Scholarships for International MBA Students in the UK – Fully Funded

Every year, many international students look to UK business schools for MBA programmes. These programmes offer tremendous value—global connections, strong faculty, and exposure to business hubs—but also come with significant cost. Scholarships can make a huge difference, reducing financial burden and helping talented students realize their ambitions.

In this guide, we’ll cover what kinds of scholarships are available for international MBA students in the UK, eligibility criteria, how to apply, a list of top schools with typical scholarship values, and tips to maximize your chance of receiving funding.

What are MBA Scholarships in the UK

MBA scholarships are financial awards offered by business schools, governments, private foundations, or external organisations to help cover parts of the cost of the MBA programme. For international students, these might reduce tuition fees, provide stipends for living costs, cover travel, or sometimes waive other fees. Scholarships can be merit-based, needs-based, diversity-oriented, or targeted (e.g. for women, for students from specific countries or sectors, for social entrepreneurs). Some are partial awards; others are full scholarships.

Why These Scholarships Matter

• Financial Relief: MBA programmes in top UK schools often cost tens of thousands of pounds. Scholarship money can make them affordable.
• Access to Opportunities: Scholarships often come with additional benefits—networking, mentorship, leadership programmes.
• Prestige & Career Advantage: Being awarded a competitive scholarship boosts your resume and signals merit to employers.
• Global Mobility: For many international students, scholarships are essential to manage visa, relocation, and cost of living burdens.

Common Types of Scholarships

Type	What It Means
Merit-Based	Awarded based on academic record, work experience, leadership potential. No need-based component.
Needs-Based / Financial Aid	Awarded to those who demonstrate financial need; may require proof of income or hardship.
Diversity / Inclusion Awards	For women, underrepresented nationalities, or special backgrounds, to promote wider inclusion.
Targeted Scholarships	Specific to certain regions, sectors, or candidate types (social entrepreneurs, veterans, etc.).
Full Scholarships vs Partial	Full: covers tuition (sometimes living costs too). Partial: covers a portion (percentage discount or fixed amount).

Eligibility Criteria You’ll Often Encounter

To win an MBA scholarship as an international student in the UK, you’ll usually need to meet criteria like:

• A strong academic record (good undergraduate grades, sometimes strong GMAT/GRE scores).
• Relevant work experience (leadership potential, advancement).
• Clear essays or statements that show why you deserve the scholarship and what you’ll bring to the cohort.
• A valid offer (conditional or unconditional) to the MBA programme.
• For some scholarships: language proficiency (e.g. English), references, sometimes proof of financial situation.

How to Apply Effectively

Here’s a general step-by-step to apply for MBA scholarships:

1. Research Early: Identify which business schools you plan to apply to, find out their MBA scholarship offerings, deadlines, and eligibility.
2. Submit MBA Application First / Simultaneously: Most schools require you to apply to the MBA before or as part of the scholarship process.
3. Prepare Your Documents: Academic transcripts, CV, letters of recommendation, essays or statements of purpose, financial documents (if needed).
4. Craft a Strong Scholarship Essay/Statement: Highlight leadership, career goals, past achievements, how the MBA fits into your future. If there is a theme (diversity, social entrepreneurship, women leadership), align with that.
5. Apply Before Deadlines: Some scholarships are awarded early, others in rounds. Missing deadlines means missing opportunities.
6. Interview (if required): Be ready to discuss your motivations, background, goals. Some schools phone or online interview scholarship applicants.
7. Follow Up / Be Clear: If there is any ambiguity about eligibility or required documents, contact the business school’s admissions or scholarships office.

Top UK Business Schools & Sample MBA Scholarships for International Students

Below is a list of 20 UK schools that regularly offer MBA scholarships/awards for international students, with estimated typical scholarship values / percent reductions, and a bit about each school.

