Full-Time MBA / Fees and Financing

Lendwise is a specialist loan provider based in the UK which is dedicated to education finance for individuals who are looking to fund their studies at world class universities. 

Lendwise’s aim is to enable access to education through its affordable and flexible student loans that come with a competitive fixed interest rate and no early repayment penalties.  Interest rates are personalised and depend on an applicant’s overall profile including future earning potential, and the application process is entirely online.

Eligibility
Students accepted to the MBA Program are eligible to apply. Lendwise accepts UK domiciled residents (all nationalities) as well as international applicants on a case by case basis.

How much can I borrow?
Up to 100% cost of tuition fee minus deposit, scholarship and/or sponsorship.

Are there fees?
Fee of 3% of the loan amount is added to the loan amount (or can be paid upfront).

_{Lendwise Ltd is incorporated in the United Kingdom (Company Number 10466048) and registered with the Office of the Information Commissioner (Reg. No. ZA281795). Lendwise Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and entered on the Financial Services Register under firm registration number 782496. Lendwise Ltd’s registered address is 3 More London Riverside, London, SE1 2AQ, United Kingdom.}
 

Since its foundation in 2005 at WHU, Brain Capital offers a fair and flexible financing model for tuition fees and living expenses. Students from the EU, UK, USA or Canada who have received an admission offer to a degree program at WHU, may apply for the WHU education fund. The WHU education fund is an income share agreement and allows students to focus on their studies without worrying about tuition fees or indebtedness after graduation. The repayment only starts after graduation and completely depends on the gross income. Through the income dependent repayments, alumni support future generations of students.

Prodigy Finance is revolutionizing student loan financing by offering alumni-funded loans for students who wish to study at the world’s top business schools. Prodigy Finance assesses the applicants’ future earning potential (based on the achievements of similar graduates) to determine loan affordability. Open to students from over 150 nationalities, Prodigy Finance offers competitive interest rates payment deferral during the study program.

Eligibility
Students accepted to WHU’s Full-Time MBA Program are eligible to apply.

Rates
Interest rates vary depending on individual applicants. For more details on the terms and conditions and how to apply for a loan, please visit the Prodigy Finance website.

_{Prodigy Finance Ltd is incorporated in the United Kingdom (Company Number 05912562) and registered with the Office of the Information Commissioner (Reg. No. Z9851854). Prodigy Finance Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and entered on the Financial Services Register under firm registration number 612713. Prodigy's registered address is Palladium House 1-4 Argyll Street, London, W1F 7LD}

Our local bank institute grants loans to WHU students.

The MBA for Women Foundation provides scholarships and loans to women who pursue an MBA at leading business schools and who can demonstrate their need for financial support.

WHU Scholarships

WHU grants partial scholarships to enable highly talented candidates from all countries to pursue the WHU MBA. According to the description of the respective scholarship, we seek to support individuals who are likely to add special value to the MBA class. The admissions committee grants scholarship amounts on an individual basis based on various criteria (exemption: WHU e-fellows.net Scholarship with fixed amount)

To apply for a scholarship, please use the respective scholarship application form, which can be downloaded under the links below. Please note that only one scholarship application per person is possible and that scholarship application requires an application for the Full-Time MBA Program at WHU. Seats in the program and scholarships are limited and granted on a rolling basis. Therefore, we recommend applying early. Once you have completed your application to the Full-Time MBA program, please send your scholarship application to mba(at)whu.edu. (Please note: scholarship applications must be submitted before signing the study contract).

• WHU Scholarship for Participants from Developing Countries
• WHU Diversity Scholarship: Life Experience
• WHU Diversity Scholarship: Professional Experience
• WHU Entrepreneurship Scholarship
• WHU Globalization Scholarship
• WHU Social Impact Scholarship
• WHU Scholarship for Women in Business
   WHU MBA Program is also a member of the 30% Club and offers one 50% tuition scholarship to a top female   
   applicant to the MBA Program per year. The recipient is chosen from all applicants for the WHU Women in
   Business Scholarship.

