Guide for the Scholar (English)

Greetings from the Cultural Division in Washington, DC.

The Cultural Division in Washington, DC does its best to provide each scholar with the best possible educational opportunities at the best educational US institutions. It supports each scholar academically and financially according to his/her sponsor’s decree and benefits.

The Cultural Division in Washington, DC advises you to follow the below points: 

  1. Read the General Instructions for the Scholar below carefully.
  2. Follow the steps to obtain a Student Visa to the US.
  3. Arrive to your place of study before the beginning of the semester or quarter. Please be advised that each sponsored-student can benefice of up to six (6) nights upon arrival at the beginning of the scholarship period.
  4. If you don’t have a friend or a family to stay with and you would like to stay in the dormitory or to live with a family (Homestay), please fill out the document sent to you along with your I-20 by your university or college. 
  5. If you would like your university or college to meet you at the airport, please fill out the document sent to you along with your I-20. 
  6. You have the right of two (2) suitcases with a maximum of 23 kilograms (50 pounds) and a carry on with a maximum of 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and according to the system adopted by the airline company that you are traveling with.
  7. Upon your arrival to the US, please provide your Scholarship Academic Advisor, by mail or fax or via email, of the following:
    • A copy of your Passport Biographical Page
    • A copy of your I-94
    • A copy of your I-20
    • A copy of your Visa Page
    • Two (2) passport photos for the Medical Card (to be sent by mail)
  8. After finding a place to live, please provide your Scholarship Academic Advisor, by mail or fax or via email, of your address, phone number, and your email address.

Please provide your Scholarship Academic Advisor, by mail or fax or via email, of a VOID check showing your Bank account number and routing number for salary to be wired directly into your account.

If you would like to contact your Scholarship Academic Advisor, you may reach him/her at (202) 243-4444 or by email or you may dial the Toll-Free 1 877-862-7223 during regular office hours from 9am to 4pm Eastern Standard Time from Monday to Friday.

In the event of emergencies beyond those hours, students are asked to use the Emergency Contact number +1 (240) 654-2720. Please note this number is for emergency cases only. No other services or information will be provided.

Students are also responsible for notifying their Scholarship Academic Advisor and International Student Advisor at the University in any changes in contact information within ten (10) days of the change.

We wish all of you successful years in your studies in the United States.

Dr. Suaad Zayed Al-Oraimi
Cultural Attaché

General Instructions for the Scholar

Study of the English Language

If you come to the United States with a F-1 visa after receiving the Form I-20 to study at an Language Institute, College or University, you will have to enroll in that Institute, College or University. You must study at the Institution indicated on the I-20 Form that you used to enter the US. This is an immigration rule.

Many language programs that are part of a University have an agreement that if the student passes their highest level that the TOEFL requirement for admission is waived. In general, however, the TOEFL score is required for admission to an academic program.

Academic Study

Every student shall talk with her/his Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division in Washington, DC before joining a university or a college to study the major of his/her scholarship to avoid joining a program that is not accredited. 

A student who does not follow the instructions of his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor and studies in a program that is not approved by the Cultural Division in Washington, DC, will have problems certifying his/her documents (e.g. Degree, transcript, letter of comletions, etc.).

All UAE students must attend only US-accredited higher education institutions from one of the six (6) Regional Accrediting Organizations. Also, professional accreditation is required by MOHESR for all fields subject to professional or specialized accreditation programs, such as business administration, engineering, computer science, public administration, law, education, medicine, and other programs, have to be accredited by the appropriate Professional Accrediting Organization.

Academic Study Way

The only approved way of study is the courses taught in a traditional classroom, lecture or seminar setting. Students are NOT allowed to study by non-traditional courses, such as online, correspondence, distance learning, and independent studies. Non-traditional courses MUST be approved by the Cultural Division before the student enrolls in the course.

Students can take some courses by one of non-traditional courses only if the following conditions are met:

  • The student has filled out the Online Courses Form for taking a non-traditional course, which is sent to the student by his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor or is downloaded from this website.
  • The Cultural Division must receive a letter from your university advisor describing the course in detail.
  • Online, correspondence, and distance learning courses must be completed at an approved university. Independent studies courses must be completed at the home university and approved by the Cultural Counselor.  
  • All online, correspondence, distance learning, and independent studies courses must be approved by the Cultural Division before you enroll in the course.

Undergraduate students can take a total of 12 hours of non-traditional coursework.  Masters students can take a total of 6 credits and Ph.Ds can take a total of 9 credit hours.   

Failure to follow these conditions under any circumstances, including when you plan to pay for the classes yourself, can result in your degree not being authenticated by the Cultural Division upon completion and your scholarship being terminated.

Registration and Credit Hours Required

The student enrolled in academic studies is obligated to enroll for the minimum number of credit hours each Semester or Quarter.

The US immigration rules and regulations dictate that an undergraduate student is not allowed to register for less than 12 credits per a semester or 15 credits per a quarter. Graduate students must not enroll for fewer than 9 credits per semester or 12 credits per quarter. If, for any reason, you intend to drop certain credits, you should get a written approval from both your University or College Academic Advisor and your Scholarship Academic Advisor.

Not registering the minimum credit hours will render the residency of the student in the US illegal which will expose him/her to penalties such as detention or deportation.

You MUST not withdraw from any courses that you have already registered for unless it is during the Add/Drop period that the university specified. You must be committed to the courses you selected for each semester or quarter.

You will be responsible for the payment of the tuition fees of the courses you added or dropped without approval from your Scholarship Academic Advisor and the courses were not included in your Academic Study Plan.

