Fancy attending a prestigious MBA program without paying a cent? It sounds too good to be true, but many elite business schools are awarding students full-ride scholarships — covering tuition and perhaps even living, and travel costs too.
Top Schools for MBA Scholarships
Now that you have a better idea of how to get your hands on some MBA scholarship money, here are some of the most generous schools in the country in terms of scholarship money for MBA students:
1. Skoll MBA Scholarships at Said Business School
The Skoll MBA Scholarship is a competitive scholarship for incoming MBA students who pursue entrepreneurial solutions for urgent social and environmental challenges. The scholarship provides funding and exclusive opportunities to meet with world-renowned entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and investors.
Host Institution(s): Said Business School at University of Oxford, UK.
Field of study: Oxford Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Number of Awards: Up to 4 every year
Target group: Home/international students
Scholarship value/inclusions: The scholarship covers the full costs of tuition and college fees for the MBA programme as well as partial living expenses based on need, up to an additional £14,985.
2. Stanford Africa MBA Fellowship
The Stanford Africa MBA Fellowship Program are for citizens of African countries with financial need who wish to obtain an MBA at Stanford GSB.
Study in: USA
Host Institution(s): Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA
Level/Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
Number of Awards: Up to 8
Target group: Citizens of African countries
Scholarship value/inclusions/duration: Stanford Africa MBA Fellows receive financial support for the cost of Stanford MBA tuition and associated fees for the two-year course of study.
Eligibility: You must be a citizen of an African country. Dual citizens are eligible for the fellowship as long as they hold citizenship of an African nation. You must have also completed or be in the final year of completing your university studies. You must also return to work in Africa, within two years of Stanford MBA graduation, for at least two years.
3. Business School Netherlands/Orange Knowledge Programme Scholarship for International MBA
The International Action Learning MBA programme is ideal for the busy manager or the business traveller considering a part-time, distance-learning MBA. With their MBA structure, you can now save time on your studies as all your projects are real-time based, meaning that you use a portion of your time at work to focus and implement your projects on real-life problems.
The Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) aims to advance the development of the capacity, knowledge and quality of both individuals and institutions in higher and vocational education. Applicants from the 52 OKP countries can now apply for this fantastic MBA opportunity through Business School Netherlands, as the International Action Learning MBA is an OKP approved course.
Programme: MBA Degree
Host Institution(s): Business School Netherlands is a registered Dutch University of Applied Sciences.
Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
Target group: Highly motivated international managers and (trainee) managers living and working in one of the 52 OKP countries.
Scholarship value/inclusions: Successful applicants to both BSN and the OKP will receive a full MBA scholarship that covers the total cost of tuition fees, prescribed textbooks, accommodation at the two conferences held in the Netherlands, subsistence and internet costs.
4. INSEAD-Syngenta MBA Scholarships for Developing Country Leaders
Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market.
Since Syngenta strongly believes that talented people are the key to successful businesses, they embrace INSEAD’s mission to train the brightest and best from around the world for the challenge of tomorrow’s business world. Syngenta is particularly committed to the dynamic emerging market regions and has chosen to offer this scholarship opportunity to future leaders from emerging countries.
Host Institution(s): INSEAD
Degree: Masters (MS) Degree
Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
Number of Awards: Two scholarships will be awarded per class
Target group: Students from developing/emerging countries.
Scholarship value/inclusions: €22,500
5. IMD Emerging Markets Scholarships/ IMD MBA Future Leaders Scholarships
IMD’s MBA program offers a new and considerable scholarship program to enable young leaders from emerging markets to earn the IMD MBA degree. The IMD MBA Future Leaders Scholarships are open to candidates who demonstrate leadership understanding and who is pursuing an MBA Degree at IMD.
Host Institution(s): IMD Switzerland
Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
Target group: Citizens of developing countries
Degree: MBA Degree
Study in: Switzerland
Scholarship value/inclusions: CHF 20,000-60,000
Eligibility: Applicants must be citizens of developing countries with good academic results (GMAT), strong reference letters & steady career progression. Students from all over the world call apply for both offers.
Eligibility: Applicants who demonstrate exceptional leadership understanding. You must submit a 750-word essay on the following topic: “It has been said that success in business requires flexibility to be responsive, but also a commitment to a recognized set of values. Discuss using your personal and professional experience.”
