Scholarships in Bahrain for Bahraini and Incoming Foreign Students

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in the Persian Gulf. The country is a great place to live, to study, and to accomplish career goals. Many opportunities to gain experience and improve skills or expand knowledge are offered in this beautiful land. With a wide range of job choices, Bahrain also provides educational opportunities such as quality education in its higher educational institutions and scholarships.

Scholarships in Bahrain are offered generously by the government, institutions of higher education and non-governmental organizations. The scholarships in Bahrain are available for both studies in the country and abroad.

If you are interested to explore this attractive land as well as experience studying at its higher educational institutions, or if you are a Bahraini student seeking educational opportunities in the country or abroad, read on and find out the best scholarship for you!

1. RCSI Bahrain Scholarships

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain, or RCSI Bahrain, is a constituent university of RCSI, which was established in Dublin, Ireland in 1784. RCSI Bahrain is also licensed by the Higher Education Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain as an independent private university, and like its counterpart in Dublin, is a not-for-profit health sciences institution focused on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. With a long-standing history of educating Bahraini students, RCSI was invited to set up its own campus on the island and the University officially opened its doors to a cohort of 28 medical students in 2004. Today, the purpose-built campus features a host of teaching spaces, laboratories, offices, a library, a restaurant, a dedicated student support center and extensive sports and recreational facilities.

A number of internal and external scholarship opportunities are available to those applying to RSCI Bahrain programs.

• • RCSI Bahrain Medicine Scholarships: Launched in 2018 as a means of recognizing outstanding incoming students in the form of fees concessions for each year of the MB MCh BAO (undergraduate medicine) program. Two medicine scholarships are offered with 1/3 concession on tuition fees. To be considered for a scholarship, candidates must be in receipt of a full or conditional offer for RCSI Bahrain’s undergraduate medicine program and satisfy the qualifying criteria.
  • RCSI Bahrain Nursing Scholarship: As a means of recognizing outstanding incoming students to the BSc in Nursing program, RCSI Bahrain is offering one scholarship in the form of full concession of fees for each year of the program. The scholarship is open to all Bahraini and non-Bahraini applicants in receipt of a full or conditional offer to the BSc in Nursing program, and will be granted on merit, based on the entry requirements.
  • Shaikha Moza Bint Hamad Medicine Scholarship: Presented by the AlMabarrah AlKhalifa Foundation as part of the Rayaat scholarship program. The scholarship is open to Bahraini students who meet the required entry criteria set out by RCSI Bahrain and the AlMabarrah AlKhalifa Foundation. The scholarship covers full tuition fees as well as other benefits pertaining to the Rayaat Scholarship program.
  • Shaikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa Medicine Scholarship: Launched in 2019 as a means of recognizing outstanding incoming students in the form of full fees concessions for each year of the MB BCh BAO (undergraduate medicine) program. Only Bahraini candidates who are in receipt of a full or conditional offer for RCSI Bahrain’s undergraduate medicine program and satisfy the qualifying criteria will be considered for this scholarship.

2. Rayaat Scholarship Program

AlMabarrah AlKhalifa Foundation (MKF) is a non-profit foundation registered and licensed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. Its aim is to make a social impact in the education field and to empower Bahraini youth to reach their optimum potential. By providing Bahraini youth with knowledge, skills and character, it is hoped that they will be able to develop themselves and their Kingdom further.

Through aligning the foundation’s vision with the Bahrain 2030 vision, MKF is committed to enriching Bahrain’s education sector through specialized programs that target Bahraini youth.

The MKF university scholarship program “Rayaat”, was initiated in 2011 as a comprehensive approach to education and personal development. It provides students with scholarships at accredited universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. In addition, the program offers financial incentives, enrichment workshops, work experiences, and community service opportunities within a supportive student environment.

