PhD Application Fee Waivers

Financial Hardship: In cases where the application fee presents a financial hardship for an applicant, WCGS will consider a request for a fee waiver. Financial hardship must be established via documentation of need such as:

• An unemployment benefits statement or signed and dated caseworker statement verifying receipt of unemployment benefits within the previous three months
• A copy of part one of your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) or letter signed by a financial aid representative at the college/university you are currently attending, which indicates your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• A copy of your Federal Income Tax return, either your Form 1040 if listed as an independent, or your parent’s/guardian’s Federal Income Tax return if listed as a dependent

Pipeline Programs: WCGS is pleased to offer application fee waivers to qualified participants of programs designed to provide educational and/or career support to students from underrepresented and disadvantaged identities. Applicable programs are listed below:

• ACS Scholars Program
• Advancing Cornell Career Experiences for Science Students (ACCESS)
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
• Annual Ivy Plus University of Puerto Rico Event
• Atlanta University Center Consortium
• Biology Scholars Program (BSP)
• Black Doctoral Network
• BP-ENDURE
• Bridges to the Baccalaureate
• Bridge-to-PhD Program
• BUILD (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity)
• California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education
• Columbia University Bridge to the PhD Program
• Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Program
• Gates Millennium Scholars Program
• Graduate Engineering and Science Fellowships for Minorities (GEM)
• GSMI Scholars/Cientifico Latino
• Harvard GSAS Research Scholar Initiative
• Harvard Research Scholar Initiative (RSI)
• IMSD (Initiative for Maximizing Student Development)
• LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation)
• MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers)
• McNair Scholars Program
• MIT Laureates & Leaders
• NIH Diversity in Extramural Program
• NIH-MBRS
• NIH-NIGMS
• PREP (Postbacculuareate Research Education Program)
• Project 1000
• Project SHORT
• PROPEL (Post-baccalaureate Research Opportunity to Promote Equity in Learning)
• RISE (Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement)
• Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
• Society for Women Engineers
• WCM Tri-I Mentorship Initiative
• Any Summer Research - Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) through the Leadership Alliance

If you are an administrator or a participant of a program not listed above, you may request that we consider adding the program to our list of programs eligible for an application fee waiver for its participants by writing to WCGS-Admissions@med.cornell.edu.

Other Extenuating Circumstances: WCGS will consider fee waiver requests for personal hardship or other circumstances. Please include a detailed rationale and supporting documentation.

Requesting a Fee Waiver

Applicants who wish to request a fee waiver must start their application here . You are welcome to upload support documentation for financial hardship or extenuating circumstances within the Fee Waiver Request Form located in the other information section of the application.

Make sure all sensitive data (e.g., Social Security Numbers) are redacted from supporting documentation before submitting. Allow up to seven business days for your request to be processed. You will receive an email after your request has been reviewed and a decision has been made. If your request is approved, a fee waiver will automatically be applied to your application. A fee waiver will not be retroactively applied to an application that has already been paid for and submitted.

Please email WCGS-Admissions@med.cornell.edu with any questions or concerns.