By Callum Charman, MFA Student Recruitment Associate
Business school is one of the biggest investments you can make, so it’s important to ensure you have financing in place before you start. There are plenty of ways to finance your studies – from loans to scholarships and grants.
We understand that postgraduate study is a big investment in your future, and we support as many students as possible in this important next step. Our Scholars Community represents some of LBS’s brightest talent, and in order to attract and support the best candidates, we offer several generous merit scholarships.
LBS offers many financing options to support your graduate studies, including merit funds and bursaries. Each year around 20% of the Early Careers class receives funding from one of the School’s scholarships, which are supported by the School, alumni and external donors.
In addition to the School’s scholarships portfolio, there are also external loan options which admitted students can apply for, including Prodigy and Future Finance.
Scholarships can turn the dream of business school into a reality. We’re proud to recognise outstanding talent and provide the critical financial support those students need.
Our scholarships are funded by LBS directly, and by our friends, alumni and supporters. All admitted students are automatically considered for the vast majority of merit awards for which they meet entry requirements. Most scholarships will not require a separate application.
It is worth remembering that some scholarships are awarded early in the admissions process, so make sure you apply for your programme as early as possible if you are interested in receiving funding from the school.
Laidlaw Women’s Leadership Fund:
“The purpose of the scholarships is to encourage and develop future leaders in any field of activity. Looking around the world’s business and political leaders, I can’t recall a time when better leaders were more urgently needed”
Lord Laidlaw, Chairman of the Laidlaw Foundation
From autumn 2020-2023, the Laidlaw Women’s Leadership Fund will support 20 outstanding female scholars across the Masters in Management, MBA and EMBA programmes each year, made possible by a generous £3.69m gift from the Laidlaw Foundation. This will create a dynamic network of female peers at LBS and beyond, strengthening our ambition for gender parity across our degree programmes. The Fund aims to attract exceptional women from a diverse range of backgrounds, in particular women who may not otherwise be able to afford a top-tier business education.
LBS and Laidlaw Foundation share a joint vision – to help exceptional females in their careers, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. In order to be eligible for this scholarship, successful female applicants must demonstrate financial need.
“Unfortunately, many women reach a glass ceiling, particularly in the corporate world. I am deeply committed to helping more of them break that glass ceiling through expanding access to top business education,”
Lord Laidlaw, Chairman of the Laidlaw Foundation
The ongoing success of the Laidlaw Women’s Leadership Fund strengthens the School’s ambition of moving towards 51% female representation across LBS’s degree programmes, in particular the number of women from socio-economically diverse backgrounds. The fund aims to attract the highest calibre women who might not otherwise have been able to afford a top-tier business education.
Loans
There are a number of loan options available to LBS students. Some are open to all while others depend on your situation, such as nationality, financial status or likely future earnings.
Make sure you consider all your options and remember that it’s important to do your own research as there may be other government and regional loans and grants available in your own country.
Some of the most popular loans include:
Prodigy Finance:
- Lends to most international
students, subject to eligibility - Lends across all degree
programmes - Funded by community
investors, LBS and external investors - Lending levels based on
innovative model of predictive post-degree salary indicators - Prodigy Finance fully
responsible for lending decisions – eligibility criteria apply - Competitive interest rates
- Maximum loan amount for full-time students: up to 100% of the
school-provided tuition - Minimum loan amount: £10,000 or $15,000
- Loans available in: GBP or USD
- All loans disbursed directly to the university according to due dates
More information regarding eligibility and access to funds can be found on the Prodigy Finance website.
Future Finance:
- Lends to UK or UK resident
students (residency qualification applies) - Lends across all degree
programmes - Lends for tuition fees and
living expenses - Competitive interest rates
- Your rate will be calculated
based on your graduate earning potential, not just your current financial
situation.
More information regarding eligibility and access to funds can be found on the Future Finance website.