Financial Aid and Tuition

Four types of financial assistance are available to students attending Carnegie Mellon Qatar.

Qatari Citizens

For Qatari citizens and citizens of other GCC countries, government scholarships and/or sponsorships from companies usually cover the full cost of attendance. Qatari nationals should contact the Scholarship Office of the Higher Education Institute (HEI) on 4465 1173 to obtain further information. Alternatively, visit http://www.english.education.gov.qa/section/sec/hei/sco/

Non-Qatari Students

Need-based financial assistance is available to students of all nationalities through the Hamad bin Khalifa Financial Aid Program administered by Qatar Foundation. Loans of up to 100% of tuition and fees are made to families based on their unique financial circumstances. The loans can be repaid either by normal financial installments or by time served working in Qatar immediately following graduation. The second option, known as the “Paid Service Option” is unique to Qatar and it enables even students with heavy debt loads to have their loans forgiven if they work in Qatar for an approved Qatari entity.

This program requires a separate application, which is done entirely online at the following URL (please note: the application will open on April 1 for new students):
http://myeducationcity.com/en/dynamic_pages/index/26/financial_assistance/financial-aid

Contact Qatar Foundation Financial Aid

Students can contact the Qatar Foundation Financial Aid Office directly by calling +974 4454 0400 or by emailing fao@qf.org.qa.

We strongly recommend that students complete the financial aid application as soon as posssible in order to maximize the chance of receiving an award notification in a timely manner. The sooner a complete application is submitted, the sooner a decision can be expected. Please note: The application cycle is open from April 1 - May 31.

Financial Aid for U.S. Citizens

Please note that U.S. citizens, and some non-citizens (ex. green card holders) are eligible for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) to support your studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. There are different types of funding within FAFSA, including grants (no repayment) and loans.

We would advise all U.S. citizens to apply for FAFSA by following these instructions and filling out this form. If you are not a U.S. citizen, but think you might be eligible, please check the information on this site to see if you could be eligible: http://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility

If you are applying for financial aid from Qatar Foundation, please understand that you can receive FAFSA funding in addition to QF funding. The university does provide QF with information regarding students’ FAFSA awards to avoid students receiving more than 100% funding.

Merit Scholarships

Approximately five to ten merit scholarships are awarded annually by Carnegie Mellon to the most academically promising applicants. These awards usually cover 50% of tuition and can be combined with need-based aid from Qatar Foundation. No extra application is required to apply for the merit scholarships, and students are notified of the awards at the same time they receive the offer of admission.

Tuition and fees in Qatar are the same as Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tuition and Fees for the Academic Year of 2013-2014:

Additional Cost for International Students: