Kuwait Cultural Office
2111 Wilson Boulevard Suite 500, Arlington VA 22201

Kuwait University FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please note that the questions in this section are general in nature and that specific questions or unique circumstances should be directed to your Embassy advisor.  If any information in the answers below is not clear please contact your Embassy advisor.

 Health Insurance

[collapse collapsed title="1. Why haven't I received my ID cards?" class="ku-collapse"]

Health insurance ID cards are issued  by the insurance company- UnitedHealth(United States) or Green Shield (Canada).  It can take three to four weeks to receive your ID cards from the insurance company.

If you have provided all of your registration documents to your advisor more than four weeks ago, please contact the student health advisor Bernadeth Busog (bbusog@kuwaitculture.com)

  • Students should make sure to provide Registration documents for themselves and their dependents on KCO (Passport, Civil ID, Visa, I-94s) 

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[collapse collapsed title="2. How do I add dependents to the health coverage?" class="ku-collapse"]

To add a newborn baby to the health coverage, please  provide your advisor with the hospital birth letter which shows the parents' and the baby's name as well as the baby's date of  birth. If you have recently been married, please provide a copy of your marriage certificate and your spouse's embassy registration documents including the photo page of the passport,  entry documents (visa, I-94 and I-20 in the United States and a study permit and/or temporary resident visa in Canada.)

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[collapse collapsed title="3.  To pay  for medical/dental treatment for me or one of my covered dependents?" class="ku-collapse"]

 You may contact the health office for help in submitting a claim form for reimbursement of that expense.  (HEALTH OFFICE CONTACT LINK)

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[collapse collapsed title="4. What is a health insurance waiver, and do I have to do it?" class="ku-collapse"]

 A health insurance waiver is a document that you must submit to your university in order to waive the coverage of the university health plan.; Your scholarship provides you with comprehensive health care benefits and will not cover the university health insurance costs.;If you do not fill out the waiver, you will be responsible for the fees charged to your student account for the insurance.  Any questions about the waiver form itself or any problems that you have with the health waiver with your school should be directed to the health office (HEALTH OFFICE CONTACT LINK)

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[collapse collapsed title="5. I am having a problem with my insurance coverage or I don’t understand my insurance benefits" class="ku-collapse"]

Please direct these questions concerning coverage and benefits to the Kuwait Health Office (HEALTH OFFICE CONTACT LINK)

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Travel

[collapse collapsed title="1.  When am I eligible for an annual ticket?." class="ku-collapse"]

You are eligible for the first annual ticket after the first year of scholarship.  You  become elegibile for each annual ticket on the anniversary of your scholarship start date.  Annual tickets cannot be issued if you have less than six months of scholarship time left or will graduate within six months.

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[collapse collapsed title="2.  How do I request my annual ticket?" class="ku-collapse"]

Complete the Ticket Allowance Request LINK form and email it to your advisor.

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 Financial Benefits

[collapse collapsed title="1. What financial benefits does my scholarship provide?" class="ku-collapse"]

Please direct these questions concerning coverage and benefits to the Kuwait Health Office (HEALTH OFFICE CONTACT LINK)

 Most KU scholarship holders are entitled to the following:

  •   Tuition and Mandatory Fees
  •   Application Fees
  •   TOEFL/IELTS Exam
  •   Monthly Stipend
  •   Social Allowance
  •   Book Allowance
  •   Child tuition-
  •   Spouse tuition (first bachelor's or 1 academic year of ESL ONLY)
  •   Computer Allowance
  •   Conference
  •   Annual Ticket Allowance
  •   Final Ticket Allowance
  •   Final Shipping Allowance
  •   Thesis /Dissertation Expenses
  •   Moving Expense from Masters to PhD

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[collapse collapsed title="2.  Will you pay for my child's school tuition?" class="ku-collapse"]

Yes, if your child is three to eighteen years old and enrolled in either a formal child care center or school.  

Please note:

  • Benefits for dependents are only eligible if the dependents are staying in the same study location (same city and state) as the sponsored student. 
  • Afterschool Care Program fees and Meal fees will not be covered as part of child tuition.
  • Once the limit amount for each child per year has been reached, the office cannot cover any more tuition fees for that year.  

The current limit, effective academic year 2014/15,  on child tuition payments is 3500 KD per academic year. To receive reimbursement you must submit a receipt from the school, on school letterhead, which shows the dates of attendance, your child's name, description of charges and the amount charged.  Only mandatory fees required of all students for attendance can be paid.You must also submit either your bank statement or the canceled check along with your receipt.

