UAE: Students must confirm university admissions and scholarships offers by August 11

The UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has set August 11, 2025, as the final deadline for students to confirm university admissions and scholarships for the 2025–2026 academic year . Alongside this, the Ministry has introduced a new unified academic calendar for all public and private universities, standardizing key term dates and holidays across the country to better support student wellbeing and family life.

August 11- final deadline for admission and scholarship confirmations

The UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research ( MoHESR ) has set August 11, 2025, as the final deadline for students to confirm or decline university admission and scholarship offers for the Fall 2025–2026 academic year.

This deadline applies to:

• Students applying to UAE-based higher education institutions
  
• Students who have received offers for government-funded scholarships abroad
  
  

All students must complete and submit their final confirmations through the Ministry’s electronic portal by this date. Along with acceptance or rejection of offers, applicants are also required to complete all remaining administrative procedures to avoid delays or disruptions in the application process.

The Ministry has urged students to log in using their UAE Pass, access the “Student and Scholarship Registration” service on its website, regularly check their application status for updates, and complete any additional requirements issued by their institutions without delay.

Failure to meet the August 11 deadline could jeopardize admission status or scholarship placement for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Streamlined student services to simplify the application process
As part of its ongoing digital transformation, MoHESR has optimized the application process to be more user-friendly and efficient. Key improvements include:

• Reduced application time to just 90 seconds
  
• 86% reduction in the number of documents required
  
• Access to 59 higher education institutions in the UAE through a single platform
  
  

These enhancements are designed to make the system more accessible for students, increase processing speed, and minimize bureaucracy, especially for those applying to multiple institutions or for competitive scholarship programmes.

The Ministry emphasized the importance of meeting all procedural steps on time, particularly for those seeking scholarships abroad, noting that processing setbacks could affect placement and enrolment for the upcoming academic year.

New university calendar for 2025–2026

As part of its wider education reform agenda, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has introduced a unified academic calendar for the 2025–2026 academic year, applying to all public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) across the UAE.

Approved by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council, the revised framework standardizes term schedules and aligns university holidays with the national school calendar to support family cohesion, reduce academic stress, and promote students’ mental and emotional wellbeing.

Key dates under the new academic calendar:

• Academic Year Begins: Monday, 25 August 2025
  
• Winter Break: 8 December 2025 – 4 January 2026 (4 weeks)
• Classes Resume After Winter Break: 5 January 2026
  
• Spring Break: 16 – 29 March 2026 (2 weeks)
  
• Classes Resume After Spring Break: 30 March 2026
  
• Academic Year Ends: 3 July 2026
  
  

While the calendar introduces a unified national structure, the Ministry has also built in limited flexibility for institutions to accommodate variations in program design. Universities may adjust the start and end dates of their academic year to align with specific academic programmes or summer semester needs. Similarly, holiday breaks may shift by up to one week earlier or later, as long as the overall duration of each break remains unchanged.

All HEIs, whether local or international, are expected to comply with the unified calendar. However, international branch campuses operating in the UAE may be granted exemptions if they follow the academic schedules of their home-country systems.


The calendar revision is part of a broader national strategy to align higher education with development priorities, student wellbeing, and evolving social needs. The Ministry stated that the changes reflect its commitment to creating a more student-centered, flexible, and family-oriented academic environment, particularly significant as the UAE marks the 2025–2026 academic year as the official “Year of Community.”

For More Information

All relevant updates, procedures, and services can be accessed through the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s official website. Students are encouraged to stay informed, act within deadlines, and use the available smart services to ensure successful enrolment and scholarship processing.