HBKU Scholarship Allocation and Management

• This outlines the standards for scholarship allocation and management, also detailing the processing of scholarships and tuition waivers at the University.

Policy Description

• Hamad Bin Khalifa University awards scholarships and tuition waivers competitively, considering excellence, academic merit, leadership, service, and financial need.
• The intent is to attract exceptional prospective students.

Policy Statements

• Scholarship jurisdiction resides with the Provost, who allocates them among colleges and delegates identification and awarding to College Deans.
• The Registrar maintains records of scholarship awards.

Scholarship Types

• Undergraduate Tuition Waivers cover 35-100% and are managed by HBKU's Scholarship and Financial Aid Services.
• Full waivers are available for undergraduates with merit, excellence, or financial need. – MS/MA, JD, and PhD candidates can receive waivers of 35-100% based on merit, excellence, financial need, and enrollment status.
• Merit scholarships or stipends are available to international graduate students in MS/MA/JD/PhD programs, awarded competitively through specific colleges to academically qualified students who exceed HBKU's admissions criteria.
• Awards require committee evaluation/recommendation and Dean approval of faculty teaching in the program, with scholarship coverage including:
  • Full or partial tuition waivers (35-100%), which may require partial tuition payment by graduate students as determined by the committee and approved by the Dean.
  • Full or subsidized housing costs (35-100%).
  • Economy class airfare for relocation, purchased by HBKU post-visa approval.
  • A monthly stipend as defined by HBKU policy.
  • Stipends are paid directly to the student.

Scholarship Award Process

• Colleges create scholarship committees to award scholarships based on merit and program needs following outlined policies and procedures.
• Each college Dean sets up a scholarship committee, defines its terms re: overall university policies, and establishes externally-sponsored scholarship funding programs.
• Scholarship committees review requests and recommend awards, after that the Dean of the college will notify successful students.
• All scholarship decisions are final.

Allocating and Maintaining Scholarships

• Applicants must be admitted to an HBKU program and committed to enrolling, exceeding minimum admission prerequisites.
• Scholarships cover the full program duration: four years for BS, two years for MS/MA, three to four years for PhD depending on prior MS/MA, and three years for JD.
• All scholarships require annual reapplications and Spring semester evaluations to determine ongoing eligibility, based on GPA, completed credits, and major eligibility; MS/PhD students need to maintain a 3.0 CGPA.
• Credits from outside HBKU do not count towards scholarship maintenance requirements like GPA.
• Students must understand and meet requirements.
• Amount of each scholarship is determined by each HBKU college and is on the scholarship contract.
• There is no provision for a probationary period.
• Scholarship revocation is possible after an exceptional review from the Dean.
• HBKU can change scholarship/tuition waiver amounts and criteria each year.
• Students cannot hold multiple scholarships or external sponsorships; failure to provide these details may lead to scholarships being cancelled / limited by HBKU.
• Students must accept the terms of their scholarships in order to get continued support.
• Students who drop classes get their HBKU scholarship revoked; and are responsible for tuition penalties.
• Students who do not adhere to University policies get their HBKU scholarship revoked.

Application Procedure

• Applicants must complete all admissions steps, including providing original transcripts and documentation, as well as the correct test scores for TOEFL/IELTS, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, ACT/SAT, etc.
• Failure to submit any supporting documents will disqualify you from consideration.
• Students need to be accepted into an HBKU program before the scholarship can be considered.
• Enrolment forms, including paying a deposit if applicable, must be filled out.
• Applicants must complete a scholarship application.
• Committees need to approve the scholarship for the student, and send an offer letter to the Dean including information like:
  • Support options (tuition, housing, stipends, air tickets, etc)
  • Amounts.
• The Dean must approve requests being sent by them from scholarship committees.
• Applicants need to accept the conditions of the award, which entails the College must approving the scholarships.
• Students need to follow conditions of the agreement if they intend to continue into another year; the student performance is evaluated each year by committees;
• Applicants are notified as soon as possible if a scholarship is revoked due to non-compliance etc.

Responsibilities of Students with Scholarships

• Sign the Scholarship Agreement and meet all the conditions.
• Understand and maintain scholarship requirements.
• Be aware of deadlines and submit information.
• Earn the required credits per semester as stated on the scholarship contract.
• They must attend classes and maintain good academic standing and meet the minimum GPA.
• They need to respond positively to Teaching Assistantship (TA) requests if asked.
• Responsibilities include tutoring for a course, leading course discussions, and/or conducting laboratory sessions and performing academic support.
• Average for teaching assistants: no more than 15 hours per week for the base stipend.

Responsibility, Source, Authority

• This policy and its procedures developed by the Office of the Provost; reviewed and endorsed by the University Academic Programs and Studies Committee; endorsed by the Provost and the University President; and approved by the BOT.
• Assigns the process implementation to the HBKU Provost with college committees and deans collaboration.

Community Awareness

• Individuals who should be aware President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Deans, Program Coordinators, Directors, Faculty, Students.