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Harvard Business School Fellowships, Loans and other Funding Options

Harvard Business School Fellowship and Scholarship Program

Criteria: Need Based 

  • Student should have saved a percentage of his/her income from each of the prior three years
  • Based on analysis of income and assets for the prior three years
  • For married students, Spouse's income and assets, and a higher cost of living will be a factor.

Quick Facts: 

  • Nearly 50% of the class receives an average of approximately $46,000 per year in need-based HBS Fellowships
  • A base loan package before any fellowship is awarded
  • HBS Fellowships will fund the financial need (as determined by MBAFinancial Aid Services) beyond the base loan package and student'scontribution.

Analysis of Financial Need

  • Cash, money market, CDs, stocks, securities, mutual funds, bonds, trust funds, home equity and other investments will be used in the analysis of the student's financial need.

Asset Evaluation

  • Retirement assets with a value of $100,000 or less are not considered available for the MBA Program.
  • Assume that 25% of retirement assets above $100,000 are available.
  • Before Fellowship outside scholarships are considered. 

On average, each Harvard MBA student receives $46,000 in scholarships per year, or a total of $92,000. These scholarships are funded by Alumni. In addition to the scholarships, students can avail fellowships that require meeting specific conditions - RISE fellowship (commitment to Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx), John C. Phelan (MBA 1990), Forward Fellowship (low-income background), George Leadership Fellowship (Joint Degree participant - leadership potential), Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship (commitment to a non-profit career or leadership), The Robert S. Kaplan (MBA 1983) Life Sciences Fellowship (excellence and commitment to the Life Science industry), John H. McArthur Canadian Fellowship (Canadian applicants), The Black Family Fellowship (US Military Veterans), Harvard University General Scholarships (all graduates and undergraduates), and Traveling Fellowships (to meet the travel requirements of the MBA program).

Scholarship/FellowshipsNumber of Awards/ AmountEligibility
RISE Fellowship$10,000 to 10 MBA candidatesStudents who have demonstrated commitment to serving Black/African American and other marginalized communities.
John C. Phelan (MBA 1990) Forward Fellowship$30,000 ($15,000 each year)Need-based scholarship are offered to the students with financial burdens
Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship$10,000 to seven to ten (7–10) first-year MBA studentsStudents demonstrating leadership attributes in the non-profit sector.
Junior Achievement FellowshipFive $10,000 fellowships each yearStudents with at least 2 years Junior Achievement Experience
George Leadership Fellowship$12,000Open to HBS students in the third year of the joint degree program with Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)
John H. McArthur Canadian FellowshipUSD $20,000 ($10,000 per year)Students from Canada who have lived there for atleast 7 years
The Black Family Fellowship$20k to 5 to 8 studentsUS veteran/active duty military students
Harvard University General ScholarshipsNAOpen to all students
Traveling FellowshipsNAOpen to all students

Harvard MBA External Funding

Harvard offers 45 external funding sources, including 4 new fundings for students with categories such as Women, Minorities, Veteran, International students, LGBTQ, and background in Agriculture. The total amount of the awards ranges from $5,000 to $90,000. 

