Fordham Gabelli’s Checks In With Its Veterans in Global Leadership Fellows
The Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University recently highlighted a group of military veterans currently part of the school’s Veterans in Global Leadership (VGL) fellows program.
VGL was founded by Jayson Browder, a Fulbright scholar and a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow at the White House. Browder, PCS ’13, founded VGL with the intention to help “student veterans prepare and apply for prestigious internships, fellowships, and scholarships.”
Browder explains how a VGL program might make the difficult transition to civilian life a little more manageable for veterans: “[Vets] have implemented foreign policy abroad and have been tasked with solving complex problems. Now that they are back from the longest wars in our nation’s history, they’re looking to solve more problems and create an impact in their communities here in the states and abroad.”
After a 20-year stint in the Marines, VGL fellow Coleen Harper opted to major in nonprofit leadership at Gabelli. She founded D’ St. Aubyn’s Cause, which seeks to “diminish the rate at which veterans, single parents, and the elderly fall victim to homelessness.” Harper explains her motivation, saying, “My fears of becoming homeless were ignited as I proceeded through the process of retirement. This propelled me to make a difference rather than becoming a part of the problem. “A program like VGL can certainly help make an achievement more attainable.”
VGL fellow Robert Molina was an aviation logistics clerk in the Marines who now serves as communications chief of the Fordham Veterans’ Association as he completes a degree in political science and economics.
Fordham Veterans’ Association President Kevin Knightes arrived having previously served with that Hospital Corpsman Pharmacy Technician with the U.S. Navy for four years. He is now working toward an bachelor’s in Middle East Studies with minors in Arabic and Philosophy.
Of the VGL fellowship, Knightes writes, “I found that VGL aligned with my goal to continue service, but it will also introduce me to a vast network of like-minded people to share resources with.”
Which Cambridge Judge Scholarships Are Right For You?
Money can be a compounding stressor when it comes to earning an MBA. Sure, the degree is worth it, but achieving it requires serious planning. With books, housing, and a social life, the bills add up. Luckily, most universities and business schools offer scholarships to make it easier for students to attend.
Take London’s Cambridge Judge Business School, for example. The Financial Times ranked the business school’s MBA program as the fifth best in the world in 2017, and the best overall in the UK. To help join one of the world’s preeminent business institutions, a number of scholarships are available. Some focus on academic achievement, but others are about equity and go toward students of a specific nationality or gender. The institution recognizes that this type of financial assistance is necessary—after all, one year of tuition costs £49,000 (nearly $64,000 USD). That, of course, doesn’t include books or meals.
Those interested in applying for these Cambridge Judge scholarships must do so before the school year officially begins.
The Boustany Foundation Scholarship: The Boustany Foundation Scholarship offers £23,000 in financial assistance, as well as any travel costs. The scholarship is granted once every two years with priority given to Lebanese nationals. However, an applicant must be “outstanding and highly meriting.”
The Culture, Arts and Media Bursary: This scholarship looks at candidates interested in working in media, which can include fields such as journalism, creative writing, or production. The offer caps at £10,000. Once the scholarship is offered, applicants are expected to compete through an essay and give a talk on the media to the class.
The Ruth Whaley Bursary for Women in Science: This is a scholarship specifically for women working in finance. The Ruth Whaley Bursary gives a candidate £10,000—as well as the opportunity to mentor with Ruth Whaley, the founder of New York-based risk management consulting firm Barset Consulting LLC. The goal? That more women take up senior finance positions.
The EY Scholarship for Angolan Residents: This is the only scholarship that covers the business school’s full-tuition. That includes college fees, living expenses, and a flight back home to Angola. Applicants for the EY Scholarship are required to write an essay on how they’d use their time at Cambridge to further sustainable development to Angola.
The Sainsbury Bursary Scheme: Despite what the name suggests, this scholarship is no scheme. It recognizes applicants who have worked in the charity and volunteer sectors, offering them £14,000-28,000. They must show how they’d use their skills to continue this work. UK citizens working in the UK are given priority.
The Maissa Karim Scholarship: This £2,500 award is in honor of the lake Maissa Karim, a member of the school’s 2005 program. Now, that might not sound like much, but the money goes to a candidate who wouldn’t be able to do the MBA program without financial assistance. Every dollar counts.
The St. Catherine’s Benavitch Scholarship: This generous gift offers five candidates £10,000 each. Named after the late Maurice and Natalie Benavitch, the scholarship is supposed to develop tomorrow’s business leaders. Those who receive the award will join St Catherine’s College, a five-minute walk from Cambridge Judge. That means that five lucky candidates will have access to not one, but two university campuses.
