August Entry:
- Applicants will be automatically evaluated for merit-based awards based on their application for admission. No additional applications are needed for consideration. Awards are highly competitive.
- If selected to interview applicants will have the option to complete a need-based application consisting of an institutional application, the CSS Profile, and copies of taxes or income statements. Awards are determined based on individual financial circumstances.
- Awarded institutional aid ranges from $25,000 per academic year to full tuition awards. Award notification will be sent following admission decisions and will include a total sum per academic year, and for the program (for example $50K per year, $100K total).
- Students who matriculate will receive the breakdown of need/merit and be notified if they matched with named awards in the summer prior to beginning the MBA.
- Merit based awards are renewable from year 1 to year 2 if the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress and adheres to the Columbia Business School Honor Code.
- Need based awards are renewable if the student adheres to the Columbia Business School Honor Code.
- All outside awards and sponsorships must be reported to the financial aid office and could impact eligibility.
- Priority for awards is given to those students applying in rounds 1 and 2.
January Entry:
- Admitted students will have the option to complete a need-based application consisting of an institutional application, the CSS Profile, and copies of taxes or income statements. Awards are determined based on individual financial circumstances and range from $25,000-$50,000 per academic year.
- Awards are renewable from year 1 to year 2 if the student adheres to the Columbia Business School Honor Code.
- All outside awards and sponsorships must be reported to the financial aid office and could impact eligibility.
- There is a limited number of merit-based awards based on the student’s application for admission.
- No additional applications are needed for consideration.
- Awarded students will be notified by the admissions office following their admission notification.
- Awards are renewable from year 1 to year 2 if the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress and adheres to the Columbia Business School Honor Code.
With the exception of the Dual MBA/Executive MS: Engineering and Applied Science and the Three-Year joint JD/MBA program, dual degree students pay the tuition and fees of, and are granted financial aid by, the school in which they are in residence. School-specific scholarships and fellowships awarded by Columbia Business School are not transferable. Dual degree students are eligible to apply for institutional funding from the Business School in their first term of business school residence. The application information will be made available to the student during the MBA admissions process. Please refer to the dual degree guide below for more financial aid information on specific programs.
Dual MBA/Executive MS: Engineering and Applied Science
Applicants to this program are eligible for the same institutional funding opportunities as full time MBA students. All students are considered for merit funding and are given access to the need-based applications when they are invited to interview. Funding decisions are sent out prior to deposit deadlines through the admitted student portal. All aid is processed by the CBS financial aid office throughout the length of the program.
Three-Year Joint JD/MBA
Applicants to this program apply for funding through the Law Schools’ financial aid office and follow their application process. Funding is renewable for the entirety of the program, including the terms in which the student is enrolled at the Business School. No additional applications are required, and no additional funding opportunities are available.
Other Dual Degree Programs
All other dual degree students are eligible to apply for institutional funding from the Business School in their first term of business school residence. The application information will be made available to the student during the MBA admissions process. School-specific scholarships and fellowships awarded by Columbia Business School, or another school at the University, are not transferable.
Below is a list of the named awards available at CBS. Individual applications are not needed to be considered. Should admitted students be offered institutional funds, and they match the criteria associated with a specific award – they will be notified. Most students who are awarded institutional funds will receive a total unnamed amount upon admission, and be notified of a named match, if applicable, beginning in the summer prior to matriculation. Changes may occur throughout a student’s enrollment in the program.
Awarded Upon Admission
Forté Fellowship
Forté is a non-profit organization with the mission of launching women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education and professional development. Forté Fellowships are awarded through Columbia Business School to admitted MBA students who demonstrate a commitment to advancing women in business.
Ronald O. Perelman Family Scholarship
In 2021, Ronald O. Perelman P ’00, ’24 created the Perelman Family Scholarship Fund to offer full tuition awards for students from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups, with the aim of expanding a more diverse generation of business leaders. Mr. Perelman owns and operates several distinct businesses as chairman and CEO of MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated. He is well known for his philanthropic support of leading cultural and educational institutions, as well his commitment to advancing women’s health, the arts, and education. Alongside his daughter, Debbie Perelman ’00, he serves as a member of the Columbia Business School Board.
Robert F. Smith '94 Scholarship
The Robert F. Smith ’94 Scholarship Fund offers financial support to CBS students who have graduated from HBCUs, overcome systemic hardships or challenges in their academic pursuits, or who have demonstrated a strong commitment to engaging diversity. The fund, which will offer full or partial scholarships, is expected to support approximately 200 students over a 10-year period. Robert F. Smith '94, founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, is known for his industry leadership and commitment to the community and is the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Leadership in Business Award and the Columbia BBSA Distinguished Alumni Award.
