No fee increase at Abu Dhabi University for 2013-14

In a statement released on Saturday, ADU announced that the tuition fees will remain unchanged throughout the 2013-14 academic year. Also the university will offer substantial incentives of up to 25 per cent discounts on tuition, as part of its long-standing commitment to post-graduate education and to make world-class education more accessible to the most academically and financially deserving students.

 

The tuition freeze is part of ADU’s strategy of establishing a state of equilibrium between highly competitive academic standards and competitive value for money. It is partly designed to help the UAE to retain its most gifted academic talents at local centers of academic excellence, as a more attractive alternative to traveling abroad for tertiary education.

 

The move is in stark contrast to the escalating tuition costs experienced at popular destinations like the US, where tuition fees have increased by as much as 32 per cent. In the UK, tuition fee increases have led to a 7.7 per cent decline in applications over the past year.

 

In addition to the unchanged tuition, ADU’s Merit-Based Masters Level Tuition Policy stipulates that students who graduate from any institution with a minimum CGPA of 3.5 or equivalent are eligible for a significant discount of 25 per cent discount in fees. ADU alumni who wish to pursue Masters degrees will receive a 20 per cent tuition discount.

 

Dr Nabil Ibrahim, Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University, said: “Our support for our alumni does not end when they graduate, because even after they attain their Bachelors degrees we help empower them to further their studies through our 20 per cent discount for all ADU alumni.

 

In today’s ultra-competitive job market, postgraduate degrees distinguish candidates above the overwhelming majority of other job seekers. This builds on our highly unique Bachelors programs which have been crafted according to the highest global standards and enables more than 90 per cent of our graduates to find employment within a year from graduation.”

 

The announcement, coupled with ADU’s status as a lively cosmopolitan hub of over 60 nationalities, could entice exceptionally gifted students seeking a vibrant student community that nurtures their social, cultural and intellectual growth in the dynamic heart of the UAE’s thriving capital.