USC offers many options for graduate application fee waivers. Please review these options before you submit your application, so you can determine if you are eligible and make the appropriate selection to request a waiver. In order for you to apply with a fee waiver, the Office of Graduate Admission must approve your request before you can submit your application. If your fee waiver request is denied you must pay the application fee before submission.
If you believe you qualify for a fee waiver, please complete the following steps:
1) Start your online application here and select the program to which you are planning to apply.
2) Determine the appropriate option from the fee waiver categories listed below and make sure that you have the documentation you will be required to provide for approval.
3) Make the appropriate selection here by choosing Graduate Admission and the USC school you are applying to under “Select an Area”, then choose Application Fees Waivers under “Category.” Please attach the appropriate documentation for the type of fee waiver you are requesting. You must make sure to use the same email address as your application and must also include the name of the program to which you are applying. Failure to do so could delay processing your request considerably.
4) You will receive an email notification if and when your fee waiver is approved. You must wait to receive this confirmation in order to skip the payment page when you submit your application. No refunds will be issued post-submission.
We recommend that you review our video tutorial titled, “The USC Graduate Application: Fee Waivers” for more details.
Please note, fee waiver approval can take approximately 3 to 4 business days, so if you have an application deadline you must make sure to plan accordingly.
USC alumni or students currently enrolled in a USC degree program
Eligibility Requirements: You must already hold a degree from USC (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, M.D., etc.) or be currently enrolled in a degree program at the university. Please provide your 10 digit USC ID (assigned to you during your program of study at USC) when you request for the fee waiver. You must have completed at least one semester of your academic program in order to be eligible.
This option is not available if you are enrolled through our Limited Status option, are a short-term exchange student, visiting scholar, or participant in a USC summer program.
Permanent, full-time USC employees or their dependents
Eligibility Requirements: You must be a USC faculty member or a full-time, permanent USC employee. You will also qualify if you are the spouse or dependent child of USC faculty or full-time staff. Please provide your 10 digit employee ID (if you work at the university) or the full name and employee ID of your family member (if your spouse or parent is the USC employee) when you request for the fee waiver.
This option is not available for post-doctoral students, temporary USC employees, former USC employees, graduate students employed in an RA/TA position, independent contractors, or their dependents.
U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents with demonstrated financial hardships
Eligibility Requirements: You must be able to show proof that paying the graduate application fee would cause financial hardship. Acceptable documentation include:
1) A letter or memo from the financial aid office of your current school (or the one from which you graduated within the last year), stating that paying the application fee would constitute a financial hardship for you.
2) Documentation from a state unemployment agency verifying that you are currently unemployed.
Records such as tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements and personal correspondence will not be accepted as proof of hardship.
This option is not available to international students.
McNair Scholars
Eligibility Requirements: You must be a current participant in the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. Acceptable documentation include:
1) An official letter demonstrating you are participating in the McNair Program at your current institution.
Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) fellows
Eligibility Requirements: You must be selected as a VEF fellow. Acceptable documentation include:
1) An official letter from the Vietnam Education Foundation demonstrating your selection as a VEF fellow.
This option is not available to nominees who have not yet been selected to receive the fellowship.
Pickering/ PPIA/ DIA Jumpstart program fellowship recipient
Eligibility Requirements: You must be a current participant in one of these three programs. Acceptable documentation include:
1) An official letter from the appropriate organization demonstrating your participation.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) fellowship participant
Eligibility Requirements: You must be an alumni from one of the following CHCI Leadership programs: CHCI Graduate Fellowship, Public Policy Fellowship or Congressional Internship. Acceptable documentation include:
1) An official letter from CHCI demonstrating your participation.
Americorps/ Peace Corps/ Teach for America participants
Eligibility Requirements: You must be a current participant or recent alumni (within the last two years) from one of these three programs. Acceptable documentation include:
1) An official letter from the appropriate organization demonstrating your participation.
Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) scholars
Eligibility Requirements: You must be a current participant in the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers program. Acceptable documentation include:
1) An official letter from IRT demonstrating your participation.
U.S. military veterans or current service members
Eligibility Requirements: You must be an active duty military personnel or veteran. Acceptable documentation include:
1) A copy of your active duty orders if you are currently serving.
2) A copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty if you are a veteran.
This option is not available to dependents of military personnel or veterans.
Hebrew Union College students or alumni
Eligibility Requirements: You must be a current student or an alumni of the Hebrew Union College. Acceptable documentation include:
1) A copy of your transcript from the institution.
Dual degree program applicants
Eligibility Requirements: Dual degree program applicants must pay for their first application and are exempt from paying for the second application as long as the programs they are applying for are valid dual degrees listed on the university’s website. Prospective students applying to the Master’s in Global Communication are also eligible for the dual degree fee waiver.
Please submit the application to your first program and then provide the name of the qualification for your dual degree program when you submit the fee waiver request.
USC sponsored application fee
Eligibility Requirements: Your intended graduate program has informed you in writing that they will be paying for your application fee to USC. Acceptable documentation include:
1) A copy of the official notification on USC letterhead issued to you by your program of interest. The notification should clearly state the name of the program for which you have been granted the waiver as well as the term for which it is valid.
Fulbright Applicants
Eligibility Requirements: You must provide a copy of your Fulbright eligibility award letter.
Applicants with DACA Status
Contact us here to request a fee waiver and for the next steps.