PhD & MFA: Application Fee Waiver (GRS only)

Graduate Information

In an effort to reduce financial barriers to attending graduate school, the central admissions office of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) offers application fee waivers to qualifying domestic GRS PhD & MFA applicants.

Please note:

Do not email the Graduate School’s admissions office; instead, follow the instructions below. Do not submit the form found at the bottom of this page and select an incorrect answer on purpose.
The Graduate School’s central admission office does not offer application fee waivers to international applicants (see “International Applicants” below).
If you are a Master’s applicant (incl. MFA in Literary Translation), please visit the Master’s Application Fee Waiver page.
In the “Signature” section of the application, you will be asked for an “Application Access Code.” Please select “No, I don’t have a code.” We do not use application access codes (fee waiver codes) for GRS PhD & MFA applicants. If you qualify, the fee will simply be removed.
GRS PhD & MFA fee waivers can only be used for GRS PhD & MFA programs and only for the current admissions cycle. If your application fee was waived during a previous admissions cycle, you must reapply for a waiver. Non-degree applicants are not eligible for fee waivers.
There are many similar sounding programs at Boston University (ex: Biology, Neurobiology, and Biomedical Engineering are each offered by a different graduate school). If you are applying to a program that is not offered by Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, please reach out to the respective schools directly, for example:
⇒ College of Engineering (ENG): Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, etc.
⇒ Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS): Bioinformatics
⇒  Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS): Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, etc.
⇒  Wheelock College of Education (SED): Counseling Psychology, Social Studies in Education
⇒  Other schools/programs
Application fees cannot be refunded. If you are given a fee waiver, do not submit your application with a payment.
All requests must be received at least five business days prior to the application deadline. Late requests will be denied.

International Applicants

Departmental Recommendation

U.S Citizens & U.S. Permanent Residents

If you are a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Permanent Resident (“Green Card” holder) you may request an application fee waiver based on one of the following criteria:

1. Documented financial hardship

Applicants with current documented financial hardship will be required to provide supporting documentation for at least one of the following, along with a 250+ word (at least half of a single-spaced page) explanation:

- A current official statement of your financial need from a financial aid officer at your current institution, which includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI), or proof that you received a Pell Grant as an undergraduate student within the past year
- A copy of your current FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR), with your Social Security Number obscured
- An official verification of your current participation in a U.S. government low-income aid program, such as Unemployment, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Welfare, Medicaid, etc.
- A copy of a waiver granted to you by ETS for GRE fee within the past year

Documents not listing the applicant’s name are not accepted. Do not send copies of tax returns, bank statements, or any document that contains your social security number. Requests that are missing supporting documentation will be denied.

2. First-Generation Applicants

A first generation graduate student is defined as someone whose parents, guardians, or caregivers have not completed an advanced degree, e.g. master’s, doctoral, or professional degree (like a JD or MD). Included in this group are students whose parent(s) have not obtained a four-year degree.

You will need to provide a current copy of your resume along with a 250+ word (at least half of a single-spaced page) statement supporting your request. Requests that are missing supporting documentation will be denied.

3. Military service

Included in this group are U.S. military veterans with Honorable Discharges or those who are on active duty in U.S. Armed Forces. You will need to provide proof of service or discharge. Requests that are missing supporting documentation will be denied.

4. Special Programs, Events, and Fellowships

We are pleased to offer application fee waivers to those who have participated in the following qualified programs, events, and fellowships as a current participant or recent alumni (within the last two years). You will need to provide documentation of your participation or affiliation with your request. Requests that are missing supporting documentation will be denied.

- Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha)
- Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
- Gates Millennium Scholars Program
- Education Pioneers
- Federal TRIO
- National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM)
- Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT)
- Jackie Robinson Foundation
- Laureates & Leaders Program
- Leadership Brainery
- National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) National service organizations, including Alpha Phi Omega (APO), AmeriCorps, City Year, Peace Corps, Teach for America
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) applicants
- Posse Foundation scholars
- Project 1000
- Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE)
- Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

Participation in a program not listed above may still qualify you for an application fee waiver, provided it meets the following criteria:

- Demonstrates a clear directive for students to enter a doctoral or research program
- Is represented or has chapters at more than one U.S. university campus

5. University affiliations

- Employees of Boston University
- Current undergraduate students of Boston University

Current students and alumni of:

- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges
- Hispanic Serving Institutions
- Minority Serving Institution
- Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions
- Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions
- Tribal Colleges and Universities

You will need to provide documentation of your affiliation with your request. Requests that are missing supporting documentation will be denied.