Value Without the Price Tag: How MIT Sloan Assists Low-Income MBA Students
It’s no secret that attending an MBA program can often come with a hefty price tag—and when it comes to one of the top MBA programs in the country, you can guarantee you’ll be paying a lot for the high value of that program. At the Sloan School of Management at MIT, rated as the fourth best business school in the country by the U.S. News and World Report, one year of tuition will set you back $68,250. Factoring in additional fees, such as insurance, food and supplies, the cost is upward of $100,000.
For ambitious students with the skills to attend the best-of-the-best MBA programs, it’s a shame that money should be a determining factor in what program they can attend. Thankfully, most business programs work to ensure that all students—regardless of income—are able to attend the program that fits their qualifications. At MIT Sloan, there are a variety of ways for low-income students to qualify for financial aid based entirely on their financial need.
Below are just a few of the opportunities the school provides for low-income students to pay for their MBA, ensuring that the most talented business students can attend their school regardless of finances.
Loans
Once a student is accepted to MIT Sloan, they will begin a three-tiered financial aid process to determine financial need and the best way it can be addressed. The admissions process itself is needs-blind, ensuring that financial circumstance will not be a factor in whether or not a student is admitted to the program.
After admittance, students should file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Graduate Loan Application, which will help determine their eligibility for federal and private loans by working alongside the MIT Student Financial Services.
Assistantships
A number of MBA students each year may also have the opportunity to be a teaching or research assistant. These roles, which may include grading assignments/exams, working directly with students or assisting with research both help students pay for school as well as provide important experience and exposure to the research and education programs at Sloan.
Starting in the second semester, students will also have access to TA and RA positions as well.
Fellowships
Each year, MIT Sloan offers a number of competitive fellowships/scholarship to incoming and second-year MBA students. Although these scholarships are merit-based rather than need, they provide low-income students another excellent opportunity to subsidize their education and often include additional ways to gain experience and improve one’s career.
Aside from the Legatum Fellowship and the MIT Public Service Center Fellowships, which have their own application process, all admitted students to MIT will be considered for fellowships that they are eligible for, and do not require a separate application. The fellowships may range in support from $10,000 to full tuition coverage.
You can find more information about the variety of fellowships offered at MIT Sloan here.
Additional Scholarships
A number of other scholarships are available for students at MIT Sloan that may be given out based on a wide variety of factors such as merit, identity, or nationality. These scholarships may range from funding for tuition and coverage of school-related fees to mentorship and the chance to build relationships with industry professionals. For the most part, these scholarships must be applied to separately after admittance to MIT Sloan. More information on these scholarships can be found here.
Even after need-based loans and assistantships, these scholarships may help further bridge the gap in costs for students attending MIT Sloan. These many opportunities for funding ensure that the most talented students can attend the best-fit school for them, allowing MBAs to focus on getting their degree rather than getting their wallets out.
What Rice Jones MBA Scholarships are Right for You?
With the nation’s overall outstanding student loan debt exceeding $1 trillion, an intimidating price tag may deter talented students from pursuing higher education. Though the cost of business school can seem dispiriting, more and more schools are offering competitive scholarships to allow promising students to go after an MBA.
Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business is a leader in offering merit-based scholarships to ambitious students. According to the school, eighty percent of the full-time MBA students from the class of 2018 have received scholarships. In fact, all applicants are automatically considered for merit-based awards upon admission. These merit-based awards are granted only to full-time MBA students, and can range from covering 10 percent to 100 percent of tuition. Rice also offers a variety of flagship scholarships. For those Houston metro-bound b-schoolers, we’ve laid out some of Rice University’s best scholarships for aspiring MBAs.
Rice Jones MBA Scholarships
The Jones Graduate School of Business has a host of endowed scholarship options, which allow donors to aid promising students:
MBA Scholar
This coveted scholarship includes full tuition and a stipend for school materials and living expenses. The selection process for this award includes an interview process, and recipients should hold themselves to a high academic and leadership standard as they pursue their MBA.
Full Named Dean’s Endowed Scholarship
The Full Names Dean’s Endowed Scholarship contributes $2,000,000 to Rice’s scholarship resources, and supports recipients’ full-tuition and fees.
Named Scholarship
A new student is selected for the Named Scholarship each year. Awardees receive a portion of their Rice tuition.
Flagship Scholarships
Rice’s Flagship Scholarship opportunities may be right for students who meet the specific qualifications and require additional funding to obtain their MBAs.
Military Scholars Program (MSP)
At Rice, active or veteran military applicants to the full-time MBA program may be eligible to receive scholarships that cover tuition and other living expenses. Class of 2017 alum Will Lyles said, “The MSP afforded me the chance to be at one of the top schools in the country and be part of something that is continuing to improve and evolve. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for that scholarship and this institution.”
Crownover Scholars Program
This scholarship gives students the opportunity to personally connect with the award’s namesake, former Rice Board of Trustees Chair, James Crownover. In addition to providing financial aid, this award creates a link between recipients and the experienced James Crownover, who takes on a mentorship role, introducing students to industry leaders and offering his guidance and insight.
