Abu Dhabi University sets fund for students

The Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has allocated more than Dh11.4 million for financial aid, scholarships and family tuition discount during the 2010 - 2011 academic year for over 500 students with limited financial resources. Five different scholarships as well as a family tuition discount are available to students depending on their circumstances and the criteria they meet, according to Dr. Nabil Ibrahim, ADU's Chancellor. The first scholarship available to students is the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Scholarship. The scholarship is granted to the top 10 secondary school graduates across the UAE, and applicable for a maximum of four years per student, or upon graduation, whichever is sooner, and includes the English requirement levels. Students with limited financial resources with a secondary school average of at least 70 per cent can receive up to 50 per cent discount on their tuition. Continuing students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 per semester, with at least 12 credits per semester, for two consecutive semesters can receive up to 50 per cent discount on their tuition. The Chairman's Scholarship, the 2nd category of scholarship available to ADU students, is given to students who can demonstrate outstanding academic records and excellent personal capabilities. It is for the duration of four years, or upon graduation, whichever is sooner, and is applicable post completion of the English Requirement, which must be completed within one year. It offers a 100 per cent discount on tuition and university fees. Students must submit their academic records demonstrating an average grade of 97 percent during the last three years (grades 10, 11, 12) of secondary education, a personal statement outlining the applicant's outstanding academic and personal capabilities; and documents justifying qualification and achievement (i.e. letter of appreciation from the secondary school principal, letters and/or certificates from social clubs for outstanding performance). The third category is the University Scholarship, offered to first year students who graduate from secondary school with a high level of academic distinction. It is awarded automatically to all candidates who meet the specified criteria. Secondary school graduates with an average of 95per cent to 100 per cent will receive up to 30 per cent tuition scholarships. Secondary school graduates with an average of 90 per cent to 94.99 per cent will receive up to 20 per cent tuition scholarships. After the first year, students who maintain a distinguished level of academic standing may qualify automatically for the Academic scholarship. In order to be considered for this scholarship, students must dedicate 30 hours per semester, not including the summer term, towards some form of community service and charitable volunteer work, either on or off campus. The fourth category is an Academic Scholarship, which is available to continuing students who maintain a high level of academic distinction offering 20 per cent discount on tuition. It is awarded automatically to all candidates who meet the specified criteria. This scholarship is not applicable to English requirements. Eligible students must maintain, for two consecutive semesters, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 with at least 12 credits per semester. The 5th category is the Athletic Scholarship, which is awarded to applicants with outstanding athletic skills who may receive up to 25p er cent discount on their tuition fees. Applicants should present their academic records demonstrating a minimum grade of 75 per cent during the last year of secondary education, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 if applying from another postsecondary institution; documents justifying qualification and achievement (i.e. letter of appreciation from the secondary school principal, letters and/or certificates from secondary school coach and/or club coach). Scholarships are awarded at the discretion of CFAA. The Family Tuition Discount is available to students of the same family, i.e. members with a direct relation such as siblings, husband and wife, father and son, and so on. Families with more than one student enrolled simultaneously at ADU will receive tuition discount for every additional member where the first student pays full tuition; each of two students enrolled shall benefit from a 15 percent discount in tuition; each of three students enrolled shall benefit from a 20 percent discount in tuition; each of four or more students enrolled shall benefit from a 25 percent discount in tuition. The discounts are applicable for a maximum of 4 years per student, or upon graduation, whichever is sooner. The discount is applicable to English Language Levels.