Regardless of your degree path, you’re likely eligible for some form of financial assistance. Most members in incoming classes receive some assistance, typically up to 50 percent of the program fee. Those students with strongest backgrounds and qualifications can earn awards reaching 70 to 100 percent of their program fee.
The Office of Financial Aid provides the full breakdown of the estimated cost to attend.
Awarding Process
Scholarships will be awarded after you’re admitted into the program and before your program begins. Scholarships aren’t distributed all at once, but are spread out through the duration of the program. There’s no need to apply. Your eligibility is determined during the application review and any scholarship or fellowship awards will be included with your offer of admission.
Scholarships and Other Resources
Additional fellowships are awarded to incoming MBA students with outstanding academic and professional accomplishments. Applicants may be awarded the “Moore School Excellence Award,” which can be comprised of one or more named funds. Candidates are informed of the specific fund composition of the award shortly after joining the program. Selection criteria include leadership potential, standardized test scores, academic background and professional work experience. Each fellowship has specific selection and eligibility criteria.
Through the Moore School Excellence Award program, candidates may receive scholarships typically ranging from $500 to $20,000. All MBA non-resident candidates who are awarded a fellowship of at least $1,000 are automatically assessed the in-state program fee for each of the academic semesters in which they are enrolled, significantly lowering the cost of the program.
The Pozen Scholarship is awarded to two incoming International MBA candidates who meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrated commitment to a diverse MBA student body
- Understanding of discrimination in the United States
- Commitment to better communications across racial, ethnic and/or cultural lines
- Ability to overcome educational, social or family disadvantages
- Show academic merit and leadership potential on equity and inclusion issues
Read more about benefactor Robert “Bob” Pozen and his commitment to students from underrepresented backgrounds in the Moore School press room.
University of South Carolina/Taiwan Sister-State Tuition Benefit: This program was established through the sister-state agreement between South Carolina and Taiwan. Through this agreement, any MBA candidate who is a citizen of Taiwan would pay in-state tuition, significantly lowering the cost of the program. To qualify, applicants must be admitted to MBA program and must demonstrate Taiwan citizenship with a valid passport.
Visit Tuition and Fees for more information on the Taiwan sister-state agreement.
Highly competitive graduate assistantships are awarded to select incoming MBA students. Assistantships are offered during the summer II and fall semesters of the first year of the program and during the fall and spring semesters of the final year of the program. The stipend can provide up to $7,000 in funding.
If you accept a position as a full-time MBA graduate assistant, you will be assigned to an academic or administrative unit within the Moore School to assist in specific duties or projects. You will be responsible to work an average of 10 hours per week.
During the fall and spring academic terms, there are a number of paid work grant opportunities available. Students participating in this program are assigned to a faculty or staff member and are responsible to work approximately 10 hours per week. The scope of the work grant can vary from helping with research to assisting with projects or other duties. These positions become available during the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and are offered accordingly.
Additional on-campus part-time job opportunities at the Columbia campus are available throughout the year. For a current listing of jobs, go to Employment Opportunities.
Federal student loan programs, for U.S. citizens only, are available to MBA students through the USC Student Financial Aid Office. Take into consideration that the MBA program starts in the summer term.
For details, call 803.777.8134 or visit Student Financial Aid & Scholarship.
External Financial Resources
You have options to finance your education through fellowships, scholarships and loans from private, public and nonprofit organizations. The following list is a sampling of common options so we encourage you to fully research financial resources using other sources of information.
Resource Name | Resource Type | Eligibility | Description |
---|---|---|---|
USC International Students Services |
Fellowships/ |
International Students |
International students should visit International Students Services for additional information concerning funding opportunities. |
Virginia B. Gourdin Scholarship |
Scholarship |
Female graduate student |
The Virginia B. Gourdin Scholarship provides scholarships for deserving students. Get eligibility and award details from the administrator, Center for Scholarship and Administration, Inc. |
Graduate Incentive Recruiting Scholarships |
Fellowship |
African-American graduate students |
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program brings citizens of other countries to the United States for a master’s degree or Ph.D. For more information, visit the Fulbright website. |
Fulbright |
Fellowship/Grants |
International Students |
LASPAU administers scholarship and loan programs for a wide variety of sponsoring agencies. For more information, visit LASPAU and refer to Grant Opportunities. |
The Leadership Fellowship Program for Latin America and the Caribbean |
Fellowships and Loans |
Latin American and Caribbean International Students |
LASPAU administers scholarship and loan programs for a wide variety of sponsoring agencies. For more information, visit LASPAU and refer to Grant Opportunities. |
The Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund |
Loans |
Latin American and Caribbean International Students |
The Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund grants interest-free educational loans to outstanding students from Latin American and Caribbean OAS member countries to help them finance their higher education studies in the United States. For more information, visit OAS. |
Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura |
Information regarding Scholarship and Loan opportunities |
Latin American and Caribbean International Students |
This organization provides a list of resources available in Chile and other Latin American countries to access information regarding scholarships and loans. For more information, visit Instituto Chileno Nortemericano de Cultura. |
Colfuturo |
Loans |
International students from Colombia |
Colfuturo is a nonprofit organization with an endowment of more than $15 million donated by a group of private and public Colombian institutions. The main purpose of Colfuturo is to assist Colombian students wishing to enroll in a graduate program anywhere in the world. For more information, visit Colfuturo. |