Applying for the Waiver
You may apply for a fee waiver within the Online Application.
- Within your application click on the Payment Information tab and scroll down to the Fee Waiver section.
- Click on the Fee Waiver Request button when you are ready to submit your request.
- Select the option relevant to you and upload your supporting documents.
You must submit your fee waiver at least two weeks prior to the application deadline (note that you may submit your fee waiver request and return to complete the rest of your application at a later date).
Eligibility
A limited number of application fee waivers are available to qualified U.S. CITIZENS and PERMANENT RESIDENT applicants. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE for fee waivers.
AB540 students may apply for a fee waiver if they meet the eligibility requirements. Please contact Walter Boggan for instructions.
There are three options in which you may qualify for a fee waiver:
If you are affiliated with any of the below research programs, you must provide a signed letter of verification from your program director:
- American Economic Association Summer Training and Scholarship Program
- American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
- AmeriCorps, Teach for America, or the Peace Corps
- Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
- Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars Program
- California Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Engineering, Math Program (CAMP)
- Cal-Bridge
- California Pre-Doc Program (Sally Casanova Scholars)
- Ciencia Puerto Rico
- CientÃfico Latino
- Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)
- Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
- Florida A&M University Graduate Feeder Program
- Former Foster Youth
- GRE Fee Reduction Program
- Hispanic Serving Institutions-Pathways Program (HSI)
- IIE/Fulbright
- Laureates & Leaders (MIT)
- Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
- Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program (MESA)
- McNair Scholars Program
- Mellon Mays Minority Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
- National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
- National Name Exchange
- National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
- National Society of Black Physicists
- National Society of Hispanic Physicists
- NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU)
- NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (BP-ENDURE)
- NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative
- NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Training Program (PREP)
- NIH Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program (RISE)
- NIH/NIGMS Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
- Puente Project
- Questbridge
- Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI)
- Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
- The Ph.D. Project
- Undergraduate Minority Biomedical Support (MBRS-IMSD)
- National GEM Consortium (GEM)
- Summer Undergraduate Program in Engineering at Berkeley (SUPERB)
- UC DIGSS (Diversity Initiatives in Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences
- UC-Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative (UC-HBCU)
- UC Leads Scholars Program (UC Leads)
- UCSB Academic Research Consortium (ARC)
- Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF)
If you do not see your particular program on this list, please contact Walter Boggan to inquire about whether the program is eligible for a fee waiver.
Remember, upload your verification letter to the Fee Waiver Request page, located within the Payment Information tab.
US citizens, permanent residents, and Dream Scholars who have received significant financial aid from their current university may be eligible for a graduate application fee waiver. Beginning for the Fall 2025 application cycle, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is used to determine aid-based eligibility, will be replaced by the SAI (Student Aid Index).
- The eligibility limit can not exceed $6,656.
- Acceptable documentation must include (1) A signed letter from a financial aid officer stating your SAI (Student Aid Index) (2) an official financial aid award letter for the current year, or a (3) copy of a university Student Aid Report (SAR).
- All documents must include your SAI (Student Aid Index)
You may be eligible for a fee waiver based on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on your tax return.
Annual family income cannot exceed the maximum AGI listed in the Family Income Guidelines chart below.
FAMILY SIZE (including student) |
FAMILY INCOME (Maximum AGI on Tax Return) |
| 1 | $23,606 |
| 2 | $31,894 |
| 3 | $40,182 |
| 4 | $48,479 |
| 5 | $56,758 |
| For each additional family member | Add $8,288 |
Questions?
If you should have any questions regarding fee waivers, please contact Walter Boggan.