UAE launches AI-powered scholarship platform, cutting application time to just five minutes

Dubai: Students applying for scholarships in the UAE can now complete the process in as little as five minutes, thanks to a new AI-powered platform launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Fewer documents, fewer steps and far fewer fields to fill in mean less paperwork and more time for students to prepare for their studies.

The platform is part of EduHub, the unified Higher Education digital portal, which serves as a gateway to a range of Ministry services, the ministry announced on Thursday.

These include registration and admission services for higher education institutions, scholarship services, enquiries about institutions and academic programmes outside the UAE, and the submission and tracking of exemption requests.

It represents a comprehensive transformation in how the Ministry delivers services through its website. The process is simpler and faster, supporting the Ministry's digital transformation efforts, its drive to eliminate bureaucracy and its investment in AI to enhance service efficiency and streamline the customer journey.

Less paperwork

Rashed Karam Al Kaabi, Director of the International Education Support and Scholarships Department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said: “The new scholarship platform is built on digital integration and direct connectivity with several government entities, including the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the National Service and Reserve Authority and the Ministry of Education. This integration has reduced the number of documents required from customers to just two, while eliminating the need for applicants to provide personal information or high school transcripts for students following the government curriculum, as this information is retrieved automatically through the system.”

Al Kaabi explained that the number of steps required to submit an application has been reduced from five to three, while the number of fields applicants need to complete has fallen from 22 to just four. As a result, the time required to submit an application has been reduced to a minimum of five minutes.

He noted that these changes represent a significant improvement in the customer experience, while also simplifying administrative procedures and reducing the time required from scholarship students. This gives students more time to focus on preparing for their educational journey with confidence, without having to deal with routine administrative procedures.

AI does the work

The platform uses AI tools to read and verify documents, while automating procedures that previously required direct intervention from customers. For example, scholarship agreements can now be signed entirely electronically, and documents can be submitted after a scholarship has been awarded without traditional communication or visits to Ministry offices.

Applicants also receive instant notifications and continuous updates on their application status, along with a direct messaging feature to communicate with the relevant department. This makes applications easier to track, prevents duplicate submissions and helps staff follow up, while reducing manual errors through electronic integration with government entities.

Challenges addressed

The platform is also designed to address key challenges customers previously faced, including difficulties tracking applications via email, the need to visit the Ministry in the event of a technical issue, and lengthy document-signing procedures. Today, all stages of the service are fully digital, improving processing speed and the reliability of procedures.

During the next phase, the Ministry will measure the platform's effectiveness and its impact on customers by monitoring service completion times, the number of steps, the percentage of digitally processed transactions and customer satisfaction. These measures will help evaluate the experience and support continuous improvement, with the aim of achieving the best possible outcomes.