The MOST AFFORDABLE MBA programs!

Question

Money is such a multi-faceted topic that has ramifications on so many areas of our lives. It affects our relationships, our attitudes, how we see life, and ultimately how we view those around us. It's complicated. So, when it comes to applying to a business school for an MBA, it is no surprise that the most important aspect to matriculate is the funding and scholarship opportunities at a candidates disposal. Some schools have a miserly reputation and do not offer merit based or need based aid. Actually, they do. But the amount is so insignificant that all you can do is laugh at your fortune that despite getting into a Top-B school, you cannot matriculate. Which schools are those? Lets see - On top of my head, I haven't seen many international students getting a full ride(or a decent $$) to Georgetown. The other one....Wait...Who cares!

This post isn't about schools who squirrel their resources. Its about the schools which actually offer the most aid to students. So, in the coming weeks we will try to project a spotlight on such schools. One thing I want to point out here is that these schools may or may not be in the Top 20 or Top 50 so to speak. But they are decent program with great promises to deliver.

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT -> ISENBERG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

This post isn't about schools who squirrel their resources. Its about the schools which actually offer the most aid to students. So, in the coming weeks we will try to project a spotlight on such schools. One thing I want to point out here is that these schools may or may not be in the Top 20 or Top 50 so to speak. But they are decent program with great promises to deliver.

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT -> ISENBERG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT   
  https://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/sites/default/files/styles/article_small/public/Screen%20Shot%202016-03-07%20at%2011.36.53%20AM.png

Why ISENBERG ? What do they offer ?

If you get into ISENBERG, you won't have to pay a Dime for your MBA. Plus you will receive a competitive stipend towards your monthly expenses. You like sound of this FREE MBA tag, don't you?
Well, IF YOU'RE SELECTED AS A FULL-TIME MBA student at Isenberg, you will be awarded a two-year Isenberg MBA Fellowship that fully funds your degree. The Fellowship includes full-tuition, an annual stipend and health care. In return, MBA Fellows get valuable hands on experience and marketable skills while working on real business problems and strategic initiatives for the school.

Lets recap. You GET:- 
   
  Full tuition support, a stipend, and health care benefits 
  Valuable professional experience in a collaborative, experiential environment solving real-world problems 
  Access to Isenberg's robust and influential network of alumni and faculty  
 
 Who are MBA FELLOWS ?

The MBA Fellows bring bold ideas to the table, are resilient leaders and effective team players, and inspire connection, creativity and collaboration among the Isenberg community. MBA Fellows are not ordinary graduate assistants; they leverage their individual strengths to gain experiential, real world work experience through the program.

Isenberg's MBA Fellows graduate ahead of the pack-debt free, and with a world-class education and game-changing work experience. MBA Fellows are prepared to immediately make a career change, move up the ladder or start a business.

Okay Stone. I am interested. Gimme more details! 
Well, here you go :-

stonecold · Answer

The ubiquitous terrible tiny tale of an MBA applicant - "I am painfully middle class"
Most of us cannot afford to study in the Top ranked MBA program. Well, not without a decent scholarship award at-least. So in extension to the previous post, today we will learn about one more school that offers a free ride for every MBA candidate it admits!

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT -> W. P. CAREY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS    
  https://wpcarey.asu.edu/sites/default/files/images/slideshow/undergraduate/slide-undergraduate-3.jpg   
    Making its MBA tuition free :-   
 
   Giving up $10.5 million USD in revenue:-   It was about three years ago when W. P. Carey School of Business (ASU) made a really surprising decision to provide a full scholarship i.e. a full tuition waiver for every full-time MBA candidate who got accepted. This expensive decision, costing the school literally over 10 million USD, was seen as a desperate effort to improve the school's dying reputation, improve its incoming class statistics. The news of an MBA program making its MBA tuition free spread like wild fired while galvanising the students who ,up until then, couldn't matriculate due to financial sophistications. 
  
   Impact:-   The Carey’s entering class of 2016-2018 batch broken all kinds of records. It was the best full-time MBA cohort the school had ever seen. Its ranking shot upwards by 10 points from 35 to 25 and its INTERNATIONAL cohort got more than doubled to 24 countries. WP Carey is no longer now finds itself in the Words top 25 programs and things are just looking better and better for the school. Just check out the comparisons in the following table-

2015-2017     Applications    Accepted    Acceptance Rate     443  139  31.4%    
   2016-2018     Applications    Accepted    Acceptance Rate     1160  162  14%   
    MBA program total fees     Resident    Non-resident    Internationals     $58,300  $94,400  $98,800

So why Carey ?

The Forward Focus MBA Scholarship  :-    To foster your growth and create pathways to success, the W. P. Carey School of Business offers the Forward Focus MBA Scholarship, exclusively for the Full-time MBA program. Funded through the generosity of its donors, this scholarship allows the school to ensure opportunity for exceptional Full-time MBA students who exhibit creativity, ingenuity, intellect, and innate leadership capabilities. That's why ALL the accepted Full-time MBA students will receive a FULL SCHOLARSHIP covering the total tuition cost of the program — regardless of your ability to pay. This comes from the unprecedented donor support which also enabled them to design a groundbreaking interdisciplinary MBA curriculum that truly represents business without borders. By utilizing expertise in other colleges across Arizona State University, Full-time MBA students will apply business concepts across industries while learning from and with professionals in other fields, seeking answers to burning questions the rest of the world has yet to ask.  
    Graduate assistantships :-   A graduate assistantship provides a stipend and a professional position within the W. P. Carey School designed to enhance a candidates resume. A limited number of assistantships are available, which require approximately 10 hours a week during the academic year.

Program Summary :-       
  With the addition of the Forward Focus Scholarship, the W. P. Carey Full-time MBA program has become one of the most in-demand MBA programs, building on its established reputation of excellence to become one of the top 25 MBA programs in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. As a result, admission to the program is highly selective, and you must apply early to make the cut. 
 Average GMAT: 682 
 GMAT Range: 620-730  
 Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.54 
 Female Students : 43% 
 International Students: 31%  
 Acceptance Rate : 14.2 % 
  ACTUAL program tuition cost - $0 
  Graduate Assistantships to support your cost of living and other expenses- Available! 
 FREE TUITION for everyone produces a stronger overall class. 
 Debt-Free MBA tag!

ARINGO · Answer

Very interesting! we've created a cost comparison table for top MBA programs - https://aringo.com/mba-cost-comparison/ - which includes tuition and additional expenses at leading schools in the US and Europe.

janadipesh · Answer

Hi , May i know the avg gmat score required for ISENBERG

Businessconquerer · Answer

BUMP IT!!!!
Iloved the post
Was not aware of isenberg SOM

BlueBook · Answer

Does Isenberg and W.P. Carey still have the same full-ride offers?

ssonesh · Answer

I think Penn State deserves a mention here. The full time MBA program is consistently ranked 30-35 in US news rankings and it gives a full ride to international students along with a monthly stipend which makes the 'US MBA' really affordable for non-US residents.

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BlueBook · Answer

How competitive is their program in terms of placements and their post-MBA ROI?

ssonesh · Answer

It is one of the top schools globally for supply chain management. However, many top companies also recruit for consulting and marketing roles.
Of course, it is not as good as top 20 US B-schools but with free tuition, monthly stipend, good academics and decent employment stats, it is definitely one of the best schools in terms of ROI.

ArmyLax · Answer

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MBAbot · Answer

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The MOST AFFORDABLE MBA programs!

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MBA program total fees
Resident	Non-resident	Internationals
$58,300	$94,400	$98,800