Graduate Financial Aid

You’re making a smart investment in the Questrom School of Business and your future. We treat this investment with the utmost care.

We’re here to help make your graduate degree financially possible.

Our staff will work with you to review financing options, determine eligibility for specific programs, and help you select the best possible means for securing your degree.

Applying to Questrom’s Undergraduate Program?

BU’s Undergraduate Tuition and Financial Aid is handled by BU Undergraduate Admissions.

Visit undergraduate financial Aid

Boston University Questrom School of Business awards generous merit scholarships to the most highly qualified residential candidates. Merit based scholarships are awarded at the point of admission and are determined by Questrom Graduate Admissions. Visit individual degree pages for program specific information.

  • The Dean’s Scholarship program provides a limited number of awards for candidates with outstanding academic aptitude and contribute to diversity in the classroom. A separate application for scholarship consideration is not needed, and the admission committee considers all admitted candidates for merit scholarship awards. Recipients are notified of these opportunities in their official admission letter. Both domestic and international candidates will be considered for these awards.
  • FUNED: The Fundación Mexicana para la Educatión, la Tecnología y la Ciencia, A.C. (FUNED), will provide a maximum of three grants to Mexican Nationals who have received a scholarship through Questrom School of Business. These FUNED grants provide “credit-scholarships” covering up to 40 percent of the total cost of the master’s program (not exceeding $40,000 over two years).
  • Peter (Questrom’85) and Mary Diotte Scholarship: The Peter (Questrom’85) and Mary Diotte Scholarship, the amount of which varies from year to year, is awarded to an MBA student with strong ties to Wisconsin and/or the Midwest. Peter Diotte is a 1985 graduate of the Questrom MBA program who grew up in Wisconsin and is committed to supporting students with a connection to this area.

We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens and permanent residents apply for federal student loans before pursuing other loan options.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

Available to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents, this federal program offers a lower-interest loan to students for educational expenses. Borrowers are responsible for interest payments, and repayment typically begins after graduation, making it a versatile option for covering education costs. The interest rate for all Direct Unsubsidized Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2024, and prior to July 1, 2025, is a fixed rate of 8.08%. The origination fee is 1.057% for loans disbursed after October 1, 2020, and prior to October 1, 2025. Rates are subject to change. Repayment begins six months after you graduate or cease to be enrolled for at least half-time (6 credits) each semester. The maximum loan limit is $20,500 per academic year.

Students can elect to pay the interest while in school or have it capitalized into a repayment schedule that starts six months after you leave school. The Standard Repayment term extends up to 10 years, with deferments available during unemployment, economic hardship, or continued education. Loan funds are issued in two disbursements each year, typically timed to coincide with the start of each semester.

A Direct Unsubsidized Loan is one in which the government will not make any interest payments so interest accrues after loan disbursement and may be paid by the student. The Federal Direct loan program is part of the Title IV aid program that offers Federal financial assistance to students and includes, among other funds, the Direct Unsubsidized and Direct Graduate PLUS loan.
For most current interest rates and loan fees for both the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Graduate PLUS, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website.

Federal Graduate PLUS Loan

Available to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents who qualify as creditworthy. This is a 2nd loan option in addition to the Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Application for this loan is a second step after the initial Direct Unsubsidized Loan has been awarded. The current interest rate for PLUS loans is 9.08% fixed. The origination fee is 4.228% for loans disbursed after October 1, 2020, and prior to October 1, 2025. Interest rates are subject to change.

For most current interest rates and loan fees for both the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Graduate PLUS, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website.

Eligibility Requirements

  • To be eligible for federal financial aid, a student must:
  • Be a US citizen or permanent resident and compliant w/ US Selective Service requirements
  • Be enrolled in a degree program
  • Be registered for at least half-time (6 credits per semester that are accepted towards the degree program)
  • Maintain good academic standing according to your program handbook
  • Not have an outstanding balance from a prior period of enrollment at Boston University
  • Not be in default on a previous Federal Stafford, Perkins, or other educational loans
  • Have not met the cumulative (aggregate) limit for the Federal Direct (formerly Stafford) Subsidized/Unsubsidized loan program of $138,500 for graduate and professional students, including any amount borrowed for undergraduate study

Application Requirements

Students Entering in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025:

For domestic students, we do advise that you borrow a federal UNSUB loan before reviewing private loan options.

