Graduating seniors enrolling in School of Business graduate programs will be able to apply for “special” grants covering a portion of tuition for fall 2020.

The “GWSB Grants for 2020 GW Graduates” program will be available to graduating students interested in pursuing an advanced degree in the school’s graduate programs beginning August 2020, according to an email sent to business school students. The grant is designed to provide financial assistance for students enrolling in any of 12 specialized master’s degrees and all 24 graduate certificates the business school offers, according to the school’s website.

Business school Dean Anuj Mehrotra said that seniors’ post-graduation plans have been “disrupted” by the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting the job market for students entering the workforce, according to the email.

“A question many graduating seniors ask is whether they should go directly to work following graduation or earn an advanced degree,” Mehrota said in the email. “For those graduating students who wish to take graduate business classes this fall, GWSB will offer tuition assistance in the form of a grant.”

Students will be able to receive 25 to 50 percent off the tuition of any course they will enroll in during the fall semester as long as they complete the coursework no later than spring 2023, according to the website. The grant will not cover any other fees associated with the specific graduate programs like enrollment costs, the website states.

Students who are unable to return to D.C. for the fall semester because of travel restrictions can also apply the grant for graduate programs offered entirely online like a graduate certificate in human capital, the website states.

Liesl Riddle, the business school’s associate dean for graduate programs, said administrators have adapted the business school’s graduate programs to fit students’ needs to earn “competitive” credentials on their resumes while simultaneously focusing on their careers.

“We invite GW graduating seniors to consider taking hard-skill and soft-skill courses that will strengthen their resumes based on their career aspirations,” Riddle said on the website.

Students interested in the program can speak to an academic adviser and register for “Info Sessions” to learn more about applying, the website states.