Earning an MBA from Columbia Business School (CBS) is an incredible opportunity. It is no secret that CBS offers an enviable education, but it is also located in the heart of New York City, where MBA students will be surrounded by opportunities and industry giants. Of course, being in the fastest-paced, most populous city in the United States comes at a price. Literally. New York is listed as number one on Investopedia’s Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the U.S. Luckily, CBS offers a wealth of scholarships to make grad school in the city more manageable.
Merit-Based Scholarships
Merit-based scholarships are an excellent option for motivated students with impressive undergraduate GPAs and work experience. Also, if students do not receive a fellowship in their first year, they will have another opportunity in their second year.
• Forté Foundation Scholarship: The Forté Foundation offers scholarships to outstanding women through their Forte Fellows program. The fellowship exists to encourage larger numbers of women to pursue an MBA education. There is no application information required from students at CBS, as nominees are selected by the school’s director of admissions. Forté Fellows receive multiple benefits, including participation in the MBA Women Leadership and Financial Services FAST Track Conferences. Students in the program are also included in the Forté Fellow resume book, which is distributed to Forté Sponsor companies like J.P. Morgan and IBM Global Business Services.
• Toigo Fellowship: CBS is one of the Robert Toigo Foundation’s featured MBA programs. The Toigo Foundation’s mission is to encourage diversity in finance, so this fellowship is available to under-represented groups. Driven minority students will be eligible for consideration. Fellows attend a weekend summer session to prepare them for business school. During this session, students are assigned mentors to guide them throughout school and their careers.
• Columbia Fellows Program: Columbia Fellows is available only for the first year of the program. The scholarship includes a partial- or full-tuition award for applicants who have shown the creativity and initiative to be true leaders in business.
• Board of Overseers China & India Fellowships: This fellowship is available to students from China and India. Scholarships are awarded by the Board of Overseers, which is comprised of industry giants across a variety of fields.
• Meyer Feldberg Distinguished Fellowship Program: This fellowship is extremely competitive and is granted to students who have shown outstanding leadership skills and academic initiative. Students applying must demonstrate an impressive track record in areas like entrepreneurship and social ventures. Fellows are given full tuition and lifelong membership in the prestigious network of award recipients and donors.
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• R.C. Kopf Fellowships: The R.C. Kopf Fellowship is granted to students with an interest in international business. Italian, French, British and U.S. citizens can all earn the Kopf Fellowship. Applicants should be accomplished in academia, but also exhibit personal and professional behavior that makes them an asset to the community.
• Gerardo Werthein Scholarship: This scholarship is specifically for MBA students who have lived or studied in Argentina and who are interested in returning to work in Argentina. The scholarship is granted based on financial need.
• Ela Lemelbaum Scholarship: Israeli students are eligible to receive the Ela Lemelbaum Scholarship, which provides tuition support options for both first and second years of study. Preference goes to students who have studied at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. This scholarship is renewable during the second year.
Other Scholarship Opportunities
CBS also offers a variety of need-based scholarships to students, which may yield tuition support ranging from $7,500 to $30,000. Need-based scholarships are based on every aspect of a student’s assets. About 50 perfect of applicants are granted need-based awards. These scholarships are automatically renewed during a student’s second year. There is a rigorous four-part application process. Students may also seek out and apply for external scholarships.