Skip to main content

Application Fee

To apply for admission, the application fee is $95 and is non-refundable.

You may submit payment by credit or debit card. If using a debit card, the card must have an associated credit card logo. The application system only accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. For questions about your payment, please contact our vendor ApplyWeb directly. 

Application Fee Waivers 

 
For Domestic Applicants & U.S. Citizens:

The Graduate School (TGS) is able to provide a limited number of fee waivers* to eligible applicants.

Update: As of December 16, 2024, The Graduate School has provided the maximum number of application fee waivers we were allowed for the 2024-2025 application cycle. As a result, no additional applicants will be able to receive an application fee waiver through The Graduate School. Application fee waiver criteria for the 2025-2026 application cycle will be posted on this page in September 2025. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible if you meet that criteria. Please note this criteria is subject to change.

For past application cycles, applicants have been eligible for an application fee waiver if they met all of the following criteria: 

  1. Started an application for a TGS PhD or MFA program
  2. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
  3. Identification as at least one of the following:
    1. A first-generation college student (neither of your parents/guardians have obtained a bachelor's degree)
    2. A low-income individual as defined by the U.S. Department of Education
    3. A veteran or current member of the U.S. Armed Forces

*TGS strives to support as many eligible applicants as possible. There may be some cases, however, where TGS may not be able to grant application fee waiver requests from all eligible applicants due to the volume of requests we receive. As a result, we encourage applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible, since application fee waiver requests are reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Steps to take in our application form (if eligible):
  1. If you indicate you are a first-generation college student or a veteran or a current member of the Armed Forces, you will see this question on the Background Information page (page 5) of the application:  "Do you meet the criteria listed on our Application Fee website?" Select “Yes” to the question.
  2. Finalize your application.
  3. Once you click "Submit" on your application, you will automatically bypass the payment page.  
    1. Complete the form and click on the “Apply for Waiver” button.

For low-income eligible individuals:

  1. On the payment page, select “Request a Fee Waiver for Low-Income Individuals.”
  2. Click on "Continue." This will bring you to a page entitled “Application for Graduate Admission.”
  3. Complete the form and click on the “Apply for Waiver” button.

You will be notified via email within three business days if your request was approved or denied. If your fee waiver request is denied, you will be required to return to the application to submit payment information.