Columbia Business School offers partial-tuition scholarships to many qualified candidates, both domestic and international. Scholarships are mostly need-based, however, certain named scholarships have a merit component or have specific criteria designated by the donor. Details on applying for scholarships are available after admission.
August-entry scholarship applications and related materials are due by mid-January or three weeks from the date of admission, whichever is later. Decision notifications begin in February and continue on a rolling basis.
January-entry scholarship applications and related materials are due by mid-October or three weeks from the date of admission, whichever is later. Decision notifications begin in November and continue on a rolling basis.
The date of admission is defined as the date on which the Admissions Office notifies the candidate via e-mail.
Award amounts range from $7,500–$30,000 for those who qualify and based on funds available (amounts can sometimes be higher in certain circumstances). Of those who apply, about half receive a need-based scholarship and the average award is approximately $20,000. Although the percentage of recipients is high, students should not assume they will be awarded a need-based scholarship as these awards are not guaranteed. Awards are generally renewed for the second year of study.
To assess a student’s eligibility for need-based aid, the School takes into consideration all possible resources (including cash, savings, investments, money market, IRA and retirement accounts, CDs, trust funds, real estate equity, GI and Social Security benefits, income of student and spouse, other familial resources, income tax refunds, sponsorships from companies, as well as prior educational debt levels). We also take into account merit-based awards made possible by the Admissions office. Additional information might be requested to best assess a candidate’s ability to pay and late applications are subject to a different process.
Highlighted below is an example of one of the numerous scholarships offered.
The Laidlaw Foundation Scholarship
The Lord Irvine A.S. Laidlaw ’65 Scholarship provides crucial financial assistance to exceptional female MBA candidates who might not otherwise be able to afford business school. In addition to an unparalleled education, they receive entrée into an expanding community of talented Laidlaw Columbia Business Scholars (LCBS). Through programming, mentorship, and organizational partnerships, the LCBS community supports and augments members’ success both at school and on into their careers.
To date, nearly 300 students from 30 countries have received the Laidlaw Scholarship and joined the global network supported by the Laidlaw Foundation. It includes not only the high-potential, extraordinary women in the LCBS community, but also an international cohort of undergraduate Laidlaw Scholars. Learn more about the LCBS community, Laidlaw Scholars, and the Foundation’s other graduate scholarship for women at London Business School on the Laidlaw Network. Columbia Business School remains grateful to the Laidlaw Foundation for establishing this important and transformative initiative. There is no separate application process to be considered for the Laidlaw Scholarship. Recipients are chosen through the need-based scholarship process for full-time MBA students.
External Scholarships
We encourage all MBA applicants to look for scholarship resources outside of the school as well. For a listing of external scholarships and search engines, please