School	Website	Typical Scholarship Value / Type	About the School
1. London Business School (LBS)	https://www.london.edu	Awards and fellowships often range from £10,000-£30,000+ for strong candidates.	One of the most prestigious business schools globally, excellent in finance, consulting, strong alumni networks.
2. University of Oxford, Saïd Business School	https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk	Scholarships up to £30,000; Skoll Scholarship (full tuition + living stipend) for social entrepreneurs.	Known for rigorous academic standards, strong global reputation, highly selective.
3. University of Cambridge, Judge Business School	https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk	Scholarships and bursaries up to £40,000 for distinguished candidates.	Renowned global reputation, excellent across management, strategy, entrepreneurship.
4. Warwick Business School (WBS)	https://www.wbs.ac.uk	Scholarships between 10%-50% fee reduction; some awards up to £29,750.	Strong in leadership, strategy, has flexibility; good international focus.
5. University of Edinburgh Business School	https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk	School-funded MBA scholarships from £5,000 upward.	Edinburgh offers a historic and well-ranked MBA programme; strong research and global outlook.
6. University of Southampton, Southampton Business School	https://www.southampton.ac.uk	MBA Excellence International Scholarships up to £15,000.	Strong in applied business research, work with industry; lower cost city relative to London.
7. University of Birmingham, Birmingham Business School	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk	Scholarships around £5,000 for international MBA students.	Well-regarded school; good value; strong alumni; growing international student support.
8. City, University of London, Bayes Business School	https://www.bayes.city.ac.uk	Full-time MBA scholarships up to 30% of tuition fees.	London-based; strong connections to finance, media, consulting; high exposure.
9. Brunel Business School	https://www.brunel.ac.uk	MBA scholarships with values that vary annually.	Strong London location, more affordable than some central London schools, diverse cohort.
10. Cranfield School of Management	https://www.cranfield.ac.uk	Diversity Scholarships, Leadership Awards, sometimes up to 50% tuition waiver.	Known for its focus on management education, supply chain, aerospace, leadership.
11. Imperial College Business School	https://www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school	Awards like Imperial Excellence Award up to £20,000.	Excellent STEM-linked business programmes; strong in tech & innovation.
12. University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School	https://www.manchester.ac.uk	Merit Scholarships; awards range from small partial awards to significant fee reductions.	Large school, good global ranking, wide set of MBA options.
13. Strathclyde Business School	https://www.strath.ac.uk/business-school	Deans’ Excellence Awards up to 50% of tuition fees.	Glasgow-based; strong reputation in finance, engineering management; good value.
14. University of Leeds	https://www.leeds.ac.uk	Leeds MBA Excellence Scholarships; partial fee waivers.	Large university, strong business programmes, global connections.
15. Durham University Business School	https://www.durham.ac.uk	Scholarships often up to 25% of tuition fees.	One of the UK’s oldest universities, respected globally, strong MBA focus.
16. Lancaster University Management School	https://www.lancaster.ac.uk	Merit scholarships typically £5,000-£10,000.	Known for research quality, affordable location, collaborative culture.
17. Henley Business School, University of Reading	https://www.henley.ac.uk	Women in Leadership scholarships, regional scholarships; partial fee waivers.	Strong reputation in leadership development, alumni spread worldwide.
18. University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Business School	https://www.gla.ac.uk	International Leadership Scholarships; partial awards.	Named after Adam Smith, strong in economics, finance, leadership.
19. University of Exeter Business School	https://www.exeter.ac.uk	Global Excellence Scholarships; partial tuition reductions.	Growing reputation, focus on sustainability and responsible business.
20. University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Business School	https://www.nottingham.ac.uk	Scholarships vary, often merit-based reductions.	Well-ranked internationally, emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship.

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Scholarships from UK Government & External Organisations

Beyond business schools themselves, there are also national and external opportunities:

• GREAT Scholarships – Offered across many universities to students from specific countries.
• Chevening Scholarships – Fully funded awards covering master’s degrees, including MBA in some cases.
• Commonwealth Scholarships – For students from Commonwealth countries, covering tuition and living costs depending on scheme.

What Impacts Scholarship Decisions

To maximize your chance, understand what schools are looking for:

• Academic excellence: Great transcripts, high GMAT/GRE where required.
• Professional achievements: Work experience, promotions, leadership roles.
• Clear Career Goals: How MBA fits into your plan; what you want to achieve post-MBA.
• Diversity & Impact: Schools often like candidates who bring diversity of experience, or have done social impact or community work.
• Interview Performance: If required, your ability to articulate your vision, personality, and fit for the programme.

Step-by-Step: Applying for MBA Scholarships

Here’s a checklist to follow:

1. List Your Target Schools: Write down the schools whose MBA you want, and for each, note all scholarship opportunities.
2. Check Deadlines: Some scholarships are awarded early; apply in the first or second round if possible.
3. Ensure You Meet Requirements: Degree, experience, test scores, essays.
4. Prepare Documents Early: Transcripts, CV, recommendation letters, essays/personal statement.
5. Craft Scholarship Essays Thoughtfully: Tailor your essay to align with the values and goals of the specific scholarship.
6. Apply for MBA with Scholarship in Mind: Some MBA applications include scholarship consideration questions.
7. Interview / Additional Process: Be ready if required.

Potential Scholarship Values: What to Budget / Expect

While everything depends on school, applicant profile, and programme, here are ballpark numbers based on common offerings:

• Small partial awards: £5,000–£10,000
• Mid-level merit scholarships: £10,000–£20,000
• High merit / leadership scholarships: £20,000–£30,000+
• Full tuition + living stipend: Rare but possible, especially at Oxford, Cambridge, or through schemes like Chevening or Skoll.

Key Takeaways

• MBA scholarships in the UK come in many forms: merit-based, needs-based, diversity-focused, and region-specific.
• Top business schools like LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, and Imperial offer partial and sometimes full awards.
• External scholarships like Chevening, GREAT, and Commonwealth can complement school-based funding.
• Strong academic record, professional achievement, leadership potential, and clear career vision are crucial for winning scholarships.
• Application timing matters—apply early and align your essays with scholarship values.