Jones’s Partners’ Leadership Scholarship
Jones Partners is a collaboration of professionals devoted to bridging the gap between Jones Graduate School of Business and the surrounding business community. This network offers a scholarship for full-time MBA candidates with the potential to be outstanding leaders. Students awarded this coveted scholarship have two years of tuition and fees covered.
The McNair Scholars Program
Each year, one Rice MBA applicant is chosen for the McNair Scholars Program, based on scholastic performance, aptitude and leadership skills. The McNair Scholars Program provides opportunities to promising candidates from low-income backgrounds (generally first generation students), covering full-tuition costs for its recipients.
For more information on the Rice Jones MBA scholarships, visit the school website.
Texas A&M Mays Business MBA Scholarship Spotlight
Earning an MBA isn’t cheap. At Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, full-time MBA students can expect to spend $36,079 a year on tuition and fees, and that’s only for residents. For domestic non-residents, the cost increases to $52,471 and for international non-residents it’s $52,598. Then, by the time you add room and board costs, books and supplies, travel, and personal expenses, full-time MBA students at Mays can expect to spend between $60,071 and $77,073 a year.
It’s for that reason that scholarships and financing are so essential for MBA students. Anything that is available to mitigate the cost of tuition and living expenses increase the ROI of the MBA and decreases the burden.
At the Mays School, many full-time MBA students receive scholarships and other financial assistance to negate the cost of the program. The awards vary and range from $3,000 to $35,000. The support is offered in four ways:
- Automatically with Admission: All admitted MBA students will be automatically considered for scholarship support, without needing to submit additional information. However, to be considered, MBA students should apply no later than Round 3.
- Merit-Based: Based on the strength of an MBA student’s application, they may be considered to receive a merit-based scholarship, which can include academic achievements, professional accomplishments, or potential for success.
- Resident Tuition: For non-residents (domestic and international), there’s an opportunity to receive resident tuition status based on the merit of their application. This results in a savings of around $20,000.
- Activity Scholarships: These scholarships are only available for those MBA students who participate in specific programs, and are typically awarded after enrollment.
Scholarships and fellowships from the Mays School may be paid in a lump sum (one payment) or monthly during a semester. It is up to the Mays School to determine how each award will be paid to the student. The award is distributed based on the academic calendar and cannot be changed.
One sample scholarship is the Texas Business Hall of Fame (TBHF) award. According to the guidelines, candidates eligible for the scholarship must exhibit entrepreneurial aspirations as well as leadership in academic and campus activities. Recipients are chosen after a round of nominations and an interview process. The scholarship award can be as much as $15,000.
Mays Fellowships
Beyond scholarships, the Mays Business School also offers fellowships for incoming graduate students. These fellowships are only available to domestic candidates and require an application to be considered.
One such fellowship is the Graduate Diversity Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded to students who have a history of success in a diverse environment. The fellowship provides MBA students with a $13,000 annual stipend, $5,000 annually for tuition and fees and a graduate assistantship position that pays $7,000 per year, including health insurance. The total award package for two years is $50,000.
Graduate Assistantships
For those MBA students who do not receive a scholarship, there is still an opportunity to mitigate the cost of their tuition with a Graduate Assistantship. MBA students may be hired as teaching, research, or non-teaching assistants, working on average twenty hours per week. Interested students should contact their graduate advisor for help or can look for open positions on Jobs for Aggies.
Texas Aggie Graduate Grant (TAGG)
Texas A&M also offers need-based awards. Determined by the Scholarships & Financial Aid Office, Texas residents can receive a tuition stipend up to $1,500 per semester, for a maximum of $3,000 per year. This need-based grant is only eligible for those students who have not received another major scholarship or fellowship and requires a TAGG application to be eligible.
Additional Scholarships
Finally, Texas A&M offers a few unique scholarship opportunities for minority students and students willing to submit a separate application. Some of these scholarships include:
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund: This scholarship is designed for students of Hispanic heritage and offers awards from $500 to $5,000.
- AIGC American Indian Graduate Center Scholarship: Scholarship awards vary and can be for as much as $30,000.
- Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarships: These scholarships are awarded to deserving students and vary in amount and type each year.
- Allen Roth Marketing Scholarship: This award requires a 250-word essay on “Why a home is important.” The winner receives $1,000.
For more information on specific MBA scholarships that you will be eligible to receive, students should contact the Scholarships & Financial Aid office. Contact information found here.
Find The Right UCLA Anderson Scholarships And Fellowships
Though earning an MBA is ultimately a fruitful endeavor, the initial cost can leave students tapped out. Luckily, more schools are making an effort to help talented students ease the financial burden of getting a degree, via scholarship support. Many institutions now have a host of resources that counter-balance the intimidating price tag of pursuing an MBA.
