How Indian Students Can Get a US Application Fee Waiver

US university application fees can cost $75–$100 or more. Indian students may not always have to pay them. Here’s how to check—and what to email.

Applying to US universities is expensive.

For an Indian student applying to 10 universities, application fees alone can easily run into several hundred dollars. Add SAT or ACT fees, IELTS/TOEFL, transcripts, credential evaluations and other application expenses, and the cost of simply applying can become substantial.

But there is an important question many students never ask:

Do I actually qualify for an application fee waiver?

Sometimes, the answer is yes.

US universities offer fee waivers through different routes. Undergraduate applicants may qualify through the Common Application or a university's own fee-waiver policy. Graduate applicants may have access to programme-specific, school-specific or hardship-based waivers.

Some universities also have no application fee for certain applicants or programmes.

But forget the popular claim that you can simply email every US university and get the fee waived.

That is not how the system works.

There is no universal fee waiver for Indian students. Eligibility depends on the university, degree, programme, application platform and your circumstances.

The good news?

If the application fee genuinely creates a financial barrier, it is absolutely worth checking whether you qualify before paying.

The email

If the university's instructions allow applicants to contact admissions about a fee waiver, you can use this:

Dear Admissions Office,

I am an international student from India applying to [Program] for Fall 2027. I have a strong academic profile, and your university is among my top choices. However, the application fee presents a financial barrier. Would it be possible to receive a fee waiver? I would be happy to provide any documentation needed.

Thank you for your consideration.'

Best regards,

[Full Name]

[Application ID, if available]

That's it.

You don't need a long emotional story.

You don't need to explain every expense your family has.

And you should never invent financial hardship to avoid an application fee.

The objective is simply to ask whether a legitimate waiver route exists.

The first thing Indian students need to understand

There are two very different fee-waiver systems you need to think about:

Undergraduate applications

If you're applying for a bachelor's degree, the Common Application is often central to the process.

Common App says international students may be eligible for a need-based Common App fee waiver, but it also explicitly tells international applicants to check each college's individual policy because universities can have different rules.

Graduate applications

If you're applying for an MS, MA, MBA, PhD or another postgraduate programme, don't assume the Common App process applies.

Graduate programmes generally establish their own application-fee policies.

That means the waiver available to an undergraduate applicant at a university may have nothing to do with the waiver available to a master's or PhD applicant at the same university.

For graduate admissions, always check the exact programme.

How to request a fee waiver

1. Check the official application-fee page

Start on the university's official admissions website.

Search:

[University] application fee waiver

For graduate applicants, search:

[University] [programme] application fee waiver

This second search is important.

An MS in Computer Science, an MBA and a PhD in Economics may have completely different waiver policies at the same university.

2. Check whether the waiver is automatic

Not every waiver requires an email.

Some universities build the waiver directly into the application.

For example, Bowdoin College currently says its $70 undergraduate application fee is automatically waived if an applicant is applying for financial aid, is a first-generation-to-college student, or faces significant financial hardship.

In a situation like this, don't email admissions asking for a favour.

Follow the university's application instructions.

3. If applying through Common App, check the Common App waiver

Common App places the fee-waiver questions in the applicant's profile.

If you meet the applicable criteria, request the waiver there.

Stanford, for example, currently charges a $100 undergraduate application fee but allows eligible students to request a fee waiver through the Common Application process. Stanford says a school counsellor or school official must verify the applicant's eligibility, or the applicant can use the NACAC fee-waiver form.

4. Check the university-specific waiver

Some universities go beyond the standard Common App process.

Northwestern is a particularly clear example.

Its undergraduate application fee is currently $75, and the university says students experiencing financial hardship can request a waiver. It also has a Northwestern-specific waiver route for students who do not meet the standard Common App or Coalition criteria. Northwestern explicitly says requesting a fee waiver will not disadvantage the application.

This is the kind of policy Indian applicants should look for.

5. Graduate applicants should check the programme before emailing

This is where many postgraduate applicants make a mistake.

Don't find a university's undergraduate fee-waiver page and assume it applies to your MS application.

Instead, check:

• the graduate school;
• your department;
• your exact degree;
• your programme's application portal;
• international-applicant eligibility;
• financial-hardship rules;
• programme participation waivers; and
• the waiver deadline.