Study in Summer

Study in summer is a free choice of the scholar, but the scholar who has studied ESL for more than 1 year shall use that period studying in summer to finish the necessary requirements for academic admission. S/he can study at another University but only in the summer and in coordination with the Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division in Washington, DC. The scholar must send to his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor a letter from the Academic Advisor at the university saying that the courses that s/he will take during the summer at the other university or college will be counted of the academic langugage requirements required to become a fully matriculated student.

Academic Progress Report (Transcript)

Via transcripts, the Cultural Division and the Ministry of Higher Education are informed of the status of a scholar’s studies. It is necessary that the scholar contact the Registar’s Office or the Record’s Office, as some universities call it, to fill the form concerning the transcripts and write the name of his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor and the address of the Cultural Division at the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC. This will help the Scholarship Academic Advisor to follow the academic progress of the scholar and enable him/her to send periodic reports to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Delay in sending your transcript in the specified period will automatically result in holding your monthly stipend and may lead to the termination of the scholarship.

Change of Major

It is very important for students to realize the consequences of changing an educational institution both for them and the Scholarship Authority in terms of the difficulties that they may encounter with the university they intend to transfer from, such as eligibility for, loss of time, interruption of study and incurring unnecessary additional charges.

If a student wants to change his/her specialization and educational institution this requires a revision of the original Decree.

Thus, it is extremely important to make the appropriate decision in choosing the area of specialization and educational institution at the beginning of overseas study.

A desire of transfer will also affect the Scholarship Authority, which in most cases will incur additional expenses which are paid as a result of scholar’s desire to change his/her specialization or educational institution.

Therefore, MOHESR would like to reaffirm the importance of committing to the primary educational institution and scholar’s specialization, except in cases of extreme necessity and after obtaining the Ministry’s approval in advance of any change.

The Ministry’s regulations of changing specializations are as follows:

  1. The scholar presents a request explaining the reasons that pushed him/her to change the major.
  2. S/he provides a letter to be sent from the Academic Advisor at the University to the Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division indicating the reasons.
  3. S/he fills out the Change of Major Form provided by the Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division.
  4. S/he has to continue the major which was the basis for the scholarship until the Ministry approves/disapproves the change of major.
Withdrawal from Courses

If a student wants to withdraw from any courses, s/he MUST do that during the Add/Drop period that the university specified without payment or penalties and MUST maintain the minimum credit hours according to the US immigration laws and regulations for students. Please refer to the article No. 4 “Registration and Credit Hours Required” of this guide.

You will be responsible for the payment of the tuition fees of the courses you added or dropped without approval from your Scholarship Academic Advisor and the courses were not included in your Academic Study Plan.

If a student does not respect that, the Cultural Division will inform the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, who will take follow-up action, up to and including termination of the scholarship.

In addition, the Cultural Division is not responsible for paying the tuition fees of the courses not part of the graduation requirements, such as Audit Courses, unless the student received a written approval from his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor.

Transfer to another University or College

If a student wants to be transferred to another university or college, s/he MUST talk to his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor and get his/her approval.

The approval or denial of transfer to another university or college will be based on many conditions such as the accreditation, the ranking, and transfer of credit hours to and from the desired institution. Also student has to finish the semester or quarter in which s/he is currently enrolled. 

Cancellation of Scholarship

A scholarship or bursary shall be cancelled by virtue of the Minister’s decision based on the articles provided for in Federal Law on scholarships, in the following cases:

  1. If a student fails to commence the scholarship or academic aid within three months from the date of issue of the dispatch decision unless the delay is for a legitimate reason acceptable to the Ministry.
  2. If a student gets married to a non-Muslim foreigner during the period of his study.
  3. If a student fails without excuse acceptable to the Ministry to attain the minimum number of credit hours for three terms during his/her scholarship term, in the case of semester studies, or if he fails for two years in the case of the studies pursued on a yearly basis.
  4. If a student is accused of misconduct or conduct prejudicial to the UAE’s reputation abroad.
  5. If a student practices a destructive activity that contradicts with the teachings of the Islamic religion or the UAE traditions, customs, ideals and values.
  6. If a student obtains a scholarship from another authority without the Ministry’s approval.
  7. If a student changes his/her specialization or type of study for which he/she was dispatched or if he/she changes the scholarship country without the Ministry’s approval.
  8. If a student is absent from study without a justification approved by to the Ministry.
  9. If a student provides the Ministry with incorrect information.
Documents of Completion

The scholar, after completing the necessary requirements for the major (Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D), has to ask for his/her Diploma, Transcript and Letter of Completion, which include grade, major, and date of completion, from the Registar’s Office or the Record’s Office.

The student receives his/her Documents of Completion after a period that may take up to 4-8 weeks.

The student has to fill out a specific form that shows the name of his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division in Washington, D.C. and its address and give it to the Registrar’s Office or the Records Office at the University which will send his/her Degree, Transcript, and Letter of Completion to the Cultural Division. After authenticating them, the Cultural Division will send them to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to give them to the student in the UAE.

The graduating student has to give his/her address and phone number(s) in the UAE to his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor so that the Ministry will be able to make contact easily for delivery of the graduation documents.

If you have any other inquiries, please contact your Scholarship Academic Advisor at (202) 243-4444 or by email or you can call toll-free 1 877-862-7223 during regular office hours from 9AM to 4PM Eastern Standard Time from Monday to Friday.


We wish all of you a very happy time and successful years wherever you are in the United States.