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Future Students

Application Fee Waivers

U.S. resident applicants seeking financial assistance with the application fee may be eligible for an application fee waiver from the UW Graduate School.

Financial Need

The UW Graduate School offers application fee waivers to U.S. residents who demonstrate financial need and students who are currently participating in the McNair Scholars or PPIA Fellowship Program. The process for requesting a fee waiver from the UW Graduate School is available on their application page.

Pre-Payment of Application Fee

The UW Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) is unable to offer a traditional fee waiver. MSE does not remove application fees. Instead, MSE pays application fees using department funds.

This important distinction explains the necessity of our process:

  1. The applicant requests pre-payment of the application fee.
  2. MSE pays the UW Graduate School on behalf of the applicant.
  3. The applicant submits their application.

Eligibility for Pre-Payment

Applicants who participate in the GEM Fellowship Program are eligible for pre-payment of the application fee. Additionally, applicants who participate in groups/programs which focus on outreach as it relates to preparing students for materials science and engineering careers may be eligible. The list below outlines some of these programs. To inquire about programs not on this list, applicants should email msegradadvising@uw.edu.

How to Request Pre-Payment

To request pre-payment of the application fee, the applicant must first complete all required components of the application:

  1. Submit a statement of purpose
  2. Designate recommenders
  3. Submit a resume or curriculum vitae
  4. Submit a list of professors or research groups with whom you would like to work

Then, at least one week prior to the application deadline, the applicant must email msegradadvising@uw.edu with the following information:

  • Full Name
  • UW Graduate School Application ID Number
  • Proof of Program Participation: A PDF document using the following syntax for the file name: "Your name-date of application-conference or program name" (Cameron Jackson-Sept 15 2022-GraceHopperConference). You may use your registration confirmation email, conference check-in confirmation, or other official document.

Application Pre-Payment Approved Organizations & Conferences