MBA Scholarship Reconsideration Letter Template

Scholarship Reconsideration Request: [School name, intake year]

A workbook and letter structure for asking an MBA programme to reconsider a scholarship or fellowship award: how to find out whether the school reviews awards at all, what evidence it accepts, a net-cost comparison with Excel formulas, timing, tone, and a letter skeleton with short fictional fragments. It is for admitted applicants who have a documented reason to ask (a competing award, a change in finances, information the school did not have). Source basis: public financial aid pages of leading programmes (checked October 2026) and principled negotiation (Fisher and Ury 1981), written in our own words. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example. This is a planning aid, not financial advice, and many schools do not negotiate awards at all.

Document control

1. Does the school review awards?

Schools fall into three broad groups, and the right approach differs for each:

Published examples, as of October 2026: Harvard Business School states that admission is based on merit while financial aid is awarded on demonstrated need, that you apply for aid only after admission, and that need is assessed from factors such as prior income, assets, background and undergraduate debt (HBS need-based tuition assistance). Stanford GSB describes its fellowships as based solely on demonstrated need, with admission decisions made before, and without regard to, the financial aid application (Stanford GSB tuition and financial aid). At schools like these a competing merit award is not a reason to change a need-based fellowship, but an error or a change in your finances may be. Policies change; check the school's current pages and your award letter before you rely on them.

2. Process and timing

3. Evidence and net-cost comparison

Evidence that schools commonly consider, where they review awards at all: a written award from a comparable programme; new or corrected financial information (job loss in the household, dependants, medical costs, an error in the submitted figures); and achievements since the application that bear on merit criteria (a higher test score). A request without new evidence asks the school to change its mind for no reason and seldom works.

3.1 Worked example (Example)

Two-year figures in USD, fictional. Cost of attendance is tuition, fees, living costs and insurance from each school's official budget.

If School A, the applicant's preferred school, added USD 10,000 a year (=B5-2*10000), its net cost would fall to USD 196,000 and the gap to USD 37,000. Knowing this, the applicant can decide in advance how much of the gap matters (see mba/mba-admit-decision): a request should describe the facts, not demand that the school close the whole gap.

3.2 Your evidence

4. Letter structure

Principled negotiation separates the people from the problem and focuses on interests and objective criteria rather than positions (Fisher and Ury 1981). Here the school's interest is enrolling students it wants within a fixed aid budget; yours is attending at a cost you can manage. Objective criteria are the documents, not your feelings.

4.1 Technique fragments (fictional, for illustration only)

Do not reuse these; write your own facts in your own words.

Before (demanding): "School B has offered me far more, so I expect you to match it."

After (factual, open): "I have also been admitted to School B with an award of USD 35,000 a year, and I attach the letter. School A remains my first choice. I would be grateful if the committee could review my award in light of this."

Fragment, changed circumstances (Tomas Lindqvist, fictional applicant): "Since I submitted my aid application, my partner's position was eliminated, which reduces our household income for the coming year by about half. I attach the employer's letter and would be grateful if my need could be reassessed."

4.2 Your draft

Subject: [Scholarship reconsideration request, Your name, Applicant ID]

[Opening.]

[Situation, with document.]

[Impact.]

[Ask.]

[Close, with deposit deadline.]

[Your name, applicant ID]

5. Tone

Be courteous, brief and factual. Do not threaten to decline, exaggerate a competing offer, ask the school to match a figure it has no reason to match, or send the request to several offices at once. Do not compare yourself with other admitted students. A school that says no has not insulted you; thank them and decide.

6. Quality checklist

• The school reviews awards, and I am using its stated process and channel.
• Each fact is documented, and documents are attached or ready.
• Net cost is compared, not award size.
• The letter is 200 to 350 words, polite, with one clear ask.
• "First choice" appears only if I would enrol with the current award or a modest increase.
• The request goes in before the deposit deadline, which the letter states.
• I wrote it myself and followed the school's AI policy.
• School names and figures are correct throughout.

7. Common mistakes

1. Ignoring the school's policy. Sending a competing-offer letter to a school that states awards are final or need-based only.
2. No evidence. A request based only on hope or general cost concerns.
3. Comparing award size, not net cost. A smaller award at a cheaper school may leave you better off.
4. Comparing non-peer schools. An award from a programme the school does not see as comparable carries little weight.
5. Threats or ultimatums. "Match it or I go elsewhere" damages a relationship you may keep for two years.
6. Misrepresenting an offer. Overstating an award is dishonest and easily checked against the letter.
7. Asking repeatedly. One request and, if needed, one short follow-up.
8. Asking too late. After the deposit is paid, the school has little reason to act.
9. Forgetting year two. Confirm whether the award, and any increase, is renewable and on what conditions.
10. Letting the outcome decide alone. Feed the final award into mba/mba-admit-decision, with every other criterion.

8. Request log

Sources and further reading

• Fisher, R. and Ury, W. (1981). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Houghton Mifflin.
• Harvard Business School, need-based tuition assistance page, hbs.edu. Checked 2026-10-28.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business, tuition and financial aid pages, gsb.stanford.edu. Checked 2026-10-28.
• Each school's award letter and financial aid FAQ (the only rules that apply to you).
• Related templates: mba/mba-funding-scholarship-plan, mba/mba-admit-decision, mba/mba-negotiation-planner.

Revision history

Standard and licence note

Based on the public financial aid pages of business schools as published in October 2026 and on principled negotiation (Fisher and Ury 1981). The text, figures and fragments are original and fictional. The template is not affiliated with or endorsed by any business school; schools are named only to describe their public aid policies, which you must check on the school's current page. Template licence: MIT.