri Lankan Recognition First

If you intend to practise medicine in Sri Lanka, verify how the Sri Lanka Medical Council treats a GMU qualification and what the ERPM pathway requires before you enrol. This determines whether the degree is usable at home.

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Contact admissions with your results first

GMU does not publish deadlines or a formal discount application procedure. Email admissions@gmu.ac.ae with your Grade 12 or degree transcripts and ask directly which merit band you qualify for.

Apply for admission

Submit the application with transcripts, passport copy, English test results and any programme-specific requirements. MBBS and dentistry have the highest entry bars and the earliest deadlines.

Get your discount confirmed in writing

Ensure your offer letter states the percentage discount, the fee it applies to, and any GPA condition for retaining it in later years. Ask specifically whether clinical or laboratory fees are included.

Verify professional recognition

Check with the Sri Lanka Medical Council, or the relevant professional body for your field, how the qualification is recognised and what examinations you would need to sit to practise in Sri Lanka.

Apply for the UAE student residence visa

The university sponsors your student residence visa. Budget for medical testing, Emirates ID, health insurance, accommodation in Ajman and flights, none of which the discount covers.

Why Gulf Medical University?

GMU is a dedicated health sciences university in Ajman with its own teaching hospitals and clinics, drawing students from across South Asia, Africa and the Gulf. Ajman is one of the cheaper emirates to live in, and it is within commuting distance of Sharjah and Dubai.

50%

Maximum Merit Discount

Ajman

Campus and Teaching Hospitals

5 yrs

MBBS Duration

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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