US citizens and US permanent residents may request a graduate application fee waiver if they meet one of the criteria below:

• Demonstrated financial hardship in the past year
• Participated in select MIT programs in the past 5 years
• Participated in select fellowship and pathway programs in the past 3 years
• Connected with an MIT representative at select academic and professional conferences or other recruitment event 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.

International applicants may request a graduate application fee waiver if they meet all criteria below:

• Attending a college or university in the U.S. at the time of the waiver request and meet one of the above criteria
• Participated in select MIT programs in the past 5 years

Please see the “MIT Sponsored Programs” list for more information on qualifying programs.

In select cases, some departments may have eligibility criteria beyond what is listed here. Please see the Degree Programs directory for further information.

Applicants with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status must demonstrate proof of financial hardship in the last twelve (12) months. This may take the form of receiving significant need-based financial aid, earning an income that meets the federal or local standard for low-income households, or enrolling in public assistance programs.

Some examples of valid documentation may include:

• FAFSA Student Aid Report that includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• Verification letter from financial aid officer at your most recent institution​
• Financial aid billing statement of need-based aid​
• Recent income statements*
• Income verification letter from current employer​
• Letter from ETS approving a GRE Fee Reduction waiver

NOTE: Please redact any sensitive information, such as your address, Social Security Number, or tax ID, from personal documents.

Unfortunately, the Office of Graduate Education cannot consider fee waiver requests solely on the basis of financial hardship for our international applicants. Because the Institute is located in the U.S., MIT relies on evidence from applicants of their use of economic intervention policies, based on the American federal poverty level, to assess financial hardship. 

While we understand and are sensitive to global economic hardships, we cannot assess the measure for financial hardship for countries other than the U.S.  At this time, we will not consider international applicants request for fee waivers on the basis of financial hardship

Applicants must have participated in one of the programs below sometime in the last five (5) years. Your participation will be verified with the appropriate MIT office before your waiver request can be approved. *Note: MIT Graduate Application Assistance Programs (GAAPs) do not qualify as a sponsored diversity program.

• MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP General)
• MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP Biology/BCS/CBMM)
• MIT DOW ACCESS Program
• MIT Media Lab Open House Travel Grant Recipients
• MIT OME Laureates and Leaders
• MIT OME The Standard
• Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Summer Institute

Applicants must have participated in one of the programs below sometime in the last three (3) years. Please include valid documentation, such as a signed letter from the program coordinator or a certificate of completion, to demonstrate your participation.

• APSA Diversity Fellowship Program (APSA DFP)
• Black in AI
• Cientifico Latino Graduate School Mentorship Program (GSMI)
• Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems Research Experience for Undergraduates (EBICS REU)
• Gates Millennium Scholars Program
• Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)
• Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
• McNair Scholars Program
• Mellon Mays Minority Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
• Morehouse College Dr. John H. Hopps Jr. Defense Research Scholars Program Hopps (HOPPS)
• National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
• Questbridge
• Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI)
• Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program (RISE)
• The National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM)
• University of Baltimore Maryland County Meyerhoff Scholars Program 
• Woods Hole Partnership Education Program

Other programs that foster the diversification of the graduate education landscape may be considered as well.

Applicants must have attended a professional conference or recruiting event in the last 12 months at which they met and spoke with representatives from MIT. Your attendance will be confirmed with the relevant MIT representative before your waiver can be approved. *Note: Attendance at the Georgia Tech Virtual Showcase does not qualify for this category.

These conferences and events may include:

• ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
• Annual Ivy Plus Puerto Rico Event
• California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education
• Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM (ERN)
• FIU McNair Scholars Research Conference
• Grace Hopper Celebration conference
• Howard University Research Month
• Institute on Teaching and Mentoring (SREB)
• MC-STEMP Graduating Engineering Minorities (GEM) GRADLab
• National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
• National Organization of Minority Architects
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
• National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)
• Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institutes (PIKSI)
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
• Spelman College Research Day
• The National GEM Consortium

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. Your enlistment will be confirmed with the appropriate military branch before your waiver can be approved.