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[collapse collapsed title="3.  When do I receive my monthly stipend?" class="ku-collapse"]

  Stipends are paid one month in advance on or close to the 15th of each month.  For example, January's stipend is disbursed on December 15 and February's stipend on January 15, etc.  Therefore during your final month of scholarship or in your study location you will not receive a stipend deposit as it will have been paid in advance on the 15th of the previous month.

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[collapse collapsed title="4. I want to attend a conference, do I get financial support?" class="ku-collapse"]

Yes, KU scholarships provides you with a budget to help meet the cost of attending conferences throughout the course of your entire scholarship.  This amount is not renewable. Approval for attending a conference must be received IN ADVANCE of attending the conference in order to be eligible for reimbursement. 

  • Students must provide a letter from themselves, from the university, as well as receipts for conference registration and flight information. Student must then provide an official bank statement to show proof of payment.
  • Students are required to provide a Summary Report of the conference within ONE MONTH after the date of the conference. 

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[collapse collapsed title="5. Authentication of records" class="ku-collapse"]

 (Link to: Authentication of records)

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[collapse collapsed title="6. There is a hold on my university account and I can’t register for classes." class="ku-collapse"]

Check to make sure that your student account has no library fines, parking tickets, or other non-mandatory tuition or fee charges on it.  If there are no individual charges, please contact your embassy advisor for assistance.

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Graduation

[collapse collapsed title="1.  What do I do if I'm graduating soon?" class="ku-collapse"]

 When you are ready to graduate you will need to provide your Embassy advisor with a completion letter which states the date on which you met all the requirements of your degree and your final degree transcripts which indicate the "Degree Conferred" date. Final transcripts may not be immediately available. Prior to your departure to Kuwait, please order two copies of the final transcripts to e sent to your Embassy advisor. A copy of the order form should be emailed by you to your Embassy advisor.  Transcripts issued to students cannot be accepted and/or authenticated by the Embassy of the State of Kuwait. Please note that the completion letter should be written only once you have met the requirements and should not state that "you will complete." This letter is typically issued by your department or the graduate school. You will need to send copies of your thesis /dissertation directly  to Kuwait University. Please do not send copies of these to your Embassy advisor.  (Link to regulations) Completion Letter and Final Transcript with degree awarded and date of degree awarded must be provided by the university, transcripts will not be accepted by the student. You may request your final ticket allowance once you provide your Embassy advisor with your completion letter.  Your final ticket allowance cannot be issued if you received an annual ticket allowance within six months. (Link Ticket Allowance form) You are entitled to a final shipping allowance and will need to submit your receipt and bank statement for that purchase once you have shipped your belongings.

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General

[collapse collapsed title="1.  I am renting an apartment and need proof of my income what do I do?" class="ku-collapse"]

Login to your Student Portal to submit a request to your advisor regarding a "Salary Letter."  This letter will confirm your status as a student under the embassy sponsorship and as well provide information about stipend and salary.  This letter is usually meets the requirements. for apartment leasing, car rental/purchase and various large item purchases necessary during your scholarship.

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[collapse collapsed title="2.  My school keeps billing me for tuition, what do I do?" class="ku-collapse"]

 Very often, the school will send you a financial statement. Please note that a financial statement is not a bill, but a document providing you with the information on the financial cost of your tuition and fees.  However, it can also be the case that your college or university may not have an updated letter of financial support on file and is therefore applying the tuition and fee charges directly to your student account. Please inform your advisor so that we can communicate with the university to resolve the issue.

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[collapse collapsed title="3.  How do I renew my passport?" class="ku-collapse"]

To renew your passport and find more information see the (link to Embassy in Canada )  (link to Embassy in DCl)  You will need to complete a form and submit it to the Kuwait Consular Services-Citizen's Affairs office with the required documents/fees. If  necessary, the Kuwait University office can provide you a verification letter confirming that you are in the US/Canada as a sponsored/scholarship student.  Please email your advisor if you need this letter.  

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[collapse collapsed title="4.  How do I update my phone/email/mailing address with the Embassy/Insurance Company?" class="ku-collapse"]

Please login to your Student Portal to update contact information, as soon as possible, if any of your information changes. Make sure to inform your advisor of any changes made.

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[collapse collapsed title="5.  Can I request for a suspention or extention?" class="ku-collapse"]

Master’s students transitioning to a PhD program are eligible for the following grace periods:

  • 3 Months with stipend
  • Additional 3 months WITHOUT stipend
  • Once a 6-month grace period has passed, students are required to request a scholarship suspension if they have not obtained a PhD admission letter.

***Suspension requests must consist of an official leƩer written by the student with the exact dates for suspension they are requesting and why, they should also indicate if this is their first extension request; students must also obtain a recommendation letter from their university advisor.***

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