GSAS Application Fee Waivers

Eligibility for fee waivers

GSAS may grant an application fee waiver to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who meet at least one of the criteria listed below.

Please follow the application fee waiver request process outlined below. DO NOT email GSAS to request a fee waiver. All application fee waivers are considered on a case-by-case basis. Fee waivers are granted at the discretion of GSAS Admissions and are not guaranteed. Only one fee waiver per eligible applicant is permitted.

  • Applicants who are currently serving in the military or who are veterans may be eligible for an application fee waive. Submit copies of any one of the following with your fee waiver request:

    • Active Duty Orders
    • Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214, 215 or 256)
    • Military ID Card (active duty, National Guard, Reserves, IRR, or retiree).
    • VA Issued ID Card for Health Care
    • Veterans ID Card
    • Driver’s License with Veterans Designation or State Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans Group Membership Card

  • GSAS may grant an application fee waiver to prospective applicants who demonstrate financial need. Applicants may be domestic or international students and must provide documentation that demonstrates that the application fee presents a financial hardship.

    Domestic applicants may submit one or more of the following to demonstrate financial need:

    1. An official letter verifying their Expected Family Contribution (EFC), signed by the applicant and a financial aid officer at their current institution.
    2. A copy of their FAFSA Submission Summary, available through the FAFSA website.
    3. A copy of their most recent U.S. federal income tax return (Form 1040).

    International applicants:

    To be considered for an application fee waiver based on financial circumstances, please upload a brief explanation describing how the application fee presents a financial hardship for you. Relevant circumstances may include unemployment or underemployment, economic or political conditions in your home country, significant financial hardship, or other extenuating circumstances that make paying the application fee especially difficult.

    Please include any available documentation that supports your request. Examples may include a letter from your current university or employer, documentation of financial assistance or scholarship support, tax or income documentation, or other official financial documents that demonstrate your financial circumstances.

    GSAS may request additional information or documentation beyond the examples listed above to evaluate a fee waiver request.

    Submission of documentation does not guarantee approval of an application fee waiver. All requests are reviewed by GSAS Admissions on a case-by-case basis.

  • GSAS may also grant an application fee waiver on the basis of participation in certain programs within the last two years. Applicants must provide documentation of participation or affiliation, and include dates of participation. Applicable programs and/or affiliations include the following: 

    • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
    • American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Program (RBSI)
    • Americorps
    • Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minorities Students (ABRCMS)
    • Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar
    • Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program
    • Cientifico Latino Graduate Student Mentorship Initiative (GSMI)
    • Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)
    • Fulbright Scholars
    • Gates Millennium Scholar Program (GMS)
    • Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY)
    • Jackie Robinson Foundation
    • Jesuit Volunteer Corps Members
    • Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program
    • Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
    • McNair Scholars
    • Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows Program
    • Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
    • Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (RISE)
    • National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
    • National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE)
    • National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE)
    • Peace Corps Volunteers
    • Project 1000 Scholars
    • Questbridge
    • Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy
    • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
    • Teach for America
    • Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program
    • TRIO Scholars

How to request an application fee waiver

  1. Submit your completed online application. DO NOT PAY THE APPLICATION FEE. Please note that if you pay the application fee prior to receiving approval, we are unable to issue a refund.
  2. Log into your Application Status Page and click the link to the Application Fee Waiver Request form.
  3. Complete the form as directed and upload all verification documentation by the application deadline for your program of interest. 

All completed fee waiver requests will be reviewed by GSAS Admissions. Applicants will be notified of the decision only when all necessary documentation has been submitted. GSAS reserves the right to request additional information beyond the above. Failure to submit the completed request form with the proper documentation by the application deadline will result in an incomplete fee waiver request and require payment of the application fee. Fee waivers are not guaranteed. Applicants not approved for fee waivers must submit the non-refundable application fee online.