Funding your MBA: A chat with Lendwise

Top MBA programs cost upwards of $80,000. Unsurprisingly, many students take out a loan to cover some of the cost. I spoke to Anita at Lendwise, a leading UK-based provider of private student loans, about how a loan can help you to fund your MBA.

Sam: Am I right that more and more students are borrowing to fund their studies?

Anita: Yes and one of the key reasons for this is the steady increase in recent years of students pursuing higher education. Certainly, this is the case in the UK, where over 350,000 students now start a postgraduate course each year.

“The number of loan requests we received this year increased by 150% from the first quarter of the previous year”

We believe that following the pandemic, students are more aware of the value of a postgraduate qualification in what will become an increasingly competitive job market. The number of loan requests we received earlier this year (2021) increased by 150% from the first quarter of the previous year.

The funding gap has also widened due to the limited opportunities for students to supplement their income with a part-time job.

Business Schools globally have also reported increases in MBA applications received in recent years[1] which represents a large part of this loan demand, so this is a big element of what we do! An MBA degree can lead to fantastic employment opportunities, promotions, increased earning or even changes in career. The MBA also guarantees a diverse and unique networking environment in all the well-regarded business schools.

In our view, this makes MBA candidates good borrowers! So we’re more than happy to help them to achieve their goals by providing them with access to fair and sensible loans.

Sam: So how does Lendwise help?

Anita: We offer sensible student loans at competitive rates for students to fund their MBA, postgraduate or professional qualifications studies across all disciplines and courses.

We believe in the potential created by these courses, so we evaluate applications on education-related variables - not just a credit profile! Our goal is to make it easier for postgraduate students to pursue their educational aspirations.

Sam: What makes you different from traditional lenders?

Anita: Unlike a bank, we use a peer-to-peer funding model and we have a different approach to evaluating creditworthiness. This means that we can be competitive with our interest rates so students can enrol in courses they may not be able to access otherwise.

Other key features of a Lendwise loan that set us apart include:

• We offer loans up to £100,000

• Loan term length up to 10 years

• Competitive interest rates are personalised to each student’s profile

• Loans can also be used alongside the Postgraduate Masters Loan (or similar funding) received from the Government

• Up to 6 months grace period available after studies before repayments start (for full-time courses only)

• There are no early repayment penalties so students are always welcome to pay off their loan early if they have the means to do so.

• The entire experience with Lendwise is fully online but we are always a phone call away if necessary.

• Fixed interest rates so a student knows the amount of each repayment in advance to allow for better financial budgeting.

Sam: How can someone know if a Lendwise loan is right for them?

Anita: The best way to find out is to complete a quick online application! By submitting an application, you are under no obligation to enter into a loan agreement. Successful applications will receive a provisional loan offer, which is followed by a loan agreement once the loan offer is accepted.

You can also have a look and see what our Lendwise community of students are saying about us here: we have an Excellent rating on Trustpilot which encapsulates what Lendwise is all about.

We are always happy to hear from students so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions! You can also check out our blog through which we try to address many areas of interest or concern that postgraduate students have.

Since we're a lender we have to give you the small print: Lendwise is based in London and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (UK) under firm registration number 782496. Lendwise Ltd is registered in England with company number 10466048. Full details of Lendwise Ltd’s terms and policies including details of its privacy policy can be found at www.lendwise.com/legal

[1] Forbes.com: MBA Applications Are Suddenly Soaring