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Global Online MBA / Fees and Financing

Our Global Online MBA costs €36,000 and takes 24 months – a significant commitment and a major investment in you. You gain the very best know-how, experience, networking opportunities, and lifelong support you need to open your career to unlimited success.
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Financing Options

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.

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 grants scholarships to enable highly talented candidates from all countries and professional backgrounds to pursue the Global Online 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 WHU scholarships are not bound to a specific amount. The admissions committee grants scholarships based on various criteria. 

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 Global Online 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 Global Online MBA, please send your scholarship application to online-mba(at)whu.edu(Please note: scholarship applications must be submitted before signing the study contract)

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.

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