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6. Kofi Annan MBA Scholarships for Developing Country Students
Kofi Annan Fellowship is a fellowship grant for an emerging leader from a developing country for a two-year Master’s in Management (MIM) or a one-year full-time MBA education at ESMT Berlin in Berlin, Germany.
Host Institution(s): ESMT European School of Management and Technology, Germany, in cooperation with the Kofi Annan Business Schools Foundation in The Hague, Netherlands.
Kofi Annan Foundation/ESMT
Degree: MBA/Master’s Degree
Study in: Germany
Field(s) of study: One-year, full-time Masters in Business Administration (MBA) or a two-year Master’s in Management (MIM)
Number of Scholarships: Up to 5
Target group: Students from developing countries
Scholarship value/inclusions: Fellows will receive a full-tuition scholarship from ESMT (€25,000 for MIM students and €43,500 for MBA students) plus fair compensation for travel and accommodation costs and program related fees. Travel, visa, housing, insurance, placement, networking will also be supported.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be resident in one of the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) or Palestine.
MIM applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with excellent grades, less than 18 months of work experience, and proficient English skills. In certain cases, a GMAT or GRE score may be requested.
MBA applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree of any kind, a minimum of three years of professional experience, a GMAT or GRE score, and proficient English skills.
All applicants should have a willingness to contribute to building the economy and society of the home country with entrepreneurial impetus.
7. Jim Ellert MBA Scholarship at IMD
Jim Ellert MBA Scholarships are intended to attract students from Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and the South-Eastern Asian Peninsula who wish to pursue an MBA Degree at IMD.
Host Institution(s): IMD Switzerland
Degree: MBA Degree
Study in: Switzerland
Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration
Number of Scholarships: One (1)
Target group: Nationals from the following regions: Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and the South-Eastern Asian Peninsula.
Scholarship value/inclusions: CHF 20,000
Eligibility: Candidates who have already applied to the full-time IMD MBA program and who demonstrate strong financial need.
8. SDA Bocconi MBA Scholarships
SDA Bocconi School of Management is making available 31 total/partial merit-based tuition waivers to MBA candidates with an outstanding profile.
Degree: MBA Degree
Study in: Italy
Host Institution(s): SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy
Level/Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration
Number of Awards: 31 full and partial scholarships
9. Foundation Rainbow Bridge MBA Scholarships for African and Asian Women
The Foundation Rainbow Bridge Scholarship is available for women from Asian or African countries affected by natural disasters, drought or famine to pursue an MBA programme at HEC Paris.
Host Institution(s): HEC Paris, France
Level/Field of study: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
Number of Awards: Up to 2 per year
Target group: Women from Asian or African countries affected by natural disasters, drought or famine.
Eligibility: Recipients of this scholarship are top-calibre female candidates who have been admitted to the HEC Paris MBA program (full-time only) and who can demonstrate exemplary leadership skills in one or more of the following areas:
Community work,
Charity engagement,
Sustainable development practices.
Women applying must come from an Asian or African country affected by a natural disaster, drought or famine. In addition, they must demonstrate a commitment to solving some of the social and economic issues affecting their countries while working for the long-term security of the people living there.
Target group: Full tuition waivers are open to students from Italy, Europe, and Outside Europe. Partial tuition waivers are open to Africa and Mediterranean Area (Italy excluded), China and the Far East, India and South Asia, East Europe and Central Asia, Western Europe (Italy excluded), North America, Central and South America, Mexico, Italy and Women.
10. Bristol MBA International Scholarship
The University of the West of England Bristol is offering 50% tuition scholarships to outstanding international students who wish to pursue an MBA Degree at the University.
Host Institution(s): the University of the West of England Bristol, United Kingdom
Award: UWE Bristol
Degree: MBA Degree
Study in: UK
Level/Field of study: Full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Target group: Students classed as overseas for fees purposes
Scholarship value: 50% of tuition fees
Are you seeking to pursue an MBA degree but do not have enough funds to see yourself through school? There is no need to worry yourself again because, with these fully-funded MBA scholarships listed in this post, you can achieve your educational goals. Visit the official websites of the scholarship awards to get more details.