Oxford Saïd Offers 6 New MBA Scholarships

Earning an MBA from a leading program typically isn’t cheap. In fact, the average cost of an MBA when you total tuition and living expenses is between $100,000 to $200,000 for two years. For that reason, MBA scholarships can be invaluable for many candidates, and now the University of Oxford Saïd Business School is offering six new scholarship opportunities for incoming MBA students.

Six New MBA Scholarships

Thanks to the generosity of Saïd MBA alumnus Leo Tong Chen, six incoming Oxford MBA students will have an opportunity to attend on a partial scholarship. “Although it’s been many years since I was at Oxford I can look back and appreciate the experience, exposure and ideas, and am now at the point in my career that I am able to give something back,” Tong Chen said.

The scholarships will support three students per year from China and three students per year from the UK, US, Australia or New Zealand. The scholarships will be available for the next five years, and students will not need to submit a separate application to apply. Any student who fits the criteria will be automatically considered.

Of the scholarships, Oxford Saïd Dean Peter Tufano commented in a press release: “Leo’s generous gift will give some of the most talented young professionals an opportunity to study at Oxford Saïd and go on to enrich the communities in which they will ultimately work and live. I hope that Leo’s vision to support future generations of business leaders will inspire generosity among our graduates, particularly as we have just announced the launch of our Alumni Annual Fund.”

The Alumni Annual Fund (AAF) encourages alumni to give back to the School through annual donations, with the funds going toward entrepreneurial research, teaching, scholarships, and lifelong learning. Each year’s fundraising runs from August 1 to July 31, and gifts are accepted throughout the year.

Tong Chen’s scholarship donation fits nicely into the AAF. Before he was accepted into the Oxford MBA in 2001, Tong Chen was the founder of a telecom startup who wanted to make a career transition. His goal in earning his MBA was to gain more global exposure and to expand his potential.

After graduation, Tong Chen spent some time in the corporate world before founding dGav Capital, a venture capital investment management firm. dGav Capital focuses on providing funds for new material, new energy, electronic vehicles, environmental protection, healthcare, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

“As an alumnus of a young school I have not only benefitted from, but also have the opportunity to build, its character and legacy,” said Tong Chen. “I hope the Oxford Leo Tong Chen Scholarships can be a catalyst to more alumni supporting our school’s efforts to recruit the best entrepreneurial and visionary students to its program.”

Additional Oxford Saïd MBA Scholarships

MBA candidates at Saïd have a number of scholarships available to help offset the cost of the program. Some of the scholarships require a separate application, including an essay, while others require nothing but the standard MBA application for students to be considered. Some of the scholarships include:

• Saïd Business School Foundation Academic Excellence Scholarships: Three awards are available for MBA candidates who demonstrate excellent academic achievement. The awards cover full tuition and fees plus a £13,000 grant, which can be used to pay for living expenses.
• Saïd Business School Foundation Regional Scholarships: There are typically four to six awards per region: Africa, Latin America, Middle East, South East & East Asia and Europe. These are partial awards offering between £5,000 and £15,000. An MBA applicant must be considered an “outstanding candidate” to be eligible.
• Global Shaper Scholarship: This is a full tuition award, which is given to a student who a student who has “demonstrated exceptional personal achievements, as well as potential to transform his/her community.”
• Skoll Scholarship: Up to five Skoll awards—covering full tuition and up to £8,000 in living expenses—are available. To apply, MBA candidates must tick the “Skoll” box on the MBA application form and meet the eligibility criteria.

Oxford’s Commitment to Scholarships  

The University of Oxford is dedicated to increasing the number of scholarships available to its students. During the 2015-16 academic year, more than 100 students received some form of funding. In particular, the School is focused on supporting women in business, MBA candidates from Africa and MBA candidates from the United Kingdom.

Benefactors who donate are recognized by the school for their philanthropic efforts and are kept updated about the impact of their gift through:

• Newsletters
• Meetings
• Lectures and events
• School advisory boards
• And more.

To learn more, visit the Giving Section of the Saïd Business School website.

regions: London

About the Author