Meyer Feldberg Distinguished Fellowship Program
In honor of Professor Meyer Feldberg’s ’65 15-year tenure as dean of Columbia Business School, several alumni and supporters of the School established a fellowship program to uphold his continued tradition of leadership. Each year, the Fellowship is given to select incoming students who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential, as well as academic excellence. Selection as a Feldberg Fellow provides full tuition and lifelong membership in a distinguished group of similarly driven students, alumni, and donors. Meet the sponsors of the Meyer Feldberg Distinguished Fellowship Program.
R. C. Kopf Global Fellowships
R. C. Kopf endowed the first R. C. Kopf Fellowship and the R. C. Kopf Professorship in International Marketing in 1980. A 1927 graduate of Columbia Business School, Kopf credited the School’s international business focus for much of his professional success, including the establishment of the Kobrand Corporation. Today, Kopf’s children and their spouses carry his commitment to enhancing the international character of Columbia Business School. Thanks to their generosity, the School offers several Kopf Global Fellowships each year. The Kopf Global Fellows are diverse and highly accomplished, not only in the academic realm but also in the breadth of personal, professional and highly international experience that they contribute to the School’s community
Matched Upon Matriculation or as a Second-Year
Benjamin '05 and Beth Hesse Endowed Scholarships
Since the establishment of the Benjamin '05 and Beth Hesse Endowed Scholarship Fund for Investment Management in 2013, the Hesse family has gone on to create seven additional scholarships at Columbia Business School. These merit- and need-based awards are intended for promising students in a wide range of areas, including entrepreneurship, healthcare, public and non-profit leadership, real estate, social entrepreneurship, and veteran leadership. Ben Hesse '05 currently serves as Chief Operating Officer: Asset & Wealth Management at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Russo Family Scholarship
Established by Tom Russo P’11 in 2007 via the Cooperman Scholarship Challenge Fund, the Russo Family Scholarship is a need-based award with preference given to a student interested in value investing. Tom Russo is managing member of Gardner Russo & Gardner and sits on the advisory board of Columbia Business School’s Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. Mr. Russo founded the Heilbrunn Center’s 5x5x5 Russo Student Investment Fund in 2014, the first-ever student investment fund at the Business School.
Most institutional funding is offered to students following admission and prior to enrollment at CBS, and is renewable for year 2 as long as students are making Satisfactory Academic Progress. Below is information on the limited opportunities available to full-time MBA students to apply for their second year organized by timeline.
March of Year One
The application for need-based aid will become available to students in the full-time MBA and MBAxMS programs. Students who did not apply for need-based aid for year one, were not awarded need-based aid for year one, or experienced significant changes in financial circumstances will have the opportunity to apply for year two. An email will be sent when the application process opens, with the application due in April, and notifications going out by the end of May. Awards range from $25,000-$50,000, and, if awarded, will be split between the fall and spring semesters of year two.
Summer Following Year One
The McGowan Fellowship is highly competitive, and top-performing students will be invited to apply. The McGowan Fellows Program partners with top-tier business schools to award full-tuition scholarships to one second-year MBA student and provides experiential learning opportunities through the following components: leadership training steeped in the McGowan values of ownership, accountability, and self-awareness; an opportunity to work on a social impact project towards improving the lives of others; an annual Symposium focusing on crucial questions facing business and society; and a long-life community of change agents across sectors. For more information, please visit the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund website.
The Michaelson Prize was established in 1985 by Catherine S. Michaelson ’78 in honor of her father. The prize recognizes outstanding academic achievement and strong leadership in student activities. The Michaelson Prize recipient is chosen by committee and notified – there is no application process. This prize is given in the form of a check and is taxable income.
September of Year Two
The Second Year Fellows application will become available by the end of September. Continuing students will be notified via email by the Second Year Fellows committee. The application deadline is typically mid-October and will be confirmed in the email. Decisions will go out to applicants by the end of November. There are approximately 50 awards of $5,000 given to students with top academic performances in year one and who demonstrated involvement and contributions to the CBS community. This award is available to all continuing students, including duals, in the full-time MBA and MBAxMS programs. If awarded, the funds will be applied to the final semester bill.
Summer Fellowship Program
The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center provides a summer stipend to enable MBA students to contribute management expertise to growing startup organizations over the summer. Full application instructions and eligibility requirements can be found on their website.
Summer Start-Up Track
Through tailored advisory support, a network of peers, and programming with industry leaders, the Summer Startup Track fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship for rising second-year Columbia Business School students who are dedicated to advancing their ventures. Students participating in the Summer Startup Track are eligible to apply for a grant at the end of the program.
Social Enterprise Summer Fellowships
The Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship Program provides funds for students who wish to work full time over the summer with eligible organizations including: nonprofit 501(c)(3) (or its equivalent outside the U.S.), NGOs, public sector organizations, for-profit social ventures, or social venture capital firms with a clearly defined social or environmental purpose incorporated into the core reason for operation. January-term MBA students are also eligible to apply for mini-internships at the end of August. Full application instructions and eligibility requirements can be found online.