How to submit your request and next steps

To apply for an application fee waiver, you must first review your eligibility (see above) and have:

1. added your full biographical information to the application, incl. citizenship information
2. uploaded your CV/resume
3. uploaded your personal statement
4. uploaded your research summary (if required)
5. uploaded copies of your transcripts

If you meet any of the criteria, please submit your request via the PhD & MFA Application Fee Waiver Request Form below. Once the submitted information is reviewed and verified (which may take up to five business days), we will waive the application fee for you in the system (no code required). All requests will be reviewed during regular office hours (9am-5pm local time, Monday-Friday), except on holidays and during intersession.

Please note:

In the “Signature” section of the application, you will be asked for an “Application Access Code.” Please select “No, I don’t have a code.” We do not use application access codes (fee waiver codes) for GRS PhD & MFA applicants.
In the “Review” section of the application, you will be asked to click “Finalize Application and Pay.
- If your fee waiver request was approved, you will be immediately taken to your Applicant Portal. At the bottom of that page, you will see that the Payment was waived under “Recent Activities.”
- Without a fee waiver, a payment screen will pop up asking for credit card information.

PhD & MFA Application Fee Waiver Request Form

Have you started a PhD or MFA application?*
To request a fee waiver, you must first start an application and select a program. If you have not started an application, please do so before continuing with this form.
First Name*
Last Name*
Email (must match email listed in application)*

This email will be used to find your application in the system. Please verify that it is the correct email and that it is spelled correctly.
Program of Interest*
If the program is not listed, it is not accepting applications for the 2027-28 academic year. Please reach out to grsphd@bu.edu with any questions.
U.S. Citizenship Status*
Fee waiver eligibility*
Fee waiver eligibility*
Special program, event, or fellowship*
Name of the other special program*
Supporting document: proof of participation in a special program, event, or fellowship*
Max. file size: 100 MB.
**IMPORTANT**Be sure to block out sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information.
Resume/CV*
Max. file size: 100 MB.
Statement supporting your request (250+ words)*
Parents' highest level of education*

Please list the highest level of education completed for your parents/guardians.
Unofficial transcript submission date*
MM slash DD slash YYYY

Please send your unofficial transcript to grsphd@bu.edu with the subject line "Supporting documents for fee waiver request.
Statement of financial hardship (250+ words)*
Proof of financial hardship submission date*
MM slash DD slash YYYY

Please send your proof of financial hardship to grsphd@bu.edu with the subject line "Supporting documents for fee waiver request. **IMPORTANT**Be sure to block out sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information.
Sponsorship by an outside organization*
To qualify for a fee waiver based on sponsorship by an outside organization, the outside organization must sponsor your visa and provide stipend funding for your studies. If this is the case, please select your sponsor from the list below and upload proof of sponsorship. If the outside organization will not sponsor your visa and will not provide stipend funding, you do not qualify for this type of application fee waiver. Please select a different reason.
Name of the other sponsoring organization*
Supporting document: proof of sponsorship by an outside organization*
Max. file size: 100 MB.
**IMPORTANT**Be sure to block out sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information.
University affiliations*
BU ID*
Name of your unit*
Supporting document: proof of university affiliation*
Max. file size: 100 MB.
**IMPORTANT**Be sure to block out sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information.
Supporting document: proof of military service*
Max. file size: 100 MB.
**IMPORTANT**Be sure to block out sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information.
Applicants who would like to request an application fee waiver but do not meet any of the criteria listed on this page should email the program directly. Please do not submit the form below, as it cannot be forwarded to the departments. Please contact your respective program accordingly and include your resume, personal statement, and a copy of your transcript(s) in your email. If the department determines that the applicant is eligible, they will provide an application fee waiver.

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Biology	Earth & Environment	Linguistics	Political Science
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Undergraduate Admissions

Graduate Admissions

MA & MS Applicants

PhD & MFA Applicants

PhD & MFA: Application Fee Waiver (GRS only)

International Applicants

Departmental Recommendation

U.S Citizens & U.S. Permanent Residents

PhD & MFA Application Fee Waiver Request Form