ADIA Scholarship Program
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) sponsors a select number of students each year with the hope of grooming tomorrow’s leaders. Students are selected through a series of stages inclusive of interview, aptitude testing, and academic achievement. Once a student is accepted, they begin a rigorous program of academic study, personal development, and extracurricular accolades. Students are closely monitored and must maintain high standards both inside and outside the classroom.
ADIA welcomes you to Washington, DC and wishes you success in your educational endeavor. During the period of your scholarship, we will provide you with all the assistance that you may need in order to facilitate your stay and direct your full attention to your educational demands and requirements.
Student Financial Benefits
As part of their Scholarship, student will receive a pre-departure allowance during their first term of study, a monthly salary, a yearly travel allowance, and a financial bonus each term dependent upon high academic achievement. Additionally, students receive a one-time computer allowance at the beginning of their first year of study.
Students obtain coverage through their universities.
Reimbursements are provided for all standardized testing (e.g. TOEFL, SAT, ACT, GMAT and GRE) and preparation courses (e.g. Kaplan and Princeton Review) as per the Scholarship rules and regulations.
For reimbursement inquiries, please contact your advisor during regular office hours from 9:00am to 4:00pm Eastern Standard Time from Monday to Friday.
Students will receive a yearly travel allowance in each academic year that they have studied full-time. Students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements.
Each New student is responsible to submit to his/her Scholarship Academic Advisor upon arrival to the US the following:
- Open a bank account with a local or convenient bank and provide your Scholarship Academic Advisor with the appropriate bank information to allow for the Electronic Funds Transfer directly in the student’s bank account. Bank account number and routing number for salary to be wired directly into the account. You need to provide your Academic Advisor of a voided personal check to allow for the Electronic Funds Transfer directly in the student’s bank account. Emails with the information typed in manually are not acceptable for security and accuracy reasons.
- Arrival documents:
- Copy of your I-94
- Copy of your I-20
- Copy of your Passport Biographical Page
- Copy of your Visa Pag
- Two (2) passport photos for the Medical Card
- Local address, phone number, and email address. You are also responsible for notifying your Scholarship Academic Advisor and International Student Advisor at the University in any changes in contact information within ten (10) days of the change in accordance with SEVIS regulation. If any correspondence or checks need to be mailed to you, they will be sent to the last address that you provided to the Cultural Division.
Please note that your Scholarship Academic Advisor will provide you with some necessary forms for you to fill and return to him/her.
Each ADIA scholarship holder is committed to his/her assigned field of study, university, country and duration of study as per his/her letter of sponsorship.
If a student wants to change his/her field of study, university, country and duration of study, this requires the approval of ADIA before any change.
Follow a four year plan of study provided by your Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division. Submit your Academic Study Plan, signed by your university advisor, to your Academic Advisor during your first academic semester or quarter.
Submit your completed, signed Registration Form for each term (Semester, Quarter) to your Academic Advisor at the beginning of each term. You must provide the Cultural Division with the registration form after the end of the Add/Drop period.
Register for the term you will be in as a full-time student according to your Academic Study Plan and registering them during the period of registration.
You MUST register for the minimum credit hours required for the term you will be in according to the academic system of the university or college except during the period of writing the master or doctoral dissertation.
The US immigration rules and regulations policy requirements dictate that an undergraduate student is not allowed to register for less than 12 credits per a semester or 15 credits per a quarter. And, for the graduate not less than 9 credits per a semester or 12 credits per a 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.
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.
Submit your Academic Progress Report (Transcript) to your Scholarship Academic Advisor at the end of each term (Semester, Quarter). 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.
The academic report should include course grades, cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and a statement of the academic standing of the student. The academic report can be in the form of a letter or other official document and should be signed by the appropriate university official, e.g. Dean, Department Head, and Registrar.
Notify your Scholarship Academic Advisor of any travel plans outside the location of study, either for trips to other places or return trips to the UAE. Provide a copy of your I-94 upon your return to the US.
Your Scholarship Academic Advisor at the Cultural Division is available to provide information, advice and assistance to you. You may consult him/her for assistance on concerns regarding academic and personal matters that may arise before departure, upon arrival, and throughout the duration of your scholarship program in the US. S/he may be reached at 1 (877) 862-7223 or (202) 243-4444 during regular office hours from 9am to 4pm Eastern Time from Monday to Friday. In the event of emergencies beyond those hours, you are asked to use the Emergency Contact number posted instead.
For billing and reimbursement inquiries, please contact our (202) 243-4412 during regular office hours from 9:00am to 4:00pm Eastern Standard Time from Monday to Friday.
We wish all of you very a happy time and successful years wherever you are in the United States.