• e-fellows.net Scholarship
   Alumni of e-fellows.net and participants of the e-fellows MBA Day may apply for the partial scholarship valuing 
   €10,000.

Financial support for learning German

WHU offers all non-German speaking Full-Time MBA students the opportunity to take partially sponsored German Language Courses through the Goethe Institute with up to €550 per course. The remaining cost, if any, is covered by the participant. We sponsor courses at all Goethe Institutes worldwide, including here in Düsseldorf. We will subsidize up to three Goethe courses in total.

The Goethe German Courses must not conflict with your regular MBA studies (i.e., it should not conflict with class times or Career Center events) and must be finished within your official enrollment period. Typically, students take these courses before the start of the program, once they are enrolled

In addition, WHU also offers weekly German classes on various proficiency levels throughout your MBA studies (included in tuition). These classes are offered once a week on weekdays, in the morning (on-site courses) and/or in the evening (online courses). 

Additional Options

Additional information on scholarships is available on the following websites:

• www.stipendien-datenbank.de
• www.daad.de
• www.bva.bund.de (search for “Bildungskredit”)
• www.deutsche-bildung.de

Tax Options

This information is relevant for taxpayers in Germany (also valid for international MBA alumni who work in Germany after their studies): Tuition fees for the MBA program are tax deductible as income-related expenses.

The following information is of a general nature and without guarantee. As individual cases can differ greatly in terms of tax treatment (especially in cases of dual household management) and procedural know-how is required in some cases, it is advisable to consult a tax advisor.

Tax benefits for MBA and Master's students
MBA and Master's degree courses are a second course of study. In this respect, the associated costs are (anticipated) income-related expenses and can be deducted without restriction from (future) taxable income in Germany for the calculation of tax.

Tax advantages in Germany in connection with studying:

The deduction of costs associated with studying can reduce the current or future tax burden of students in Germany and ease the financial burden of studying. For this purpose, all deductible costs must be declared in a tax return for the year in which they were incurred. The tax classification of the costs as special expenses or income-related expenses is particularly important here. In the case of a first degree course, the costs are classified as special expenses; in the case of a second degree course, they are classified as income-related expenses. Special expenses are deductible to a limited extent and reduce the tax burden for income in the same year in which they were incurred. They cannot be carried forward to subsequent years if they are not claimed. Income-related expenses are fully deductible and reduce the income from employment relationships (wages/salary) on which the tax calculation is based. If the income-related expenses exceed the wage income of a year or if there is no such income, the remaining amount is carried forward to subsequent years and reduces the future tax burden. For MBA students, this is usually the case when they start working.

The following costs are generally tax-deductible:

• Tuition and semester fees (incl. tuition fees abroad and interest on student loans)
• Work equipment:
  • Course fees
  • Computer
  • Books
  • Stationery and copies
  • Telephone and Internet
  • Other work equipment
• Application costs:
  • Examination fees (e.g. for the entrance exam, TOEFL, GMAT etc.)
  • Fees for notarizations, mailing, etc.
  • Travel costs in connection with the application
• Costs for travel between home and the university
• Relocation costs
• In the case of double housekeeping:
  • Warm rent of the second home
  • Furnishing of the second home (furniture etc.)
  • Additional expenses for meals. (In the first 3 months, a flat rate of €24 for each day (24 hours) spent in the second home at the place of study or €12 for each day of arrival and departure).

  • Travel costs for trips home to the first place of residence

     

Practical advice:
The tax advantages listed above only apply to income that is taxable in Germany. The tax treatment in other countries may differ.
Evidence of the costs incurred must be compiled and sent to the tax office together with the tax return (contracts, invoices, receipts, bank statements, etc.).
A tax return is generally submitted by May 31 of the following year. If a tax advisor is used, the submission deadline is extended by 9 months to 28.02 of the following year. If there is no taxable income (usually for full-time students), tax returns can be submitted retrospectively for the previous four years.