Abu Dhabi University has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 fully funded scholarship programmes for international and domestic students for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The scheme, which is open to applicants from all nationalities, covers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies across the institution’s four campuses.
In a statement released by the university, the management said the initiative aims to attract academically talented students and support their educational pursuits in the United Arab Emirates.
It said the scholarships—described as fully funded—would cover up to 100 per cent of tuition, application, registration, student services and health service fees, depending on the category.
According to the university, the duration of study under the award spans four years for bachelor’s programmes, two years for master’s degrees and four years for doctoral studies.
The institution, established in 2003, currently hosts more than 8,000 students from various countries and offers a wide range of academic programmes.
Types of scholarships
The university listed the available scholarship categories as follows:
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Scholarship: 100 per cent waiver on tuition, application, registration, student services and health service fees.
Chairman’s Scholarship: 100 per cent fee waiver across the same categories.
University Scholarship (UAE and GCC applicants): 10–50 per cent tuition waiver for students from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
Academic Scholarship: 20 per cent tuition waiver for continuing students.
Athletic Scholarship: 25 per cent tuition reduction for student athletes.
Alumni Scholarship: 20 per cent waiver for ADU graduates seeking postgraduate degrees.
Merit-Based Graduate Scholarship: 25 per cent tuition waiver for applicants with a minimum CGPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
The university explained that the maximum scholarship coverage is four years or until graduation, whichever comes first, and noted that applicants must first secure admission before applying for financial aid.
It said admitted students are issued a unique ID granting access to their online scholarship portal, where eligible awards automatically appear based on academic credentials.
Eligibility
The university outlined the following basic requirements for the 2026 scholarship round:
A recognised high school certificate for undergraduate applicants.
A bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 CGPA for master’s admission.
A master’s degree with a minimum 3.0 CGPA and two years of full-time experience for doctoral applicants.
English proficiency results such as IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL scores equivalent to IBT 61 or ITP 500.
It added that requirements vary slightly across scholarship categories.
Documents required
Applicants are expected to provide a completed online form, certified degree certificates, official transcripts, passport-sized photographs, proof of valid passport and an English proficiency certificate.
Application timeline
For the 2026 academic year, the registration deadlines for newly admitted students are:
Spring semester: Feb. 20, 2026; classes begin Feb. 23.
Summer semester: June 26, 2026; classes begin June 30.
Fall semester: Aug. 22, 2026; classes begin Aug. 26.
How to apply
The university said the application is entirely online via the Abu Dhabi University Application Portal, while further details and official links are available on the institution’s website.https://brightscholarship.com/abu-dhabi-university-scholarships-2026/