Financing Your Degree

We offer scholarships for both of our Full-Time MBA and Professional MBA programs.  Once admitted to the program your application will automatically be reviewed for a merit-based scholarship.  Both international and domestic students are eligible.  

Any scholarship award will be announced in your admission packet. Your admissions letter will indicate the amount offered per academic year.

Sample list of available scholarships:

• Alice Pratt Brown Scholarship
• Association for Corporate Growth Scholarships
• Ben and Kay Mayberry Endowed Scholarship
• Ben Love - BNSF Railway Corporation Endowed Scholarship
• Ben Love Endowed Scholarship
• Bernard Fuchs Scholarship
• Bill & Sally Ann Windle Endowed Scholarship
• Black Business Student Association
• Brian Spector Jones Fund Scholarship
• Caroline Williams Hassell and Elizabeth D. Williams Scholarship
• Chevron Scholarship
• Cisneros Ruch Scholarship
• COMIT Scholarships
• ConocoPhillips Endowed Scholarship
• Cooper M. & Zava Waldrop Lochridge Scholarship in Administration
• Criterion Investment Management Scholarship
• Dorothy Royer McCall Endowed Scholarship
• E.F. “Gene” Florian Fund Scholarship
• Edward D. McDonald Memorial Scholarship
• El Paso Corporation Excellence in Management Scholarship
• Elmer E. & Adele G. Isgren Endowed Scholarship
• Executive MBA Class Gift Endowed Scholarship
• Fayez Sarofim Endowment
• Financial Executive International Scholarship
• Foley Brothers Scholarship
• Gene Florian Fund
• Georgiana Bolton Ladd Scholarship
• Global Geophysical Scholarship
• GO Scholarship
• Gordon Douglas Watson Award in Corporate Management
• Greater Houston Business Ethics Roundtable - Bette Stead Ethics Scholarship
• H. Albert Napier and Elizabeth L. Napier Scholarship
• H. H. Galloway Award H. M. "Bud" Redditt Fellowship in Management
• Harry B. & Aileen B. Gordon Scholarship
• Henry & Shirley Tsang International Scholarship
• Hugh and Ann Roff Endowed Scholarship
• J. Kenneth S. Arthur Scholarship
• Jack F. Maddox Scholarship in Management
• James and Subha Barry Fellowship in Business
• John F. Bookout Endowed Scholarship
• John J. and Kathleen R. Wieland Scholarship
• John T. McCants Prize Jones Fund
• Jones Graduate School Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship
• Jones School Partners Campaign Scholarship
• Jones School Partners Endowed Scholarship Fund
• L.D. Wooddy, Jr. Scholarship
• Lawrence J. O'Connor, Jr. Endowed Fund
• Lee and Jean Blocker Endowed Scholarship
• Leon Nad Memorial Scholarship
• Leonard A. B. Parker Memorial Scholarship
• Leslie D. and Jack S. Blanton Scholarship
• MBA Class Gifts Endowed Scholarship Fund
• MBA Class of 2007 Scholarship Fund
• MBA Class of 2010 Scholarship Fund
• Myron A. Wright Educational Investment Fund
• MBA Women International - Rice Chapter Endowed Scholarship
• NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage Scholarship
• Paige Ziegler Memorial Scholarship
• Phillips Prize in Oral Presentations and Writing
• Philip J Burguieres Scholarship
• Ralph S. O'Connor Scholarship
• Robert H. and Judy Ley Allen Scholarship
• Robert L. Lohse Memorial Scholarship
• Fund Rob Koger Memorial Scholarship
• Robert and Suzanne Potter Scholarship
• Ruth and Gilbert Whitaker Endowed Scholarship
• Spectra Energy Endowed Scholarship
• Speros P. Martel Scholarship Fund
• Karen Ostrum George Scholarship
• Marian Fox Martel Scholarship Fund
• Ralph S. O'Connor Scholarships
• Speros P. Martel Scholarship
• T. Kevin DeNicola Endowed Scholarship
• TAS Commercial Concrete Construction LP Endowed Scholarship
• The Methodist Hospital System
• St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System
• Texas Children’s Hospital and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Endowed Scholarship
• Tom Richard Moore Endowed Scholarship
• Verne F. Simons Scholarship Fund
• Vernon F. "Doc" Neuhaus Scholarship
• Warren Thomas Thagard III Endowed Scholarship
• William Howard and Marion Frost Keenan Fellowship
• W.J. and Annis Bowen Scholarship
• William S. Mackey Scholarship
• Winters Family Fund

Federal Direct Student Loans are issued through the Department of Education and are available to US Citizens and US Permanent Residents (green card holders).

The first step is to complete the Department of Education’s 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available as of October 1, 2020, for the coming academic year. Rice University’s FAFSA school code is 003604.

Once you are admitted to the program and your enrollment deposit is submitted, our system begins processing FAFSAs in early June. Loan application instructions will be emailed to your Rice email account beginning June 1.

The Department of Education offers two types of Federal Student Loans.  The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan (a.k.a.: Grad PLUS).   Please see individual program pages for more information. 

