In addition to degree-oriented programs, AUW is committed to improving life and opportunities for families in the rural areas of Sudan. This is partly accomplished through the Rural Extension Program, fn which all AUW students must participate during their third year. As part of this program students live in rural areas and plan and participate in projects designed to impart knowledge and organization skills to women living in rural villages. The objective is to help rural women become change agents in their communities.

Ahfad also develops short term courses in rural development tailored to the needs and interests of rural communities. Rural women with leadership potential are brought to the Ahfad campus for more extensive leadership development. Special courses, lasting between three to nine months, are designed for each group of women. Trainees are awarded certificates upon completion of the courses. Instruction in these programs necessarily is in Arabic.

As a private university, AUW charges a graduated tuition based roughly on the abilities of families to pay. Wealthier families generally pay more than less affluent families. In addition, AUW gives an advantage to students who are the first in their families to attend college. Also, special efforts are made to attract students from the Darfur, southern, and eastern areas of the Sudan. Currently, about twenty percent of the AUW student body consists of students from these regions who are attending under the AUW Tuition Waiver Program.