Some graduate programmes won't accept a generic email request.

Undergraduate universities

The following examples are useful for Indian students applying to bachelor's programmes.

They are not guarantees that every Indian applicant qualifies.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins currently lists a $70 undergraduate application fee.

Applicants can request a fee waiver through Common App or Coalition on Scoir. Johns Hopkins also says that students who don't meet the standard eligibility criteria but need help covering the application fee can submit the university's fee-waiver request form.

For an Indian applicant facing genuine financial hardship, this is worth checking before paying.

Northwestern University

Northwestern currently charges a $75 undergraduate application fee.

Its fee-waiver policy is unusually clear: students experiencing financial hardship can request a waiver, including students who don't fall under the standard Common App or Coalition categories.

Northwestern also explicitly states that requesting a fee waiver will not disadvantage the application.

This is one of the strongest examples to include in an article aimed at Indian students.

Cornell University

Cornell currently charges an $85 undergraduate application fee.

Cornell says that applicants for whom the fee presents a financial burden and who plan to apply for financial aid may qualify for a fee waiver through Common App. The university provides specific instructions for requesting it.

Don't interpret this as an automatic waiver for Indian applicants.

You must meet the relevant criteria.

Stanford University

Stanford currently charges a $100 first-year application fee.

Eligible students can request a fee waiver using the Common App process. Stanford requires verification from a school counsellor or school official, or an appropriate NACAC form.

For Indian families applying to several US universities, a $100 fee is significant enough that checking eligibility first makes sense.

Duke University

Duke currently charges an $85 undergraduate application fee.

The university says it offers fee waivers to qualifying students, including students with high financial need. The request can be made through the Common Application, with the school counsellor asked to endorse the request.

Again, this is a qualifying-student waiver, not a universal international-student benefit.

University of Pennsylvania

Penn currently charges a $75 application fee.

If paying that fee represents a significant financial burden, Penn directs applicants to request a fee waiver through Common App or Coalition in the relevant fee-waiver section.

This makes Penn another university where eligible Indian applicants should check the waiver route before paying.

Dartmouth College

Dartmouth currently charges an $85 first-year application fee.

If the fee creates unusual financial hardship, an applicant may be eligible for a waiver. Dartmouth provides both Common App and Dartmouth-specific waiver routes and explicitly says requesting a waiver will not disadvantage an applicant.

Dartmouth also lists specific economic-need indicators, so applicants should review the criteria rather than assume that financial difficulty alone guarantees approval.

Bowdoin College

Bowdoin currently lists a $70 application fee.

But its policy is particularly useful.

The fee is automatically waived if:

• you are applying for financial aid;
• you are a first-generation-to-college student; or
• the fee presents a significant financial hardship for you and your family.

This is a good reminder that students should look for automatic waiver policies, not just email-based requests.

What about universities with no application fee?

Don't search only for:

“US university fee waiver.”

Also search:

“US universities with no application fee.”

Common App itself notes that not every college charges an application fee and allows students to search for colleges that don't charge one.

For example, Smith College currently states that there is no application fee for its Ada Comstock Scholars application.

Because application-fee policies can vary by applicant type and programme, however, verify the current policy for the exact application you are submitting.

What about master's and PhD applications?

Yes, postgraduate fee waivers exist.

But this is where you need to be much more careful.

There is no single graduate fee-waiver system covering all US universities.

Instead, graduate schools can use:

• financial-hardship waivers;
• programme participation waivers;
• recruitment-event waivers;
• university-specific codes;
• school-based waivers;
• waivers for participants in designated programmes; or
• other programme-specific criteria.

And international students may or may not be eligible.

Cornell Graduate School

Cornell's Graduate School currently charges a $105 application fee.

Cornell says the fee may be waived for financial hardship, and its international-student admissions page specifically says that hardship-based waivers are available for select programmes. The waiver request is made through the application payment page.

This is an important example for Indian students:

A graduate fee waiver exists, but it is not a blanket waiver for every international master's applicant.

Check whether your specific programme is eligible.

Stanford Graduate Admissions

Stanford's graduate application fee is currently $125 for non-professional graduate programmes such as MA, MS and PhD programmes.

