The Office of Graduate Education is pleased to offer application fee waivers to applicants who meet the criteria described below.
For questions about the application fee waiver process, please email Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@mit.edu. Emails sent to other staff members at the Office of Graduate Education will not receive a response.
Application Fee Waiver Eligibility
U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents
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.
In select cases, some departments may have eligibility criteria beyond what is listed here. Please see the Degree Programs directory for further information.
International Applicants
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
- 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.
How to Request a Fee Waiver
The Office of Graduate Education can grant up to three fee waivers per applicant. Fee waivers must be requested via our Application Fee Waiver Form, which opens for most graduate programs in September of each year.
When submitting the Application Fee Waiver Form:
- Please make sure that your name on the form matches the name on your graduate application(s).
- Please include valid documentation to support your request.
NOTE: Emails asking for a fee waiver do not constitute a formal request and will not be reviewed.
MIT-Sloan School of Management Programs
Applicants to the MIT Sloan School of Management should request a fee waiver by contacting the respective program office directly. These graduate programs have a separate application system and fee structure.
When to Request a Fee Waiver
The Fee Waiver Form may only be submitted while your intended graduate program(s) is open to applications. Requests must be received at least 5 business days before the program’s application deadline.
Please allow 5 business days to receive a decision on your fee waiver request. Due to the high volume of requests we receive, we cannot guarantee a response sooner. If your fee waiver request is approved, the Office of Graduate Education will notify you by email.
A fee waiver will not be retroactively applied to an application that has been paid for and submitted. If the program deadline passes, or if you submit your application, we cannot refund or waive the fee.
Graduate program application deadlines vary; please follow instructions for the specific programs to which you will apply. Information on all program deadlines can be found at our Degree Programs directory.
Types of Fee Waivers
Financial Hardship
Applicants 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.
MIT Sponsored Programs
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.
- MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP General)
- MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP Biology/BCS/CBMM)
- On-Campus MIT ACCESS Program
- MIT Media Lab Open House Travel Grant Recipients
- MIT OME Laureates and Leaders
- MIT OME The Standard
- MIT Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular System (EBICS)
- Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Summer Institute
Fellowship Programs
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)
- Cientifico Latino
- 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.
Events and Conferences
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.
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)
- 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)
- Ivy Plus Puerto Rico
- MC-STEMP Graduating Engineering Minorities (GEM) GRADLab
- National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
- National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
- National Organization of Minority Architects
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
- National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)
- 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
Additional recruitment events and conferences where MIT representatives are present may also be considered.
U.S. 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. Your enlistment will be confirmed with the appropriate military branch before your waiver can be approved.
Certification
When submitting an application fee waiver request form, you certify that the information provided is accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge. Should any information or documentation provided within be found to be knowingly inaccurate or falsified at any point, you understand that MIT reserves the right to deny your waiver request, rescind any waivers that may have been granted, and require a written explanation of any misrepresentations of information, which may become part of your application record and may be considered in connection with any admissions decisions.