CriteriaAward NameEligibilityAmount
WomenAmerican Association of University Women (AAUW)Outstanding Women CandidateVariable Amount ($20,000-$50,000)
Minority StudentsAmerican Indian Graduate Center FellowshipsNative American StudentsNA
 Hispanic Scholarship FundStudents of Hispanic heritage$500-$5000
 The LunaCap FoundationMexican or active US veterans$10000
 Minorities in Government Finance ScholarshipCitizen of the US or Canada pursuing Career in Local government finance$5000-$25000
 ProspanicaStudents of Hispanic/Latino Origin$5000
 John Mack ABANA FellowshipStudents of Arab/MENA heritage$15,000 for two years
 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Scholarship for Minority Accounting StudentsStudents who plan to pursue the CPA licensure.$5,000
VeteransYellow Ribbon ProgramUS veterans$40,000
 Post-9/11 GI Bill®US VeteranTuition Fee and Monthly living allowance
 Montgomery GI BillUS veterans who have served continuously for two years with a $100 per month deduction in monthly payNA
 Veteran Readiness and Employment (formerly Vocational Rehabilitation)Have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from VANA
 Wells Fargo Veterans Scholarship ProgramUS veterans or their spouses$10,000
 The LunaCap FoundationActive U.S. Military, U.S. Armed Forces Veterans, and students of Mexican descent$10,000
 The American Warrior Association ScholarshipVeterans transitioning to civilian life$10,000-$15,000
 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEAP/REAP)Dependents of US veteransNA monthly payment
New AmericansPaul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New AmericansNaturalized US citizens or their child$90,000
Colleges/GradsGeorge and Mary Knox Graduate Scholarship (Bowdoin College)Students from Bowdoin College who are attending HBS$8,950 to $82,900
 The McCabe Fellowship (Swarthmore College)Students from Swarthmore College$5000
 The Carey Fund (University of Notre Dame)Students who have completed undergraduate degrees from Norte DameNA
Business DisciplineAccountemps/American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Student ScholarshipStudents pursuing careers in Accounting, Information Systems, and Finance$5,000
 Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) ScholarshipsStudents pursuing careers in Government, Finance, and Management$5000- $25000
 Orbis Investment Management MBA FellowshipStudents with career goals toward Investment Management$15,000
 MSCPA ScholarshipsStudents pursuing careers in accounting$2500-$10000
LGBTQPoint FoundationLGBTQ studentsVariable Amount
FarmworkingThe Rising Farmworker Dream FundStudents pursuing a degree in ManagementNA
OtherSamvid ScholarsStudents pursuing graduate degrees and committed to making positive changes in Society$50000
International StudentsBoustany FoundationStudents from any nation have excellent academic backgrounds. Offered Once in Two years75% of the tuition fee
 British Friends of Harvard Business School Fulbright Scholarships (UK)British Students admitted to HBSNA
 Eduarda Justo Foundation (Spain)Highly committed students from Spain with a preference for students from AlmeriaNA
 Fundação Estudar (Brazil)Brazilian student with strong leadership or Entrepreneurial profile5% to 95% of the requested amount
 Fundacion Mexico en HarvardMexican Students admitted to Harvard$10,000-$25,000
 French-American Chamber of Commerce Bellanger Business School Scholarship ProgramFrench students studying in the US$10,000
 Harvard Business School Foundation of Germany (HBSF)Grant for a German student in First yearNA
 Instituto Ling Scholarship Program (Brazil)Brazilian student with strong leadership or Entrepreneurial profileVariable
 KHMW-Eizenga Scholarship for Dutch Students (The Netherlands) NA
 Kosciuszko Foundation (Poland)Dutch students interested to pursue an MBA degree from HBS$50,000
 Kuwait Investment Authority MBA ScholarshipStudents of Kuwaiti OriginTuition Fee and monthly stipend
 LIFE Scholarship (Lebanese International Finance Executives)Talented Lebanese student with Financial Need30% of Tuition and $12,000
 The Sainsbury Management Fellowship Scheme (EU/UK)Students from EU/EEU with their first degree in engineering. demonstrate and willingness to contribute to UK's economy£50,000
 7UP Harvard Business School Scholarship (Nigeria)Students from NigeriaTuition Fee, Board, and Travel expenses
 Tao Shing Pee Education Foundation (People's Republic of China)citizen of the US or Canada pursuing a Career in Local government financeNA
 Tao Shing Pee Education Foundation (People's Republic of China)citizen of the US or Canada pursuing a Career in Local government financeNA

Restricted Scholarships
1) Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellowships in Social Entrepreneurship
2) Zuckerman Fellows Program
3) Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat Fellowship (Argentina)
4) The Francis and Peggy Cahn Fund for Argentina
5) Jorge Paulo Lemann Fellowship
6) Scholarships for Colombian Students
7) Real Colegio Complutense Scholarship (Spain)
8) Applicants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom -  Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships.

