Application Fee Waiver
About
Application fee waivers are provided for 75 domestic applicants through the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please read the fee waiver deadlines below carefully.
- Fee waiver requests are due by November 23, 2025 for all programs. However, please refer to your respective program website to ensure your request for an application fee waiver is received well before your program's application deadline. Do not pay your application fee and submit your application(s) until AFTER you receive a decision on your fee waiver request. If your program’s application deadline passes or you submit your application (e.g. pay your fee), we are unable to provide a refund or process a fee waiver.
- Application Fee Waiver Requests will be reviewed and processed on a rolling basis.
To request an application fee waiver, please click the Application Fee Waiver Request button (see below), complete the request form, and upload the required documentation. Do not pay your application fee and submit your application(s) until AFTER you receive a decision on your fee waiver request.
Please note: Emails asking for a fee waiver do not constitute a formal request and will not be reviewed by the GPS Office Staff.
Fee waivers can only be applied after an application has been started but before the fee is paid and application is submitted. A fee waiver cannot be applied retroactively to an application that has already been submitted. We also cannot approve a fee waiver for an application that has not been started.
The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies can approve one fee waiver per applicant. However, this is a competitive application process, therefore, a fee waiver is not guaranteed.
When submitting your Application Fee Waiver Request:
- Please make sure that the name on your request matches the name on your graduate school application(s)
- Please include the valid documentation to support your request
Submit Application Fee Waiver Request
Note: Application Fee Waiver Request form opens 09/02/25
Application Fee Waiver Eligibility
US Citizens and Permanent Residents must meet one or more of these criteria:
- Demonstrated financial hardship in the past year (see accepted documentation below)
- Participated in select fellowship and pathway programs in the last one to five years (specific programs and timelines described below)
- Connected with a GPS Office representative at select academic and professional conferences or other recruitment events in the past year
- Served as a current or former member of the United States Armed Forces
The past year is defined as the 12 months prior to the date of the fee waiver request.
Types of Fee Waivers Categories
Financial Hardship
Financial Hardship
To be eligible for a fee waiver based on financial hardship, applicants must provide one of the following documentation option:
- If an applicant is a current undergraduate student, the applicant must provide documentation that displays they were eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
- If an applicant is not a current undergraduate student, the applicant must provide an explanation as to why their current financial situation is indicative of financial hardship based on their income and expenses.
UMN Sponsored Programs
UMN Sponsored Programs
Applicants must have participated in the following program in the last five (5) years. Your participation will be verified by the appropriate office before your waiver request can be approved:
- Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program
National Fellowship Programs
National Fellowship Programs
Applicants must have participated in one of the programs below some time in the last 12 months. Please include valid documentation such as a signed letter from the program coordinator or a certificate of completion.
- McNair Scholars Program
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation
- Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE)
- Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Events and Conferences
Events and Conferences
Applicants must have attended a professional conference or recruiting event in the last 12 months at which they met with and spoke to a GPS Office representative. Your attendance will be confirmed with the GPS Office staff before your waiver can be approved.
- American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
- Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
- Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
- National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
- University of New Mexico McNair Scholars Conference
- UMN Graduate Diversity Recruitment Event
- Wisconsin Science Education and Research Consortium Annual Conference (WiSER)
- UMN Graduate School Fair
- College of Biological Sciences Life Sciences Graduate School Fair
- Campus Visits from GPS Office representatives
US Armed Forces Service
US Armed Forces Service
Current or former servicemembers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or Space Force of the United States may receive a fee waiver on this basis. In your application for a fee waiver, please provide a copy of your military ID (expired ID is ok) or a copy of your DD214.