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

the UAE Applications open Closes 31 March 2027

Zayed University International Student Scholarship

Zayed University — a federal UAE university with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai — offers International Student Scholarships ranging from 25% to 50% tuition reduction for eligible non-UAE undergraduates. The full international tuition is around AED 80,000/year, so the 25% tier delivers AED 20,000/year savings and the 50% tier AED 40,000/year. Sri Lankan A/L applicants with strong English-medium results are competitive — Zayed offers fully English-taught Bachelor's programmes in Business, Humanities, Sciences, and Communication & Media Sciences. The federal-university status means strong career-services placement within UAE government and industry.

Open for Fall 2027 intake — priority application by 31 March 2027

Zayed University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Tier

25% or 50% tuition reduction

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Level

Undergraduate (Bachelor's)

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Duration

Renewable on academic progression

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Selection

Automatic on admission

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

Zayed University — 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

25-50% Tuition Reduction. 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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International Undergraduate

Open to international students paying overseas tuition fees. Sri Lankan citizens are eligible. UAE nationals study free under federal subsidies and don't compete for these scholarships.

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Tier by Academic Profile

Sri Lankan A/L 2 As + 1 B targets the 25% tier; 3 As (or A/L + SAT 1300+) targets the 50% tier. IB 32+ → 25%; IB 38+ → 50%. Zayed's admissions sets the tier from the admission file.

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English-Taught Bachelor's

Zayed offers fully English-taught Bachelor's programmes — Business, Communication & Media Sciences, Education, Humanities, Sciences, and Technological Innovation. IELTS 6.0 or equivalent is required.

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Maintain CGPA

Renew each semester by maintaining a Zayed CGPA of 3.0/4.0 (25% tier) or 3.5/4.0 (50% tier). Drop below and the scholarship steps down to the lower tier or lapses.

account_tree Application Process

Apply to a Zayed Bachelor's

Submit your application via the Zayed online portal by 31 March 2028 for Fall 2026 intake. Include A/L transcripts, English-test results, references, and a short personal statement.

Admissions assessment + scholarship tier

Zayed admissions reviews your academic profile. The offer letter explicitly states the International Student Scholarship tier (25% or 50%) attached to the admission.

Accept the offer + pay deposit

Confirm your place by accepting the offer and paying the AED 5,000 confirmation fee. The scholarship credit is applied to every semester's tuition invoice.

UAE visa + arrival

Zayed's international office handles UAE student visa coordination once the deposit is paid. Fall intake starts late August in Dubai or Abu Dhabi (you select campus on the application).

Why Zayed?

Zayed University is one of three federal universities in the UAE, founded in 1998 and named after the country's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Strong industry partnerships and an explicit mission to develop tech-skilled, bilingual graduates for the UAE workforce.

Top 600

QS World Ranking 2026

Since 1998

Federally Founded

2

Campuses (Abu Dhabi + 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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