Finance Your MBA

Financing your MBA represents a significant investment in your future. The Haas Financial Aid Office is committed to helping you craft the best funding plan based on your goals and resources. Our team is available to assist you in coordinating the financing processes, as well as counsel you on the variety of financing options available to help you with your educational costs. We encourage you to schedule a consultation with our Financial Aid team. 

Berkeley Haas Financial Aid Office
finaid@haas.berkeley.edu
510-643-0183

Scholarships

At Berkeley Haas, we know the value of bringing a wide variety of perspectives to the table. That’s why we build each class to include a highly diverse set of professional experiences.

It is also why we provide fellowship funding that recognizes merit and industry uniqueness, and that makes an EMBA for nonprofit or public service professionals that much more accessible.

1. Dean's Fellowship

The Dean's Fellowship consists of a limited number of scholarships of $10,000 to $20,000 each. These EMBA scholarships are awarded to exceptional students at admission, based on various criteria, including:

• Outstanding merit
• Industry or function uniqueness brought to the incoming class
• Employment in the nonprofit or public service sectors.

Past recipients of the fellowship have worked for companies such as UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Warner Brothers, Oakland’s youth-oriented Destiny Arts Center, and Union-Pacific Railroad.

How to Apply

You may apply for fellowships in the "Scholarship" section of your online application.

2. Beyond Yourself Fellowship

The Beyond Yourself Fellowship is provided by the generosity of the Executive MBA Class of 2016. This fellowship is for $25,000 and is a student-created award that is funded through donations to the EMBA class gift fund. Recipients will be awarded based on financial need. To complete the scholarship application, students are only required to submit self-reported information. If offered an award, you will be asked to provide verification documents.

How to Apply

You may apply for the Beyond Yourself Fellowship in the "Scholarship" section of your online application. The Beyond Yourself Fellowship has one selection round, which follows the round 2 admissions application deadline. The decision date for the Beyond Yourself Fellowship is April 14, 2025.

Beyond Yourself Fellowship Personal Statement Essay

The Beyond Yourself Fellowship is a student created, need based fellowship. Please provide a description of your work in the non-profit or public service sector and the impact it has in the community or society as a whole. What is your financial circumstance and how will this fellowship help? Please explain any special circumstances if applicable. (Limit your response to 250 words.)

3. Diversity Scholarship

The Diversity Scholarship is awarded to those who have demonstrated excellence, advocacy and commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and have cultivated an inclusive environment particularly for protected categories of individuals.

diversity scholarship Essay prompt

At Haas, our goal is to equip students to be inclusive leaders. Please discuss Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives you have worked on (highlight any leadership roles) and/or other ways you have contributed to addressing structural barriers, increasing representation or cultivating belonging for people from historically excluded groups* in your personal and professional communities.

*specifically Black/African American, LatinX, and Native/Indigenous; Women; LGBTQ+; and Disability (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

Learn more about these fellowships on the Financial Aid Office website.

Other Scholarships

In addition to these Executive MBA Fellowships, the Haas Financial Aid Office also maintains a list of outside scholarships available to most MBA students.
If you are an International Student, you may find assistance through the Institution of International Education at www.iie.org.

Loan Options

Approximately 58 percent of Berkeley Executive MBA students rely on some form of financial assistance, including loans. The Berkeley Haas Financial Aid Office helps EMBA students efficiently secure the best federal, institutional, and outside funding to achieve their degrees.

Federal Loans

US citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for federal student loans by submitting a FAFSA online. The two types of loans available are the Federal Direct Loan and the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan. US citizens and Permanent Resident students can borrow private loans instead or a combination of federal or private loans.

Private Loans

Any student may apply for private loans. Many private lenders offer competitive fixed and variable rates lower than the federal loans interest rates and may also offer zero fees. International students that are able to secure a US cosigner may apply for private loans as well.

International Students

International students who cannot secure a US cosigner may explore international loan options that do not require a US cosigner. More information about the various internatioinal loan options can be found here.

Veterans Benefits

The Haas School of Business, as part of the public University of California system, is one of the few top-ranked MBA programs in the country that is able to benefit from the expanded Post 9/11 Benefits signed into law in January 2011. Depending on length of qualifying service, veterans can obtain:

• Funding for up to 100% fees (no annual maximum)
• A monthly housing allowance (based on days of instruction)
• An annual book stipend up to $1,000
• More information can be found here.

Alternate EMBA Financing Options

Alternate financing can come in the form of company sponsorship, home equity loans, mortgage refinancing, and a number of other options. If you own a home you may be able to approach your lender of choice and take out a home equity loan or refinance your mortgage. If this is an option that appeals to you, speak with bank representatives for more information.

Contact Us

During your time here, the Berkeley Haas Financial Aid Office is your primary point of contact, rather than the University's Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

See more details about loans and alternate financing options on the Haas Financial Aid website, or contact:

Berkeley Haas Financial Aid Office
S546 Student Services Building
Berkeley, CA 94720-1900
finaid@haas.berkeley.edu
510-643-0183