Other Fellowships and Funding Options

Canadian MBA students - John H. McArthur Canadian Fellowship 

Funding for Women Students:

American Association of University Women
Criteria: Minority women who are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents.

Funding for Minority Students:

Robert A. Toigo Foundation
Criteria: Minority MBA students interested in careers in financial services. 

National Society of Hispanic MBAs/Hispanic Scholarship Foundation
Criteria: Outstanding Hispanic Students pursuing a graduate degree in management/business. 
Awards:$2,500 - $5,000 and one $10,000 award.

Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship
Criteria: Outstanding U.S. & Canadian minority students preparing for careers in state & local government finance.
Awards:$5,000

AICPA Scholarship for Minority Accounting Students
Criteria :Minority students with accounting backgrounds. 
Download application from http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/mini/index.htm.

Fellowships for International Students

The British Friends of Harvard Business School

Criteria : 

  • Candidates must be British citizens.
  • After interview with the Fulbright Commission, successful candidates are recommended to the British Friends for approval.

Award: Covers tuition fees for the first year of study only. 

P.S: 

  • Applicants for this scholarship can apply for admission to Harvard Business School in the October or January admission round and must be admitted to HBS before applying for a scholarship.
  • Applicants earning less than £40,000 per year will be given preference, but this should not deter others from applying.

Eduarda Justo Foundation (Spain)
Criteria : Academically talented, highly motivated MBA students from Spain with a preference for students from Almeria, Spain.
Each scholarship covers the following:
University tuition fee 
1,600€ monthly for housing, books and supplies 
1,000€ (for travel expenses) 
2,000€ (for initial expenses) 

Fundação Estudar
Criteria :Merit-based scholarship opportunity for Brazilian students with leadership and entrepreneurial profiles.

Instituto Ling Scholarship Program
Criteria :Brazilian citizens with entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills to contribute to Brazilian economic, social and cultural development.

The Sainsbury Management Fellowship Scheme
Criteria :Fellowships for UK Citizens with an engineering background.

Harvard Business School Foundation of Germany (HBSF)

Criteria :

  • German Citizens
  • Financial need
  • Personal qualification

Award : Up to € 20.000 for a German First Year HBS student. 
For further information, contact:
Stefan Eishold, President
eishold@arcus-muc.de

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellowship

Criteria: Nationals of the 22 member countries of the League of Arab States are eligible to apply.

Fundacion Mexico en Harvard
Criteria:Mexican citizens for graduate study at Harvard. 

Funding for Veterans

Post 9/11 GI Bill
Yellow Ribbon Program
Montgomery G.I. Bill

Funding for New Americans

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Criteria: A New American is defined as a resident alien, a naturalized US citizen, or the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens.

Funding for college students/recent graduates

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Criteria: College seniors or recent graduates entering graduate programs
Students must be nominated by their undergraduate institutions.

Funding for students of public administration, finance and business administration

George A. Nielsen Public Investor Scholarship

Criteria:

  • Student must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada.
  • Students of Public Administration, Finance, Business Administration or a related field

Award: $5,000
For more information or to request an application, contact:
Scholarship Committee
Government Finance Officer Association
203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700
Chicago, IL 60601-1210
312.977.9700

Funding for LGBT students

The Point Foundation
Criteria:LGBT students. 

Funding for students with a farmworking background

The Rising Farmworker Dreamfund
Criteria: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers and son and daughters of farmworkers

Harvard Business School Loan Program
 

F1GMAT's Harvard MBA Essay Guide

 

• Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your choices have influenced your career path and aspirations. (up to 300 words)
• Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)
• Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped how you invest in others and how you lead? (up to 250 words)

Download F1GMAT's Harvard MBA Essay Guide (20+ Essay Examples & 300+ Pages of Essay Writing Wisdom)