5 Tips on Gaining Employer Support for Your MBA

Do you work for an organization that offers tuition assistance to employees? If you do and you’re not using it, you’re missing a big opportunity to not only advance your career and skills, but to do it on the company’s dime.

According to Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce, 46 percent of US employers nationwide offer undergraduate or graduate school tuition assistance to their employees. Among respondents to the annual Corporate Recruiters Survey from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), of US employers that offer tuition assistance, 80% say they provide financial support to employees pursuing MBA programs.

Employer support for graduate business students generally includes financial sponsorship for tuition and/or other costs, study or sabbatical leave, and access to company resources.

Putting together a strong case for gaining employer funding support for your MBA requires research and a persuasive argument. Given the huge investment that supporting a graduate business degree involves, your employer will thoroughly question and assess your motivations and the value that degree will bring to the company or organization.

How to gain employer funding support for your MBA

Top 5 tips to build your case for employer MBA funding: 

1. Highlight the benefits of an MBA: Explain how your MBA will benefit you, your team, and the company, and what return on investment your company will yield. Read our article '25 Reasons Why You Should Get an MBA' for a list of key reasons why an MBA would benefit you and your employer.

2. Point out the school’s key features: Develop an in-depth understanding of the key features and benefits of the particular program and school that you want to attend. Schools are usually very helpful in providing unique selling points that you can use for your case. Learn more about specific programs in our 'MBA Programs' hub.

3. Get tips from others: Speak to students or alumni who have prepared business cases for company support; you can meet them at MBA events and information sessions. The school’s admissions staff also may be able to put you in touch with students or alumni. Check out our GMAC Tours events calendar for a list of upcoming virtual and in-person events. Get inspired and read more about alumni success stories and their personal graduate management education journeys. 

4. Research past company support for MBAs: Investigate if there have been previous cases of support for MBAs or other postgraduate degree programs, and if there are existing relationships between your company and business schools. Find out what type and level of support you can expect. Learn more in our BusinessBecause 'Hear From Recruiters' hub. 

5. Understand your company's decision process: Research the decision-making process on corporate sponsorship to help you to devise an effective strategy and target the right people. It may help to make your case and obtain buy-in through informal channels before requesting the official seal of approval.

Drafting your tuition assistance request

Asking your employer for financial support can feel daunting, but AI-powered tools can help you craft a clear, compelling, and personalized letter. Whether you're looking for the right words, structure, or tone, AI can help assist you in creating a persuasive request that highlights the value of your MBA. Here are five effective AI prompts to get you started:

1. "Help me draft a professional email requesting tuition assistance from my employer for my MBA program, highlighting how it will benefit the company."

2. "Write a persuasive letter to my manager explaining why supporting my MBA studies is a valuable investment for the team and the business."

3. "Create a formal request letter to HR seeking information about tuition reimbursement policies and eligibility criteria for graduate education."

4. Generate key talking points I can use in a meeting to convince my employer to fund part of my MBA tuition."

5. Draft a follow-up email thanking my employer for considering my tuition assistance request and providing additional information on the MBA program's impact."

Using these prompts, you can easily customize your communication to sound confident, clear, and aligned with your company's interests.

Supplement your employer support with other funding sources

The average MBA student pays for business school through a variety of funding sources, which can include MBA scholarships, graduate student loans, personal savings; and spousal support.

Explore all your options for paying for business school in our Scholarships and Financing hub.

For the latest guidance and tips on how to boost your chances of scholarship success, download our BusinessBecause MBA Scholarships Guide, 2025.