Fee Waiver

Application Fee Waiver

We are committed to making our application process available to all prospective students. For the 2026–2027 admissions cycle, our fee waiver eligibility criteria have been updated in alignment with guidance from The Graduate School (TGS).

Fee Waiver Criteria:

1. S. Citizenship or permanent residency
2. Identification of at least one of the following:
   1. First-generation college student (neither parent/guardian has earned a bachelor's degree)
   2. Veteran or current member of the U.S. Armed Forces
   3. Eligible for the Federal Pell Grant during your undergraduate education
   4. Participation in any of the following programs:

• Fisk to Vanderbilt Bridge Program
• The National GEM Consortium
• Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD)
• Northwestern Introduction to Graduate Education (IGEN)
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship (MMUF)
• National Name Exchange (NNE)
• Northwestern University Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (NU PREP)
• Northwestern Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)

To request a fee waiver, please indicate your eligibility status within the application form. No additional documentation is required at the time of submission. The deadline to apply for a fee waiver is December 1^st, 2026 at 11:59pm CST.