Aerial photo of a Dubai city highway curving between high-rise residential towers.

United Arab Emirates Early Decision deadlines in November and January; Regular Decision in early January for the August intake

NYU Abu Dhabi Global Scholarship

This is the single most valuable undergraduate award realistically available to Sri Lankan students anywhere in the Gulf, and one of the most valuable in the world. NYU Abu Dhabi admits need-blind — the admissions committee does not see your financial circumstances — and then meets the full demonstrated financial need of every admitted student. For a family unable to contribute, that means tuition, university accommodation, meals, health insurance and an annual round-trip flight home are all covered, along with funded study-away semesters at NYU New York, Shanghai or the global academic centres. The trade-off is selectivity: the acceptance rate is in the low single digits, cohorts are around 400 students drawn from more than 110 countries, and the assessment includes the Candidate Weekend, an all-expenses-paid multi-day evaluation in Abu Dhabi. Sri Lankan A-Level and IB students with exceptional results and a genuine intellectual profile should treat this as a serious target rather than a long shot.

New York University Abu Dhabi

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Coverage

Full Tuition + Housing + Meals + Insurance

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Travel

Annual Round-Trip Flight Home Included

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Study Away

Funded Semesters at NYU's Global Sites

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Exceptional Academic Record

Outstanding Sri Lankan A-Level results, IB Diploma, or an equivalent secondary qualification. NYUAD reads the whole record, including the rigour of your subject choices and your school's context.

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Need-Blind Admission

Financial circumstances play no part in the admission decision for any applicant, regardless of nationality. Once admitted, aid is calculated to meet full demonstrated need — a genuinely rare combination.

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Intellectual Curiosity and Global Outlook

Essays and interviews probe how you think, not what you have collected. Cohorts are deliberately global — more than 110 nationalities — and the committee looks for students who will contribute to that.

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Candidate Weekend

Shortlisted applicants are flown to Abu Dhabi at NYUAD's expense for a multi-day evaluation involving classes, interviews and group work. Costs are covered, so financial circumstances do not prevent participation.

account_tree Application Process

Apply through the Common Application

NYU Abu Dhabi is applied to via the Common Application, selecting Abu Dhabi as your campus preference. Early Decision rounds carry a binding commitment; Regular Decision does not.

Submit the full academic record

School transcripts and predicted or achieved A-Level / IB results
Counsellor and teacher recommendations
Personal essay plus NYUAD-specific supplements
SAT or ACT where required — check the current testing policy for your admission year

Complete the financial aid application

Submit the CSS Profile or the equivalent NYUAD financial documentation. Admission is need-blind, but the aid package is calculated from these documents, so complete them fully and accurately.

Candidate Weekend

If invited, attend the Candidate Weekend in Abu Dhabi. Travel, accommodation and meals are covered by the university.

Offer and UAE student visa

Admitted students receive an aid package letter alongside the offer. NYUAD sponsors the UAE student residence visa and handles the process for enrolled students.

Why NYU Abu Dhabi?

Opened in 2010 as NYU's degree-granting liberal arts and science campus in the Gulf, NYUAD teaches roughly 2,000 students on Saadiyat Island with a student-faculty ratio close to 8:1. Its students move freely through NYU's global network, and its research centres span astrophysics, genomics, materials and social science. Degrees are awarded by New York University.