Scholarships for Graduate Business Students
Dean's Fund Scholarships
The School of Business is offering emergency relief to current and future Business students whose financial need has been brought on or amplified by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes, but is not limited to, additional scholarship support, funding for access to remote learning, and access to supplementary learning opportunities as necessary.
Students may now apply online for the Fall 2020 Dean's Fund Tuition or Fee-Based Scholarship (deadline is August 10) and the Education Expense Help Scholarship (deadline is rolling). Applications for both scholarships are accepted through the same online form.
Scholarship opportunities are available to new and continuing UConn Business students through various sources including UConn Admissions, the School of Business, the Alumni Association, other UConn departments, private organizations, and much more. We strongly encourage you to be creative, resourceful, and diligent in seeking out these opportunities to help offset the cost of your education. Utilize the resources, links, and tips below to get started on your scholarship search.
Tips for Finding Scholarships
There are thousands of opportunities out there for students—and the truth is, if it were that easy, everyone would have one. The trick is to commit to doing the work to make yourself a strong candidate, identify the opportunities that will work best for you, and follow through! This work starts early—most scholarships require recommendations, so spending time building a relationship with someone who will know you well enough to positively contribute to your applications is just as important as finding the right scholarship opportunity.
YOU ARE YOUR BEST RESOURCE!
Commit
Once you commit to this goal, your dedication will carry you through the sometimes overwhelming process. Look for opportunities from every angle—from your school, to your extracurricular involvement (before college and since college), the town you grew up in, to the town you live in now, where you’ve worked and volunteered, and so on.
In committing to this goal, you are also committing to making yourself a strong candidate. Develop relationships with those around you (advisors, professors, mentors, employers, etc.) who will be able to speak to your academic and/or professional strengths. Some scholarships require the recommender to be someone specific (i.e. a professor in your field); other scholarships allow you to choose. Either way, your recommender should be able to attest to your interests and potential, and should be able to describe your abilities in great detail. No one will be able to do this for you unless you allow them to get to know you!
Identify
Universities will usually pool general information together for students (the Financial Aid Office and the Office of National Scholarships are great resources), as will some individual School/College websites. But don’t stop there—departments within each School may have specific opportunities, as might other University groups, such as the Alumni Association or cultural groups on campus. Find out more information by visiting their websites, or even walking into their offices on campus.
Take your search beyond your school. There are many professional resources online that compile useful information for students (www.unigo.com or bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search). Remember popular sites that may not immediately bring “scholarship” to mind, and take advantage of where groundwork has already been completed (i.e. pinterest.com/scholarshipguru or www.reddit.com/r/scholarships). If you're currently working, check with your employer. Many larger companies offer scholarships to employees that are separate from tuition reimbursement.
And don’t forget about the biggest database available to you: Google! Search key words describing you and your strengths—and look beyond just the first few site results. Be wary of “spam” sites that charge unusual fees or may not have your best interests in mind. Look for .org or .gov sites, or locally based programs. Awards under $500 or those with higher word count requirements may look unappealing, but they tend to get fewer applicants, meaning you may have a better chance of winning!
Follow Through
This should give you a good start—but now it’s time for the hard part… FOLLOW THROUGH!
External Scholarship Resources for Graduate Students
Chairish "Design Your Future" Scholarship
George H. Nofer Scholarship for Law and Public Policy
Hartford Foundation Scholarship Program (Graduate Scholarships)
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
Massachusetts Society of CPAs (MSCPA)
National Founder's Graduate Business Student Scholarship
The ExpressVPN Future of Privacy Scholarship
The Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, and Gates Cambridge Scholarships