Location-Based MBA Scholarships

Data from a 2018 survey conducted by Bloomberg Business indicated roughly half of the MBA students at leading MBA programs in the United States borrowed about $100,000 to pay for their degree. To alleviate financial pressures, learners can apply for scholarships and grants.

Scholarship opportunities for MBA students fall into different categories. Some federal agencies offer scholarships, states may provide financial assistance, and institutions may support MBA students as well.

Other scholarships cater to the type of MBA, like a specialization within the program, or to students with specific backgrounds.

Location-based MBA scholarships offer funding to students studying in specific cities, states, and countries.

Unlike broader scholarships that all MBA students can apply for, location-based scholarships take fewer MBA learners into consideration when awarding funds. This can increase your chance of getting a scholarship significantly.

The list below includes location-based scholarships available to MBA students.

Featured Scholarships

Location-based MBA scholarships vary in application criteria, availability, and amount. You may need to live in a certain area, attend a specific institution, or establish residency somewhere to qualify for a location-based MBA scholarship. Additional requirements may include full- or part-time enrollment and career goals.

State Scholarships

California

University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management Merit Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Students who are members of chambers of commerce in both the Sacramento and Bay Areas of California.
• Amount: $3,000-$9,000 per academic year with reimbursement for GMAT/GRE preparation materials
• Designed to support part-time MBA students, the merit scholarship supports community development in California by supporting members of local chambers of commerce.

Torres Family Fellowship

• Who Can Apply: Native-born Californians enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley's MBA program are the preferred candidates.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Established due to the generosity of Michael Torres, the Torres Family Fellowship supports full-time MBA students at UC Berkeley.

Wan-Lin Kiang Endowed Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Graduate students earning an MBA with a specialization in either finance or management or a master of science in finance.
• Amount: Up to $2,000
• Supporting graduate students at California State University, Long Beach since 1977, applicants with financial needs receive preference.

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Florida

Nancy Capser Hillis and Mark Hillis Endowed Fund for Finance

• Who Can Apply: Undergraduate and graduate students earning a degree from the College of Business at Florida State University.
• Amount: $500
• Awarded each semester, the scholarship supports students focused on finance. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

John C. Pace, Jr. Graduate Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Newly admitted on-campus students enrolled in at least six credit hours of graduate credit from the College of Business at the University of West Florida.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Recipients are eligible to receive funding for up to four semesters.

Professional MBA Online Performance Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: PMBA students at Florida International University who have completed their tenth course in the program.
• Amount: $3,000-$15,000
• Awards vary depending on the academic standing of recipients. Designed to incentivize degree completion, the program accommodates students who maintain a 3.0 GPA.

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Illinois

Illinois Gies College of Business MBA Scholarships

• Who Can Apply: Full-time MBA students who are alumni of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Amount: 50% tuition reduction
• Two scholarships are awarded to students with a minimum of two years post-bachelor's degree professional experience with a minimum GPA of 3.3 and competitive GRE or GMAT scores.

Thomas Byker MBA Endowed Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Residents of Illinois, Wisconsin, Georgia, or Florida enrolled in the traditional MBA program at Illinois State University.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Applicants must be in good academic standing. Funds are renewable for a second year if the awardee continues to meet scholarship criteria.

University of Chicago Booth College of Business A.H. Tobaccowala Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Students from India who enrolled in the full-time MBA program with a business degree at UIC.
• Amount: Two awards of $25,000
• Established in honor of A.H. Tobaccolwa, an alumnus of the university, the scholarship supports students whose primary home is India.

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New York

William R. Berkeley Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: College seniors seeking a full-time MBA at New York University Stern School of Business. Applicants must pursue a two-year, full-time MBA.
• Amount: $10,000
• Applicants must be NYU undergraduate students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above.

Roy H. Park Fellowship

• Who Can Apply: Full-time students earning an MBA from the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Fostering leadership and commitment to community service and responsible business since 1997, the Roy. H. Park Leadership is funded by the Triad Foundation. It supports as many as 25 applicants each year who participate in a leadership development program.

Kenneth Brodlieb MBA Endowed Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Any full-time MBA student who has completed one year of their degree at Hofstra University.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Recommendations for the award must come from the dean of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra.

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Texas

AT&T Global Supply Chain Fellowship

• Who Can Apply: Students pursuing a degree from the Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas, with preference given to applicants with undergraduate degrees in supply chain management from UT Dallas or are registered with a student organization at UT Dallas
• Amount: $1,000
• With a focus on supply chain management, the award supports students with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at UT Dallas.

