Application fee waivers
The application fee for U.S. citizens and permanent residents is $75, and the fee for international students is $90. Some students may qualify for an application fee waiver based on their affiliation with partnership programs.
There are two categories for application fee waiver requests. For applicants who are currently volunteering with Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, you may request a waiver as a current volunteer through the Rackham Graduate School here.
Alumni of the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute, as well as McNair Scholars, are also eligible for a waiver of their application fee through Rackham. Please use this link to access information about fee waivers available through Rackham.
For students applying to the residential MPP or MPA, the Ford School offers application fee waivers to the following service members and alumni:
- Active U.S. Military
- U.S. Military Veterans
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellowship
- Former AmeriCorps volunteers (1 year of service, at least 3 months removed from service)
- Former Peace Corps volunteers (2 years of service, at least 3 months removed from service)
- Govern for America
- Lead for America
- Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship
- Rangel Scholars
- Teach for America (2 years of service, current and former volunteers)
- Truman Scholars
- USAID Payne Fellowship
- Students who have completed or are completing their undergraduate degree at a Big Ten university, or a college or university within the State of Michigan, may be eligible for a fee waiver.
Request a fee waiver from the Ford School:
To request these fee waivers, complete the form below. If you are a member or alum of one of our partnership programs, you will need to submit a Letter of Verification from the organization (Letters of Verification must include dates of service). If you currently attend or have graduated from a qualifying college/university, you will need to submit an unofficial copy of your most recent transcript. Upon subsequent approval of the request for a fee waiver, applicants will receive their fee waiver code via email with additional instructions.