Tuck Doubles its Scholarship Power

Scholarship fundraising efforts to remove financial barriers for MBA students are paying off.

From the earliest days of The Tuck Difference, Tuck’s $250-million campaign, school leaders had targeted a historic investment in student scholarship support as a key fundraising priority.

Dean Matthew J. Slaughter stressed from the outset that for Tuck to thrive, it would have to increase its ability to attract and enroll the world’s most talented students. These students, paired with the school’s acclaimed faculty, are essential to creating and sustaining a culture of intellectual excellence at Tuck, he explained.

The message resonated among alumni, especially among business leaders who connect their success in part to the world-class education they received at Tuck. In fiscal year 2017 alone, the school received $20 million in support of scholarships.

This support has allowed Tuck to double the number of scholarships it awards, with admitted students in the class of 2021 seeing a 94.6 percent increase in the number of scholarships offered compared to the number of offers made to admitted students in the class of 2019.

“In the past, we’ve admitted strong candidates who really wanted to be at Tuck but enrolled elsewhere because Tuck was out of reach financially. Our capital campaign, The Tuck Difference, is changing this,” says Luke Anthony Peña, executive director of admissions and financial aid. “We’re now reducing financial barriers for more strong candidates for whom the Tuck mission is resonant.”

The school’s scholarship budget has increased by 86 percent over the past two years, and by more than 110 percent over the past four years.

“We foresee even greater investments in student scholarships in the years to come,” Peña says.

Tuck’s Admissions and Financial Aid team uses discretion to award scholarships to enroll outstanding students who, absent funding, might not attend Tuck. They also recommend that applicants plan ahead financially, encouraging them not to rely upon scholarship support alone.

“An MBA is an investment in your future as a wise, decisive leader,” Peña continues. “We at Tuck are eager to help you prepare for this near-term investment and the long-term returns that follow.”

The financial aid team at Tuck, led by Diane Bonin, is a top resource for helping prospective students prepare financially for their MBA education. More information about financing your MBA is available here