PhD Application fee waivers are available to applicants who have demonstrated financial hardship described below.
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
- Letter sent directly from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, EducationUSA, or other U.S. government agency/entity attesting to the applicant’s financial hardship.
Pipeline Programs: Applicants who’ve participated in the following institutional programs may submit a fee waiver request. Proof of program participation must be uploaded on your request form.
- Advancing Cornell Career Experiences for Science Students (ACCESS)
- Biology Scholars Program (BSP)
- BMRI summer scholars program
- Gateways to the Laboratory
- Tri-Institutional Mentorship Initiative
- Weill Cornell Medicine Summer Research Fellowship (WCM-SRF) formerly known as Travelers
- Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Summer Program (ChBSP)
- Tri-Institutional Computation Biology & Medicine Summer Program (CBSP)
- GSK Mechanistic Biology Summer Program (formerly SURP)
- RU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)
- Engineering and Imaging Summer Program (EISP)
- Quantitative Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience (QSURE)
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.