Aviles-Johnson Graduate Fellowship Program

• Who Can Apply: First-time graduate students earning enrolled at Texas A&M University.
• Amount: Varies
• Master's degree recipients receive two years of funding, while doctoral students receive four years of funding. Nominations from the admitting department as part of the institution's efforts to increase diversity in the graduate and professional student populations.

Terri Lynn Dunlap Scholarship Endowment

• Who Can Apply: Students earning a degree through the Marilyn Davis College of Business at the University of Houston-Downtown
• Amount: Unspecified
• Applicants must demonstrate financial need. Students concentrating their studies on supply chain management receive preference.

Regional Scholarships

Great Plains

Western Governors University Nebraska Partnership Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Learners living in Nebraska who earn a degree from WGU.
• Amount: $1,000
• In conjunction with Nebraska's affiliate status with the university, WGU awards scholarships to students enrolled in business, information technology, health professionals, and teaching degrees.

Presidential Graduate Fellowship

• Who Can Apply: Designed to encourage students to attend the University of Nebraska Omaha, applicants complete nine hours of graduate coursework to apply.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Applicants submit a letter of support from their department chair, an official nomination, and an unofficial transcript demonstrating a minimum 3.75 GPA. Additional application materials include 2-4 letters of recommendation.

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Mid-Atlantic

William F. and Joyce A. Richmond Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: The school gives preference to students from Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas earning a graduate degree from Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
• Amount: Unspecified
• The scholarship is designed to support students with entrepreneurial aspirations, leadership skills, and an eye toward innovation.

Patrick Sheridan Endowed MBA Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Graduate students in the full-time or flex MBA program at Georgetown University.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Special consideration is given to applicants who seek to contribute to the diversity and culture of the McDonough School of Business.

Loyola University Maryland Merit Scholarship And Ignatius Grant Program

• Who Can Apply: MBA, emerging leaders MBA, and professional MBA students at Loyola University Maryland.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Applicants submit a resume and must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Grant applicants must demonstrate potential for success and a dedication to the Jesuit mission.

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Northeast

Back to School Scholarship for Part-time and Online MBA Program

• Who Can Apply: Students enrolled in online programs through the Peter T. Paul of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire.
• Amount: Unspecified
• The scholarship is available to students taking classes part-time at the Durham or Manchester campuses and online. Applicants need at least two years of full-time work experience with a nonprofit organization, be in a career transition, or must be financially independent.

Regional Scholarship Program

• Who Can Apply: Students from New Jersey and Pennsylvania enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Maine.
• Amount: Tuition reduction
• Renewable and applicable across disciplines, applicants from New Jersey and Pennsylvania are automatically eligible for the scholarship.

Sustainable Innovation MBA SI-MBA) Scholarships

• Who Can Apply: Students earning an MBA in sustainable management from the University of Vermont.
• Amount: Varies
• Applicants submit a statement of purpose, documentation about academic performance, work experience and volunteer activities, and letters of recommendation.

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Pacific Northwest

Atkinson Graduate School of Management Pacific Northwest Scholarship

• Who Can Apply: Learners with an undergraduate from an institution in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.
• Amount: Unspecified
• The Willamette University scholarship was established to encourage students to remain in the Pacific Northwest and contribute to local communities.

Boxer Legacy Award

• Who Can Apply: Students continuing from undergrad at Pacific University in Oregon and seeking an MBA from any other graduate or graduate program within Pacific University.
• Amount: Unspecified
• Designed to encourage former Pacific students to continue onto graduate study at the institution, applicants submit an application and formal essay for consideration.

Washington Indian Gaming Association Scholarship Program

• Who Can Apply: Graduate students who are members of one of Washington's 29 federally recognized tribes, and to American Indian and Alaska Native students earning a degree from Washington State University.
• Amount: Unspecified
• The awards promote tribal self-sufficiency in Washington by supporting students earning undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Common Questions about Location-Based Scholarships

Does the location of the MBA degree matter?

The location of an MBA may matter depending on where you live, work, and go to school. Additional reasons an MBA's location matters relate to whether or not you pay resident or nonresident tuition, the cost of living in the area, school-specific funding, and the overall prestige of the institution.

How can I get a location-based scholarship?

Many institutions automatically consider MBA students for internal scholarships based on their applications and free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can also contact the financial aid office and department at the school to see if there are additional scholarships. One more resource may be local businesses, agencies, and community organizations.

What percentage of MBA students get scholarships?

The percentage of MBA students to get scholarships varies by school, state, and overall availability of funds. NYU's Stern School of Business reports roughly 20%-25% of full-time, two-year MBA students receive scholarships, while Darden School of Business at UVA awards less than 10% of its student body scholarship funds.