Stanford offers several fee-waiver routes, including:

• GRE fee-reduction waivers for eligible US citizens/permanent residents;
• programme participation waivers; and
• school-based waivers.

The school-based rules are particularly important for international applicants.

Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences says international applicants can apply for school-based waivers and will be reviewed case-by-case, with priority given to certain doctoral and MFA applicants.

Stanford's School of Education also publishes specific waiver rounds for the Fall 2027–28 cycle, showing just how programme-specific graduate fee-waiver policies can be.

So an Indian MS applicant should not assume that a waiver available to a Stanford PhD applicant automatically applies to their programme.

University of Chicago Graduate School

UChicago is another useful example.

The university says that most graduate programmes offer some application fee waivers, but the criteria vary by programme.

Its waiver categories can include:

• UChicago degree holders;
• participants in qualifying programmes;
• valid university-issued fee-waiver codes;
• financial hardship; and
• other programme-specific categories.

However, UChicago explicitly says that some master's and professional programmes have stricter criteria, particularly for need-based or hardship waivers.

There is another important procedural point.

UChicago tells applicants to submit the application first and then request the waiver through the application-status portal. It also warns applicants not to pay the fee before the waiver request has been reviewed, because paid fees are non-refundable.

This is exactly why copying the same email to every graduate programme is a bad strategy.

Follow the programme's instructions.

Johns Hopkins SAIS master's programmes

Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies currently lists an $85 application fee for certain master's programmes.

Its waiver policy is based primarily on participation in specified programmes or organisations, such as Fulbright, Peace Corps, Rangel, Pickering, Truman and certain other recognised programmes. Applicants can also become eligible by attending certain admissions events.

This is a different type of fee waiver.

It is not simply:

“I cannot afford $85.”

Instead, eligibility can depend on your participation in a recognised programme or event.

For Indian applicants, this is a useful lesson:

Graduate fee waivers are often tied to your profile or programme—not just your financial situation.

Northwestern Graduate School

Northwestern's Graduate School currently lists a $95 application fee.

Its graduate waiver policy is substantially different from its undergraduate policy.

The Graduate School says its published waiver criteria include specific categories for domestic applicants and US citizens/permanent residents. It also says that applicants who do not meet those criteria should contact their programme to ask whether a waiver is available, because not all programmes can accommodate requests.

This is particularly important for Indian applicants.

Do not assume that Northwestern's undergraduate fee-waiver policy applies to a master's or PhD application.

The undergraduate page explicitly offers a broader hardship route, while the Graduate School's policy is more restricted.

Why graduate applicants need to be more careful

Consider Stanford.

The university has a $125 graduate application fee and several waiver categories.

But whether an Indian student qualifies can depend on:

• the graduate school;
• the degree;
• whether it is a PhD, MFA or master's;
• the specific waiver category;
• whether the applicant is international; and
• the timing of the request.

Now consider UChicago.

Most graduate programmes offer some waivers, but the university explicitly says the criteria vary by programme and that some master's and professional programmes have stricter rules.

This is why the correct advice for Indian postgraduate applicants is:

Check the programme first. Email second.

What should Indian students actually email?

If the programme's instructions allow an email request, keep it simple.

For undergraduate applicants

Dear Admissions Office,

I am an international student from India applying to [Program] for Fall 2027. I have a strong academic profile, and your university is among my top choices. However, the application fee presents a financial barrier.

Would it be possible to receive a fee waiver? I would be happy to provide any documentation needed.

Thank you for your guidance.

Best regards,

[Name]

For graduate applicants

Dear Graduate Admissions Team,

I am an international student from India applying to [Program] for Fall 2027. I have a strong academic profile, and your university is among my top choices. However, the application fee presents a financial barrier.

I would like to ask whether this programme offers an application fee waiver for international applicants and whether I may be eligible. I would be happy to provide any required documentation.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

[Name]

Notice the difference.

For graduate admissions, the email asks:

“Does this programme offer a waiver for international applicants?”

That is much safer than assuming that it does.

Don't send an email if the university says not to

This is important.

UChicago explicitly says:

Do not contact programmes to request fee waivers.

Instead, applicants should use the fee-waiver request process in the application portal.

