1.3.1 Canadian University Dubai — Bottom Financial Quintile Admission Target
Commitment to Equitable Access
Canadian University Dubai (CUD) is committed to widening access to higher education for academically qualified students from low-income households and financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Recognising that poverty and financial hardship can prevent students from pursuing higher education, CUD has established a targeted approach to supporting students from the bottom 20% of the national household income distribution (bottom financial quintile) or an equivalent documented poverty-related income category, subject to applicable UAE income classifications.
The University's approach combines targeted admission objectives, need-based scholarships, financial assistance, community outreach and ongoing monitoring to reduce financial barriers to university participation.
Institutional Admission Target
CUD's stated admission target is for at least 10% of each incoming undergraduate cohort to comprise students from the bottom 20% of household income or an equivalently defined low-income group.
The target is intended to support academically eligible applicants experiencing serious financial disadvantages that could otherwise prevent them from entering higher education.
The Office of Admissions, in coordination with the Scholarship Committee, is responsible for monitoring the target against annual incoming undergraduate admission records.
Applicants' financial circumstances are assessed using documented household income and/or recognised financial hardship criteria, subject to the University's approved eligibility and confidentiality procedures.
Financial Access and Admission Support Measures
CUD's approach to widening participation includes several complementary forms of financial and institutional support.
1. Financial Hardship Scholarship
CUD offers a need-based Financial Hardship Scholarship providing tuition assistance of up to 40%, subject to assessment of documented financial need and applicable scholarship conditions.
For the 2025–26 academic year, institutional records report 48 scholarship recipients in the Fall semester and 52 in the Spring semester, representing 100 semester-level scholarship awards or recipient records.
This assistance is intended to reduce tuition-related barriers and support students whose financial circumstances may otherwise affect their ability to access or continue higher education.
2. Application Fee Waivers
Applicants experiencing documented financial hardship may request an application fee waiver, subject to the University's applicable eligibility and approval procedures.
This measure is intended to reduce upfront financial barriers for prospective students from low-income households.
3. Targeted Access and Community Outreach
CUD's student recruitment and outreach activities include engagement with schools, community organisations and external partners to improve awareness of higher education opportunities and available financial support.
These activities are intended to help prospective students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds understand admission requirements, scholarship opportunities and the support available through the University.
4. Combined Scholarship and Tuition Assistance
Under applicable scholarship rules, eligible students may combine financial support arrangements and discounts up to a stated maximum tuition reduction of 60%.
The availability and value of combined assistance depend on individual eligibility, approved awards and relevant university scholarship regulations.
5. External Scholarship and Sponsorship Partnerships
CUD works with external partners to extend financial support opportunities.
Reported arrangements include the GEMS Education scholarship initiative, associated with a stated AED 10 million scholarship commitment, and Canada Day Scholarships supporting eligible students with financial need.
The University also operates a Student Sponsorship Liaison Office to coordinate external sponsorship opportunities and support arrangements.
These partnerships complement CUD's institutional financial aid programmes, although not every scholarship is necessarily awarded on the basis of poverty.
Institutional Performance: Financial Aid Access
CUD monitors the number and proportion of students receiving financial assistance because of poverty.
The institutional records supplied for academic years 2022–23 to 2024–25 show the following:
| Academic Year | Total Students | Low-Income Students Receiving Financial Aid | Reported Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 1,039 | 618 | 59.48% |
| 2023–24 | 1,095 | 875 | 79.91% |
| 2024–25 | 1,733 | 940 | 54.24% |
In academic year 2024–25, 940 of the 1,733 reported students received financial assistance associated with poverty, representing 54.24% of the reported student population.
Compared with 2022–23, the reported number of low-income students receiving financial assistance increased from 618 to 940, an increase of approximately 52.1%.
The overall student population also grew substantially during this period. Consequently, the proportion of students receiving poverty-related financial assistance fluctuated, declining from 79.91% in 2023–24 to 54.24% in 2024–25.
These figures demonstrate the scale of institutional financial assistance and complement the University's targeted approach to reducing poverty-related barriers to higher education.
Monitoring the Bottom Financial Quintile Admission Target
The University's 10% admission target is monitored separately from the overall proportion of students receiving financial aid.
The admission-target assessment focuses on:
- The number of newly admitted undergraduate students in the relevant academic year.
- The number of those admitted students belonging to the defined bottom financial quintile or approved equivalent poverty-related category.
- The proportion of the incoming undergraduate cohort meeting that definition.
- Annual performance against the 10% institutional target.
- Actions undertaken to improve access for financially disadvantaged applicants.
The Office of Admissions and Scholarship Committee are responsible for reviewing relevant admission and financial aid records and identifying opportunities to strengthen targeted recruitment and support.
Bottom Financial Quintile Admission Performance
| Monitoring Measure | 2024–25 |
|---|---|
| Total newly admitted undergraduate students | 478 |
| Newly admitted students from bottom financial quintile / approved equivalent | 134 |
| Institutional admission target | 10% |
| Actual admission proportion | 28% |
| Target achieved | YES |
These measures provide the direct basis for evaluating progress against CUD's bottom financial quintile admission target.
Institutional Oversight and Continuous Improvement
CUD's admissions and scholarship functions provide an institutional mechanism for reviewing financial access and supporting students experiencing economic hardship.
The University aims to assess its financial aid coverage, identify unmet financial needs, evaluate relevant admission barriers and strengthen its access initiatives over time.
Annual monitoring results can inform scholarship planning, recruitment outreach and student-support priorities.
The University seeks to ensure that financial assistance is not limited to initial entry but also contributes to students' continued participation and successful progression through higher education.
Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
CUD's low-income admission target and financial access measures contribute to:
- SDG 1 — No Poverty: Reducing poverty-related barriers to higher education and supporting students facing economic disadvantage.
- SDG 4 — Quality Education: Expanding equitable access to tertiary education.
- SDG 10 — Reduced Inequalities: Supporting participation among financially disadvantaged and underrepresented student populations.
Through targeted admission objectives, need-based financial assistance and institutional monitoring, CUD seeks to make higher education more accessible to students whose financial circumstances might otherwise restrict their opportunities.
Responsible offices: Office of Admissions, Scholarship Committee and relevant student-support offices.
Contact: scholarship@cud.ac.ae
Reporting period: Academic year 2024–25, with historical financial aid comparisons from 2022–23 and 2023–24. Later scholarship examples are identified separately.