• Full-Time MBA
• Professional MBA
• Executive MBA
• MBA@Rice

The above terms are for the 2020-2021 academic year and are subject to change. Please visit Federal Student Aid for more information.

Loan Repayment

Prior to entering repayment, the Department of Education assigns a borrower's student loan(s) to a third-party Loan Servicer. The following are important elements of loan repayment. 

• Repayment is deferred while you are enrolled at least Half Time (4.5 credit hours per semester)
• There is a 6-Month Repayment Grace Period following graduation, withdrawal, or the point at which you drop below Half Time enrollment
• The Standard Repayment Plan is 10 years, but repayment can span up to 30 years depending on eligibility
• There is no early repayment penalty

Private Student Loans are an additional funding option to be used in combination with, or as an alternative to, Federal and State Student Loans.

The application process is student-initiated and submitted directly to the lender of your choice. Approval and loan terms are based on the applicant's (and co-signer's, if applicable) credit worthiness as determined by the lender. Rice University has a historical lender list* that may assist your research. Due to the loan processing timeline, we recommend you begin the application process no earlier than May 15 for the coming academic year.

Please note that you are not limited to this list or obligated to borrow from any specific lender. If you do not see your desired lender, please contact them directly.

*Rice University does not promote, nor has affiliation with, any student loan lending institution. It is your responsibility to choose the lender that is right for you.

For those planning to wire funding from abroad, Rice University has partnered with flywire to facilitate this process at as low a cost to you as possible. Please reference the University Cashier's Office for additional information.

International Grant & Loan Organizations

The following loan opportunities may not require a US citizen or permanent resident co-signer.

• Banco de México-FIDERH is a federal trust managed by the Central Banco de México that offers affordable low-interest loans to Mexican students for graduate studies either in Mexico or abroad. The Jones Graduate School of Business (JGSB) participates in a collaboration agreement with FIDERH. If (1) a Full Time MBA applicant is awarded an admissions scholarship and (2) is approved for funding by FIDERH, the JGSB guarantees that the total admissions scholarship award will be a minimum of 25% of tuition.
• CONACYT is a member of Mexico’s department of education and offers scholarship and stipend opportunities to Mexican nationals seeking to study abroad.
• FUNED is a non-profit private organization which offers Mexican nationals low-interest loan funding. The Jones Graduate School of Business (JGSB) participates in a collaboration agreement with FUNED. If (1) a Full Time MBA applicant is awarded an admissions scholarship and (2) is approved for funding by FUNED, the JGSB guarantees that the total admissions scholarship award will be a minimum of 25% of tuition.
• Global Student Loan Corporation is a third-party loan facilitator that assists in providing educational loans to citizens of India.
• The Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund grants interest-free educational loans to students, from Latin American and Caribbean OAS member countries, to help them finance their higher education studies in the United States.
• Prodigy Finance offers loans without a co-signer to students studying at a select number of US MBA programs. Rice University's MBA is an approved program.
   

US Loan Organizations

US banks require international students to have a US Citizen or Permanent Resident (green card holder) co-signer when applying. The Student Financial Services Private Loans page contains an historical lender list that may assist your search. If interested, please navigate to that page and select the ELMSelect link at the bottom. Please note that you are not limited to this list and may apply with any lending institution of your choice. Due to the loan processing timeline, we recommend you begin the application process no earlier than May 15 for the coming academic year. Processing begins around June 1.

Financing Your Degree

As an International Student, you are required to demonstrate sufficient funding to cover the cost of attendance in order to obtain your student visa. We encourage you to review the information on the Office of International Students and Scholars site and reference the International Financial Declaration Form for MBA Students.

What is the FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an online application provided by the Department of Education. It consists of (a) personal/household information and (b) the prior-prior tax year's information and must be completed each academic year. 

Why is the FAFSA needed?
The FAFSA is a supporting document and is the first step when applying for both Federal and State Student Loans. It is not required for Private Student Loans. 

Am I eligible for student loans?
Domestic students (US citizens and Permanent Residents) are eligible to apply for Federal, State, and Private Student Loans. If you are an International Student, please reference the International Students section.

When do I start applying for student loans?
The loan application process begins after (a) you are admitted to the program and (b) you submit your enrollment deposit. (c) If applying for Federal and/or State Student Loans, the first step is to complete your 2020-2021 FAFSA. Our system begins processing FAFSAs and certifying loan applications in late May for the coming academic year. Application instructions for Federal and State Student Loans will be emailed to your Rice email account beginning June 1.

If applying for Private Student Loans, we recommend you apply no earlier than May 15. Processing begins around June 1.

What is the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) budget?

Please see individual program pages for more information. 

• Full-Time MBA
• Professional MBA
• Executive MBA
• MBA@Rice

How much should I borrow?
We always encourage you to borrow conservatively. In deciding how much to borrow, a basic principle is to borrow sufficient funding to cover the costs for the academic year (Fall + Spring).

What is the deadline for making billing or payment arrangements?
Fall: Billing begins the first week of July with a payment deadline of September 10th
Spring: Billing begins the first week of December with a payment deadline of February 10th