If you ignore the published process and email anyway, you are not demonstrating initiative.

You're simply ignoring instructions.

Always follow the university's stated process first.

Should you pay before your waiver is approved?

There is no universal answer.

Some universities allow you to submit the application while your waiver is being processed.

Stanford undergraduate admissions, for example, says you do not need to wait for fee-waiver approval before submitting the application.

Other universities tell you to wait.

UChicago explicitly says not to pay until your waiver request has been reviewed, because application fees are non-refundable.

Stanford graduate admissions similarly advises applicants to submit a waiver request before submitting the application and warns that paying before receiving a decision means the waiver request will no longer be considered.

So:

Never assume. Read the instructions for that university.

Does requesting a waiver hurt your admission chances?

It shouldn't be something you are embarrassed about.

Several universities explicitly say that legitimate fee-waiver requests do not disadvantage applicants.

Northwestern says requesting its undergraduate fee waiver will not disadvantage your application.

Dartmouth says the same about its undergraduate fee-waiver process.

The key word is legitimate.

Don't claim a financial situation that isn't true.

Don't manufacture documentation.

Don't select an eligibility category simply because it gets you through the payment page.

Your application should be truthful from beginning to end.

How much can an Indian student save?

Imagine applying to 10 universities with an average application fee of $85.

That's:

10 × $85 = $850

At an exchange rate of roughly ₹85–₹90 per dollar, that's approximately ₹72,000–₹76,500.

Your actual cost will vary because application fees and exchange rates differ.

For graduate applicants, the total can be even higher.

For example, Stanford's current graduate application fee is $125, while Cornell's graduate application fee is $105.

That is why fee-waiver research belongs in your application planning.

But don't make the mistake of applying to universities simply because you can avoid the fee.

A free application is not necessarily a good application

This is particularly important for Indian students.

Suppose a university waives your $100 application fee.

You still need to spend hours on:

• essays;
• recommendations;
• transcripts;
• forms;
• test scores;
• programme research;
• financial-aid applications.

For a master's applicant, the larger question is whether the programme is worth the total cost of attendance.

For a PhD applicant, faculty fit and funding can be much more important than a $100 application fee.

For undergraduate applicants, academic fit, financial aid and the overall college list matter far more.

Don't collect universities. Build a strategy.

The fee-waiver checklist every applicant should use

For each university, record:

University:

Name.

Degree:

Bachelor's / MS / MA / MBA / PhD.

Programme:

Exact course or department.

Application platform:

Common App/university portal/graduate portal.

Application fee:

Current published amount.

Waiver available:

Yes / No / Programme-specific.

International applicants eligible:

Yes / No / Case-by-case.

Financial hardship accepted:

Yes / No.

Automatic waiver:

Yes / No.

Documentation required:

Yes / No.

Waiver deadline:

Record separately.

How to request:

Common App / form / portal / email / programme code.

Status:

Not checked / Requested / Approved / Denied.

For graduate applications, this checklist is particularly valuable because the policy can differ even between two departments at the same university.

The bottom line

A US university application fee is not always unavoidable.

But it is also not something you can simply ask every university to remove.

For undergraduate applications:

Check Common App first.

Then check the university's own fee-waiver policy.

For graduate applications:

Check the exact programme first.

Look for:

• financial-hardship waivers;
• programme participation waivers;
• school-based waivers;
• event-based waivers;
• university-issued codes;
• automatic waivers; and
• universities or programmes with no application fee.

If the university allows email requests, use a short, professional message.

If it provides a form, use the form.

If it says not to contact the programme, don't email the programme.

And if you don't qualify, pay the fee rather than misrepresenting your circumstances.

The goal is not to avoid every $75 or $125 payment at all costs.

The goal is to avoid paying fees you legitimately do not have to pay while building a strong, carefully researched US university application.

For an Indian student applying to multiple universities, that can save a meaningful amount of money—and just as importantly, it can make the application process more organised.

Check the rules. Ask honestly. Follow the process. Then focus your energy on the application itself.

Disclaimer

Application fees and fee-waiver policies vary by university, programme, applicant type and admissions cycle. International and graduate applicants may face different eligibility rules. Always verify the current policy on the university's official admissions website before applying or paying.