For those interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the world of business, administration and finance, the School of Business has a plethora of scholarships available due to a vast amount of new funding received during the winter quarter.
The funds came from a combination of donors and Portland State alumni, according to Jenise Gutierrez-Ingleston, recruitment marketing manager for the School of Business. Though the reason for donation varies from donor to donor, the motivating factor behind the donations remains consistent.
“A lot of it came from more donors and previous alumni that believe in students here and that want to add extra money for the program to get their program degrees,” Gutierrez-Ingleston said. “We’re just happy when they give it to us. They’re like, ‘it’s for tuition and here you go.’”
Several different admissions scholarships benefited from the funds. One of these is the Redefine & Transform Scholarship, which entails an award of $5,000. It operates on six subcategories, one of which students must submit a written statement on.
Subcategories include demonstrating vision in areas highlighting racial equality, advancing voices in LGBTQ+ communities, advancing voices and needs of women, demonstrating action toward positive community impact, promoting global perspectives and working with environmental sustainability practices.
Rosa Garcia Arreola is a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Finance dual-degree student who received the award in 2022. Her application to the scholarship oriented around the needs of LGBTQ+ communities with the Out in Business award. Her long-term goal is to become a chief financial officer using her graduate degree, according to an interview she did with the School of Business upon receiving the award.
“In 2018, I was granted asylum in the United States because I was part of the LGBTQAI+ community and the risk I would be in if I was sent back to my country of origin,” Arreola said in the interview. “I plan on taking that opportunity to be here in the United States due to my background as a jump-off point into helping others who have been in similar situations as I have been.”
Applications are based on students’ admission documents, such as transcripts, partnered with a written statement of 250 words or less on one or more of the six category topics. The deadline to apply for the scholarship for the 2023–2024 academic year is May 1. Those applicants interested in participating in a program during the summer term have until June 1 to apply.
The Redefine & Transform Scholarship is not the only scholarship program which benefited from the increased amount of funding. A variety of program-specific scholarships are available, including to those taking the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute Exam, getting their master’s in real estate development or enrolling in the program for healthcare business administration.
Rachel Shelton—admissions manager for the School of Business—said that with the addition of new funds, the school has swelled its goal in regards to supporting students enrolled in business programs.
“This year the target is to offer people scholarships that equate to 10% tuition,” Shelton said. “Our hope this year is that we give to the most qualified candidates.”
Many of the scholarship programs available are stackable, according to Shelton. Such scholarships include the Merit and Warm Welcome scholarships, which students applying for their master’s as a PSU alumni are automatically considered for upon application.
These include the School of Business Insider Track Scholarship, a scholarship for PSU alumni with a GPA of 3.5 or higher; the Graduate Student Referral Scholarship, for those referred by a current student or alumni from any PSU graduate business master’s program; and scholarships from corporate, employer or industry partner based on time of application.
In total, graduate students who are PSU alumni are eligible for potentially up to $6,000 worth in scholarships when they apply, not including scholarships that require separate applications.
Gutierrez-Ingleston said that the school has been running a campaign to get the news about the increased amount of scholarships out to students. Despite best efforts, however, many of the funds are still sitting unused.
“Half the battle is just reaching out to students and letting them know that there are resources,” Gutierrez-Ingleston said. “We want to make students aware that funds are ready to have owners.”
Many other scholarships are available to students through the PSU Scholarship Universe. Although many closed for the year as of Feb. 29, scholarship and grant money is available by applying for the FAFSA, which is open until June 30. Shelton recommended that students start looking to apply as early as possible when the scholarship windows are open.
“We can award scholarships until they run out,” Shelton said. “The earlier they apply, the better.”
For questions about scholarships or awards, students can reach out to the School of Business graduate admissions office at [email protected] or PSU’s graduate school at [email protected].
