American University of Sharjah (AUS) has increased the financial aid offered to students while keeping its tuition fees unchanged this year, said AUS Acting Chancellor Dr. Thomas Hochstettler today.

"The decision was made at the last meeting of the AUS Board of Trustees, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS, in support of families and their children in the university," Dr. Hochstettler said.

Dr. Hochstettler expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for the generous gesture. He said the decision not to increase the university's tuition fees was initiated by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and appreciated by the members of the AUS Board of Trustees. He also thanked members of the AUS Board of Trustees.

Ali Shuhaimy, AUS Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, said the average undergraduate tuition fees at AUS for students enrolling this academic year are around AED 80,000 per year, which is in line with most international universities of our standing, both in Europe and the US; however, the majority of our students pay less than this. In fact, more than 50 per cent of AUS students are in receipt of grants and scholarships, which total AED 80 million each year.

AUS is a not-for-profit institution of higher education that invests in its students, faculty and facilities. As a result, in just 15 years, we have become the benchmark for quality education in the Gulf. We were ranked recently as one of the top 450 universities worldwide by QS, the respected independent global ranking system, he said.

"Our focus at AUS is on quality and this is reflected in our exceptional standing with students, parents, faculty and employers," Shuhaimy said.Shuhaimy clarified: "We have designated funds to aid students who may need assistance with the cost of their education at the university. Highly qualified undergraduate students with limited financial resources may be awarded a financial grant while students with exceptional high school performance may receive partial scholarship. And those students with one or more brothers or sisters attending AUS at the same time are eligible for a family tuition grant."