We urge you to compare credit-based loan information and terms carefully to determine the best fit for your particular circumstances and we suggest using Credible.com to do so. Credible is a free online loan selection tool that allows you to compare prequalified rates*, terms, and eligibility rules side-be-side in just a few minutes. You can filter your search to sort on key factors most important to you. With your approval, Credible will pull a soft credit inquiry, which will not affect your credit score but will enable you to compare interest rates you qualify for at multiple lenders.

Requesting prequalified rates on Credible is free and doesn’t affect your credit score. However, applying for or closing a loan will involve a hard credit pull that impacts your credit score and closing a loan will result in costs to you. Credible assures users that it is secured with 256-bit encryption technology. The Credible privacy policy can be found here. You are not required to borrow from any of the lenders listed in the Credible marketplace. Only you can decide which loan program is best for you. You are not required to borrow from any of the lenders suggested by Credible and there is no penalty for selecting a different lender, if you prefer.

Additional private loan options can be found here.

International students, however, must apply with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident with a U.S based address unless using a lender who does not require a co-signer. Private loan options can be found here or on BU’s financial aid pages.

Student loans are available to international students with a credit-worthy U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident co-applicant. We have a list of recommended loans and lenders. You are in no way limited to loans/lenders on our list of options. Boston University will process a loan from any lender, and it is your right to apply for loans through the lender of your choice.

Additional financing options for international graduate students may be available from MPOWER Financing if students are unable to obtain a valid U.S. cosigner. We use the following criteria in developing our list of recommended loans and lenders:

  • Loan terms and cost to borrower
  • Borrowers benefits
  • Differentiated options (fixed rate versus variable rate loans, for-profit versus nonprofit organizations, regional versus national lenders)

The scholarship search engines below can help you to find the scholarships that are most applicable to your strengths, interests, and skills:

In addition, Questrom Financial Aid updates the list below as we are made aware of scholarships that may be applicable to some or all of our students. This list is not comprehensive but can also be a good place to start your search:

  • The Goldie Initiative Scholarship – The mission of the The Goldie Initiative is to prepare women for senior leadership roles in all sectors of commercial real estate. The Goldie Initiative does this by providing scholarship support for graduate-level study ($7,500 per year, up to 2 years), mentorship and networking opportunities to women with high potential who are committed to becoming the leaders in the real estate industry. Degrees supported include MBA, MSRE, JD, MUPP, Ms. Arch, etc. Scholarship is open in April and May, check website for updates. Learn more at https://goldieinitiative.org/.
  • Prodigy Finance scholarship programme 2024 – 2025 – Entry period: April 1 – 30, 2024. Winners announced: May 17, 2024
  • Green scholarships for college students– Offers a list of scholarships for those who will dedicate their career to reducing pollution, focusing on recycling and conserving energy
  • Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program – The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program is available to students who are studying accounting, business administration, finance, or criminal justice. Students must also express an interest in fraud examination or a similar anti-fraud profession in order to be eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours.
  • Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship – The GFOA’s Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship of $9,000 is available for award to an upper-division undergraduate or graduate student of public administration, (governmental) accounting, finance, political science, economics, or business administration (with a specific focus on government or nonprofit management)

Veterans and military personnel are eligible for educational assistance.

Boston University is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, an agreement with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The Yellow Ribbon Program is open to students who are 100% eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. Individuals with active duty service since September 11, 2001, may be eligible for this benefit. Students can apply online for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® at United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

As a 2010-2011 academic year participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program, Boston University will provide 52 students with Yellow Ribbon scholarships, and eligible students receive an additional $7,000 per year ($3,500 from BU, $3,500 matched by VA). BU awards Yellow Ribbon Scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis through an  application process. Please click here for more information. If you are interested in taking advantage of this assistance, please contact 1-888-GI-BILL (1-888-442-4551) and speak with a Veterans Benefits Counselor or visit the GIBill website.

Companies often provide financial assistance to employees pursuing education to advance their careers. You may want to contact your employer to determine whether you are eligible for tuition reimbursement benefits. Tuition reimbursement will be included in the determination of your federal financial need.

Students may choose to budget all or part of their semester balance in five monthly payments with the Payment Plan administered by Nelnet. Participants must complete an enrollment agreement and pay a nonrefundable enrollment fee per semester. For more information about the  Payment Plan or learn how to enroll online, please visit the Student Accounting Services website. The deadline to enroll in the Payment Plan is mid-August for the Fall Semester, and mid-December for the Spring Semester. Payments for fall term begin in May and enrolling after May would require making back payments upon enrollment.

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If you have any questions or want to learn more about our programs, feel free to email, call us at (617) 353-2670, or find us on social.

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