3. British University of Bahrain Scholarships

• • Academic Excellence Award: BUB believes in rewarding academic excellence and in attracting the most able students from Bahrain and the wider region. BUB aims to provide a nurturing academic environment to enable the students to maximize their potential. BUB is proud to announce the Academic Excellence Scholarship scheme with following criteria:
    • Excellence Award (L3 entry): students with 95% – 100% APM receive 25% scholarship; students with 85% – 94% APM receive 20% scholarship; students with 80% – 84% APM receive 15% scholarship.
    • Excellence Award (L4 entry) A Levels: students with AAB (146 UCAS points) receive 25% scholarship; students with ABB (128 UCAS points) receive 20% scholarship; students with BBB (120 UCAS points) receive 15% scholarship.
    • Excellence Award (L4 entry) IB: students with 34 IB points or above receive 25% scholarship; students with 31-33 IB points receive 20% scholarship.
    • Excellence Award (Transfer Students): students who have completed Foundation Year from an approved institution with an APM of 70% with no score less than grade C (or equivalent) receive 25% scholarship.
  • Academic Bursary Scheme: Applicants not in receipt of an automatic scholarship can elect to undertake the scholarship exam to secure a scholarship. Students who perform exceptionally well in this examination will be entitled to fee reductions of up to 25% for the duration of their studies.
  • Scholarships: BUB has made four full scholarships a year available through the Sheikh Isa Endowment Fund. To avail this, kindly contact the Ministry of Education.
  • Transfer Scholarships: BUB has made transfer scholarships available as well. This is for students who have completed their Foundation Year in another university and they plan to shift to BUB to continue their degree studies.

4. Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program

The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program (CPISP) was established in 1999 by HRH the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Commander, and First Deputy Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The Program is privately funded by HRH Prince Salman and various local and international sponsoring organizations and individuals who share HRH’s vision of equipping outstanding young Bahrainis with the necessary tools to excel and achieve their aspirations and contribute to the building of the modern Bahraini state.

The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program aims to nurture the minds of future generations through education. The Program provides Bahrain’s most gifted and talented youth the opportunity to learn at the finest international educational institutions. Further, it provides its scholars with career development support and training; equipping them with the necessary tools to become effective decision makers who contribute to Bahrain’s development, both nationally and globally.

Within the attempts to reach their goals, CPISP offers merit-based scholarships every year. Ten fully funded university scholarships are awarded on an annual basis to young men and women from both governmental and private secondary schools, based on their academic merit. The selection criteria include SAT and IELTS scores, Grade Point Average (GPA), and results of training programs organized by the CPISP.

Scholars from Ministry of Education schools are placed into boarding schools for a period of two years where they obtain either an American High School Diploma ir complete their A-Levels, before applying to university.

The Program provides its scholars with training and a solid international educational foundation, in addition to continuous opportunities to gain work experience and international cultural exposure.

Scholars may choose their own desired field of study and accredited university they gain acceptance to, provided that it is outside of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the region, to ensure international cultural exposure. Scholars can also continue with postgraduate and doctoral programs. They are not required to return to Bahrain after graduation or work for a particular organization.

The CPISP provides its scholars with internships and career development guidance, and facilitates them with job placement after graduation. The Program also organizes courses and training for all qualifying candidates applying fro scholarships, as part of teh overall selection process.

5. Ahlia University Scholarships and Financial Aid

Ahlia University provides a scholarship fund for highly qualified students with limited financial resources. Admitted students may apply for financial aid or scholarship as follows:

• • Financial Aid: Newly enrolled students are eligible for partial tuition remission if they provide proof of limited financial resources and attain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 80% in the last three years of secondary school education.
  • Scholarships: Ahlia University offers various kinds of merit scholarships, among which are President’s Scholarships and Dean’s List Scholarships. the President’s Scholarships provide students with 100% tuition remission. Current students are eligible for the Dean’s List Scholarship if, among other criteria, they attain a grade point average of 3.5 in any given term during the regular academic year. The Dean’s List Scholarship provides a tuition scholarship of 25% for the following academic semester and in the case of the second semester, the Dean’s List Scholarship can be applied to summer courses.

New secondary school graduates with a cumulative grade point average of 97% and above can apply for a full scholarship. Graduates with 90% or above are entitled to a 25% discount and those with a score of 95% or above are eligible to apply for a scholarship on a first-come-first-served basis.