Application Fee

Upon submission of an application, applicants will be prompted to pay the processing fee ($90 for all programs). The application processing fee must be paid online by credit card or bank account at the time the application is submitted and is non-refundable. Applicants meeting specific conditions (see below) may be granted a fee waiver, and the application will be processed while that request is reviewed. All fee waiver requests must be submitted after the application is submitted; waivers cannot be granted in advance.

Application Fee Waivers

All applicants meeting the following criteria and providing appropriate supporting documentation will be considered for a fee waiver. Applicants requesting a fee waiver must first submit their application and then submit the fee waiver request form located on the application status page. Applicants requesting a waiver must not submit an application fee; application fees are non-refundable once paid even if the applicant is qualified for a waiver.

Application fee waivers are available under the following categories.

Category A: University of Chicago degree program students or alumnus

Any applicant who has received or expects to receive a degree from the University of Chicago can request a fee waiver.

Category B: Current/recent participants in a qualifying program.

Current or recent participants in certain qualifying programs may request a fee waiver. Documentation certifying participation is required. Acceptable forms of documentation include award or acceptance letters, letters from program directors, program completion certificates, etc. Qualifying programs are:

  • AmeriCorps/Vista
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars
  • Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT)
  • Leadership Alliance
  • Fulbright/IIE Fellowship recipient
  • Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
  • Peace Corps
  • Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA)
  • Ronald McNair Scholars and/or Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program
  • Summer Institute for Social Science Research Methods
  • Teach for America
  • U.S. Armed Forces or uniformed services: Currently serving (active duty or reserve) or honorably discharged

Category C: Current undergraduates receiving need-based financial aid from a U.S. institution

Currently enrolled undergraduate students who are receiving need-based financial aid from a U.S. college or university can request a waiver of the application fee. A copy of the institution’s financial aid letter or a letter from the institution’s financial aid office is required.

Category D: Valid fee waiver codes received from an authorized representative

Application fee waiver codes may be distributed on a limited basis at in-person University of Chicago events or in connection with membership in a partner organization. Please do not contact admissions offices or faculty to request a code. Not all codes issued by all programs at the University of Chicago are valid for a Social Sciences Division application; questions about code validity should be emailed to gradadmissions@uchicago.edu.

Category E: Individuals experiencing financial hardship

Applicants who are experiencing financial hardship may be considered for a fee waiver by providing a written statement explaining their financial hardship and their plans to fund their program. Eligibility criteria are:

  • Doctoral applicants: Applicants must submit an explanation of their hardship and include information on how they intend to support the expenses involved in beginning a graduate program which will not provide funding until the start of Autumn Quarter.
  • Master’s applicants who will not need visa sponsorship by the University of Chicago: Applicants must provide a statement detailing their hardship and include information about their plans to fund their education.
  • Master’s applicants who will need visa sponsorship by the University of Chicago: Applicants will not be considered for a fee waiver unless they have an already been awarded, or already applied, for a source of funding that will cover the cost of their graduate study. Applicants must provide a statement that includes information about their plans to fund their education.

Category F: Individuals who received a post-secondary degree from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), or Minority-Serving Institution (MSI)

The graduate programs of the Social Sciences Division are pleased to offer fee waivers to graduates of accredited post-secondary minority-serving institutions (Historically Black College or University, Hispanic-Serving Institution, Tribal College or University, Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution, etc.). Institutions included on the current list published by the Rutgers University Center for MSIs qualify. Graduates of institutions with which the Division of the Social Sciences have an existing partnership (St. John’s College or Florida A&M University) are also eligible for a fee waiver under this category.