Graduate 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.

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, 2026, and prior to July 1, 2027, is a fixed rate of 8.07%. The origination fee is 1.057% for loans disbursed after October 1, 2020, and prior to October 1, 2026. 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 full-time 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.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be enrolled in a graduate degree program
• Be registered for at least half-time (6 credits per semester that are accepted towards the degree program)
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (according to their programs student handbook) at the end of each semester
• Not be in default on a previous student/educational loan.
• Be within the $100,000 graduate student Unsubsidized aggregate limit and $257,500 lifetime borrowing limit. The lifetime limit excludes Parent PLUS loans, but includes all other Federal Direct loans, including amounts canceled, repaid, forgiven, or discharged.

Application Requirements

• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be enrolled in a graduate degree program
• Be registered for at least half-time (6 credits per semester that are accepted towards the degree program)
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (according to their programs student handbook) at the end of each semester
• Not be in default on a previous student/educational loan.
• Be within the $100,000 graduate student Unsubsidized aggregate limit and $257,500 lifetime borrowing limit. The lifetime limit excludes Parent PLUS loans, but includes all other Federal Direct loans, including amounts canceled, repaid, forgiven, or discharged.

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.

All students are encouraged to seek lenders offering loans with the most favorable terms. Here are the steps you should take in investigating your loan options:

• Home-Country Loans – If you do not qualify for U.S. Federal Student Aid, we advise that you check with your home country to see if loans to study in the U.S. are available.
• Having a Co-Borrower – Many U.S. lenders offer credit-based educational loans to international students if they apply with a credit-worthy U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen co-borrower. If you are able to secure a qualified co-borrower, we urge you to do so and consider loans of this type, because approval and more favorable terms will be more likely. 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.
• Utilizing Credible – Credible is a free online loan selection tool that allows you to compare pre qualified rates, terms, and eligibility rules side-by-side. 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 pre-qualified rates on Credible is free and doesn’t affect your credit score. 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.
• Borrowing Without a Co-Borrower – If you are an international student seeking to borrow without a co-borrower you will find fewer lenders from which to choose. The two lenders listed below do not require a U. S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen co-borrower, however their interest rates and other terms may be less favorable. Certain restrictions apply as noted.
• MPower Financing – Offers loans to eligible international students, undergraduate and graduate, who are enrolled in a degree program and are within two years of graduation.
• Prodigy Finance – Offers loans to eligible international students enrolled in law, graduate business, or postgraduate engineering, law, business, public policy and health science degree programs.

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

• Internationalstudent.com-Resource website for international students looking for funding
• OnlineMBA.com – Offers a scholarship directory for both online and residential programs
• The College Board
• FastWeb​
• Federal Student Aid​
• ​Fin Aid! Guide to Financial Aid
• Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)​
• Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance​
• Scholarship Institute
• The Wily Network​– support services for youth with foster care experience​

Veterans and military personnel are eligible for educational assistance, and must work with the BU Veterans & Military Services Team

The Post 9/11 GI Bill® covers less than half of Boston University’s full-time tuition and fees. With the exception of the Questrom Part-time MBA program, 100% eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill® students enrolled part time are typically able to cover the full cost of their part-time enrollment. If in need of funds that exceed veterans and military benefits, students should contact their graduate financial aid office for more information on financing options.

BU Veteran & Military Services – Incoming Students

Yellow Ribbon Program

Tuition reimbursement (also known as tuition assistance or tuition benefit) is an employee benefit through which an employer pays for a predetermined amount of continuing education credits or college coursework to be applied toward a degree

Most companies offer assistance toward a degree that’s relevant to their industry

Contact your employer’s Human Resource department to determine benefit eligibility

Tuition Reimbursement may have tax implications – please speak with a tax professional and your HR department about this impact

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.

• Full-Time MBA Payment Plan
  • Boston University has partnered with Nelnet Campus Commerce to offer a payment plan that allows you to break down your expenses for each semester into five monthly installments, rather than a lump sum payment.
  • If you enroll in the plan, payments will be automatically debited on the 20th of the month from your U.S. checking or savings account. Please note that credit card payments are not accepted.
  • The Fall semester plan runs from May through September, the Spring semester plan runs from October through February.
  • Participants must enroll and pay a nonrefundable enrollment fee each semester. The deadline to enroll is early August for the Fall Semester, and mid-December for the Spring Semester.
  • For more information about the payment plan, please visit Student Financials or visit the Payment Plan FAQ page.
• Part-Time Flex MBA Payment Plan
  • For students who are part-time during the academic year, there are two payment plan options during the Fall and Spring semesters.
  • Each option requires a down payment of 25% of the enrolled plan amount, in addition to an enrollment fee. The remaining 75% of the plan amount may be paid in one of two ways.
  • Students enrolling in Option 1 will make three equal installment payments of 25% of the plan amount, due monthly throughout the semester.
  • Those enrolling in Option 2 will make their remaining payment shortly after the semester ends.
  • During the Summer 1 and Summer 2 semesters, Option 2 is the only available option.
  • For more information about the payment plan, please visit Student Financials or visit the Part-Time Payment Plans page.