Under the recently approved domestic scholarship program, the government will grant partial scholarships that cover 50 percent of fees to those already studying in private colleges with a grade of “Good”. The full scholarship program is available to college students who finish at least a semester with a grade of “Very Good”, or high school graduates who finish school with a similar grade and pass the high school graduates' Assessment Exam (Qeyas) with no less than 65 percent. Successful students will be awarded full scholarships in medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, applied medical sciences, nursing, engineering, computer, information technology, applied sciences, management, accounting and law. It should be noted, however, that partial scholarships are available for all the above-mentioned programs except for management, accounting and law. Regulations stipulate that the number of students on scholarship in management, law and accountancy programs should not exceed 20 percent of the total number of students on scholarships. They also stipulate a ceiling for fees – SR60, 000 for medicine and SR40, 000 for engineering, for example. In addition, a full scholarship will be turned into a partial scholarship if a student's grade drops, and conversely, a partial scholarship will be converted to full if a student's grade rises. As many as 10,000 Saudi students will benefit from the recently approved domestic scholarship program, according to Dr. Muhammad Al-Ohali, Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education. The program, which will run for five years, covers 50 percent of students enrolled in private colleges in the Kingdom. Al-Ohali said the program includes students who were unable to gain admission to government universities and colleges, noting that previously the government granted scholarships to 30 percent of students studying in private institutions of higher education in the Kingdom. “Domestic scholarships are subject to high standards. The private colleges in question must have obtained the certificate of the National Commission for Assessment and Academic Accreditation,” he said.
