Application Fee: Waiver Eligibility Requirements and Instructions
Upon submission of an application, applicants will be prompted to pay the $80 processing fee. You may be eligible to receive an application fee waiver if you meet at least one of the below requirements. Note that you'll only be able to submit a waiver request and supplementary documentation within the application. You can find more information about the approval and notification process on our FAQ page.
Fee Waiver Categories:
- Category A: Current University of Chicago student or University of Chicago alumni from degree programs (includes current non-degree visiting students and past non-degree visiting students).
You'll be instructed to upload your transcripts as verification.
- Category B: Current University of Chicago Staff (including full-time research professionals).
- Category C: Current undergraduates receiving need-based financial aid from a U.S. institution:
If you are currently (as of the date of the application deadline for this program, i.e. December 15, 2024) enrolled as an undergraduate student at an institution within the United States and are receiving need-based financial aid from your current institution, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. A copy of the institution’s financial aid letter or a letter from the institution’s financial aid office is required.
- Category D: Individuals experiencing financial hardship:
Applicants who are experiencing financial hardship and are not eligible for a fee waiver under any of the other categories may be considered for a fee waiver. Applicants requesting an application fee waiver on the basis of financial hardship must upload a brief written statement which explains their financial hardship and how they intend to cover their pre-matriculation expenses (e.g. moving expenses) if admitted.
Application fees are non-refundable. If you are requesting an application fee waiver, do not pay the application fee while your request is under review. You should only pay the fee if you receive an email from us indicating that your request has been denied. If your request is approved, we will manually waive the fee once we have determined your eligibility.
Application fee payment will not be refunded if:
- You pay the application fee before receiving our fee waiver request decision, and later have your waiver request approved.
- You do not complete the fee waiver request form inside the application and pay the fee, then later realize you were eligible for a fee waiver.
Fee Waiver Decision Notification
We will not be reaching out to applicants whose request for a fee waiver has been approved. You will only be notified via email if your request has been denied. We do not make any determinations before your application to the Stevens Doctoral Program has been submitted, so please make sure to do so by the application deadline. You can find more information about the eligibility and notification process on our FAQ page.