UAE Year 12 Students Weigh Scholarships, Career Options As Universities Compete

For UAE students weighing university options for their next step on the path of education, the decision is increasingly about more than where to study-with tuition costs, scholarships, financial aid and career opportunities emerging as key considerations.

At the two-day KT UniExpo in Dubai on September 29 and 30, senior school students explored courses spanning engineering, medicine, journalism, psychology and the creative industries, while universities showcased scholarships, merit-based discounts and other financial support to attract prospective students.

The event also highlighted how students are keeping their options open, comparing universities in the UAE with institutions overseas as they assess programmes, costs and the career pathways each option could offer.

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Tom Broderick, Year 12 English teacher and Head of Sixth Form at Safa British School, said the event was particularly useful for students who were still weighing their options.

“I think it's really useful for students to see the range of options available to them in Dubai, including international universities and campuses that are based here. We have students who are considering both local and overseas options. We brought around 80 Year 12 students with us today.

“Even if they are planning to study abroad, we felt it was important for them to keep their options open and explore strong international universities that also have campuses here in Dubai. There's a really good variety of options for them to explore.”

Scholarships emerge as a key part of university choices

For universities, scholarships are increasingly part of the conversation with prospective students, with eligibility often linked to academic performance, application timing and continued grades.

At Ajman University, early applicants can access a 30 per cent scholarship for one year, although the offer excludes medicine and dentistry.

Mohammad Faisal, Student Recruitment Office at Ajman University, said the university also uses academic performance to determine continuing support.

“We have an exclusive scholarship for students who are completing high school. We offer a 30 per cent scholarship for one year to students who apply between February and the end of May, which we consider our early application period. This is the highest scholarship we offer for early applications and is available across all fields except medicine and dentistry.

“For medicine and dentistry, scholarships are based entirely on high school merit. Students who achieve 90 per cent and above can receive a 20 per cent discount for one semester.”

The university also offers further discounts based on students' performance after they enrol.

“But this does not mean the scholarship ends there. In subsequent semesters, students can receive between 10 and 20 per cent based on their CGPA performance at the university.

“We also offer scholarships of 100, 75 and 50 per cent to the top three meritorious students from each college, based on their academic performance at the university. In addition, we have other privilege discounts. We also provide performance-based support, as well as financial aid for students who require additional assistance from the university.”

City University Ajman is also offering scholarships across different categories, with the level and duration of support dependent on the individual scheme.

Riya Femin, Admission Officer, City University Ajman (CUA), said students need to maintain their academic performance for scholarships to continue.

“We are offering scholarships under different categories, with discounts of up to 50 per cent. It can be for the first year or throughout the programme, depending on the category. Students have to maintain a certain grade to have the scholarship extended, and the criteria may vary from one academic year to another.”

Students balance passion, careers and location

For students, however, scholarships are only one part of a much broader decision.

Marcus Babor, Grade 12 at Apple International School, is considering Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and is keeping both the UAE and overseas universities on his list.

“I am looking for something in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering. Studying in the UAE is also one of the options I'm considering. However, if I decide to go abroad, I'm looking at universities in Europe, America or Australia.

“The university offerings I've seen so far are very good. I also enquired about scholarships, and some of the universities are offering decent scholarships.”

Others are still working out what direction they want to take.

Sophie Stack, Year 12 at Safa British School, is exploring options that connect her subjects with potential careers in the creative and social sciences.

“I've seen a lot of different choices. I take psychology, sociology and art, so I definitely want to do something in the creative industry, perhaps something related to people and understanding them. But I honestly don't really know what I want to do yet.

“So, I'm just trying to get an understanding of what's available, what career options are out there and what degrees could lead me towards a path that fits the subjects I'm taking.”

Naya Bashir, Year 12 at Safa British School, is leaning towards Humanities and is considering both the UK and the UAE.

“Right now, I'm looking at different degree options to get a better understanding of what's out there. For me, I'm definitely going down the Humanities route, so something to do with English and Journalism.

“I'm thinking about the UK, but I'm also looking at universities here to get a better overall understanding of my options. My dream is Oxford, but we'll see.”

Schools are also seeing students deliberately retain flexibility in their subject choices.

Kala Balan, Head of Career Counselling at Safa British School, said STEM remains particularly popular, while economics and geography are also gaining traction.

“STEM-based subjects, particularly science and mathematics, are always the most popular, mainly because of the interest in engineering and medicine. But we're also seeing a trend towards economics and geography, which are gaining a lot of popularity.

“I have students who are keeping their options open by taking subjects such as physics, mathematics and economics, so they can choose between fields such as engineering, business or finance later on.”

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