Frontline workers in the UAE and their children will receive scholarships for higher studies under a government initiative.
The Frontline Heroes Office announced on Tuesday that a Higher Education Scholarship Programme will be offered to select frontline workers in the UAE to reduce their education costs.
The programme will be supported by Sandooq Al Watan, a social initiative launched by a group of Emirati businessmen, the private sector and the Ministry of Education.
The scholarship will help eligible frontline heroes and their children to study at government and private universities and colleges across the UAE.
The initiative was launched to honour the efforts and sacrifices of those working on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first group will qualify for scholarships starting from the 2021-2022 academic year.
“We are proud to contribute today by recognising these heroes and appreciating their commitment and dedication in protecting everyone in the country," said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Tolerance.
Applicants can submit their scholarship request along with supporting documents and the acceptance letter from their chosen university or college to Education@FrontlineHeroes.ae.
The Frontline Heroes Office will send scholarship requests to the relevant university or college directly.
In September 2020, authorities launched the Hayyakum programme to relieve the financial pressure of school tuition fees for healthcare professionals.
The scholarship at public schools covers the cost of tuition, laptops and transport for pupils until they graduate from high school.
The following month, the government launched the Fazaa Frontline Heroes initiative to give healthcare workers discounts on 2,600 brands at more than 5,500 stores and 6,000 food outlets across the UAE.
The Frontline Heroes Office was set up in July 2020. More than 80,000 roles deemed essential to the fight against Covid-19 have been identified for the nationwide initiative.
The registry details the specialism of each professional and provides the government with a “detailed national picture of all those who serve on the front line”.
Among the 80,000 are healthcare practitioners, police, essential service providers, crisis managers, security and emergency service providers, humanitarian workers, cleaners and volunteers.
UAE's frontline heroes - in pictures
