Tuition & Fee Waivers

Source: https://grad.illinois.edu/funding/tuition-fee-waivers Parent: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/application-instructions

Graduate College Funding Tuition & Fee Waivers

Tuition & Fee Waivers

Graduate students in waiver-eligible programs may qualify for different types of tuition waivers. Policies governing tuition waivers can be found in the Graduate College Handbook.

Types of Waivers

Waivers Without a Qualifying Appointment

These waivers are available even if the student does not hold a waiver-generating appointment.

Stand-Alone Tuition Waiver

• Granted at the discretion of disciplinary colleges.
• Request is submitted by the department in the Fellowship Processing System (FEPS). Steps for how to submit are available in the Fellowship Processing Guide.
• May be a base-rate or full waiver, depending on the graduate program tuition waiver policy.

Fee Waivers Included: Service fee, AFMFA fee, and Library/Technology fee. \ Not Covered: Other fees, dental, and vision insurance.

Summer Automatic Waiver

• Available to students who held waiver-generating appointments in the previous spring semester.
• Automatically applied to student’s account by the Office of Student Financial Aid for those who qualify and who enroll for summer classes.
• Covers summer tuition at the same level as the preceding spring semester.

Fee Waivers Included: Service fee,  AFMFA fee, Library/Technology fee, Transportation fee, International student fee (if assessed), 87% of health insurance fee, Full waiver of health service fee

Courtesy Fellowship Waiver

• For students with external fellowships where the stipend is paid directly to the student.
• Request is submitted by the department in the Fellowship Processing System (FEPS). Steps for how to submit are available in the Fellowship Processing Guide.
• The stipend must meet or exceed the campus-established minimum and not include tuition or fees funding.

Fee Waivers Included: Varies by award but typically includes: Service fee, AFMFA fee, Library/Technology fee, Transportation fee, International student fee (if assessed), 87% of health insurance fee, Full waiver of health service fee

Mandatory Waivers

These waivers are granted through legislation. Please see Policy on Tuition and Fee Waivers.

Waivers Due to a Qualifying Appointment

These waivers are linked to specific appointment categories.

Assistantship Waiver

• Available for qualifying assistantship appointments (25-67% FTE for ¾ of the academic term).
• Automatically applied to student’s account by Office of Student Financial Aid once the student’s appointment is finalized. Waivers are processed according to the processing schedule provided by OFSA.
• Provides base-rate or full waiver depending on program tuition waiver policy.

Fee Waivers Included: Service fee, AFMFA fee, Library/Technology fee, Transportation fee,  International student fee (if assessed), 87% of health insurance fee, Full waiver of health service fee

Fellowship Waiver

• Available for fellowships with a stipend of $5,000+ for a fall or spring semester or $1,111 for two months in summer.
• Request is submitted by the department in the Fellowship Processing System (FEPS). Steps for how to submit are available in the Fellowship Processing Guide.
• Provides a full waiver of tuition.

Fee Waivers Included: Service fee, AFMFA fee, Library/Technology fee, Transportation fee, International student fee (if assessed), 87% of health insurance fee, Full waiver of health service fee

Other Employment Categories

Further details on employment-related tuition waivers are available through NESSIE.

Tuition Waiver Guide

For more information about specific programs, see the Program Tuition Waiver Designation Charts and Cost Recovery and Self-Supporting Program Designations.

Fee Waivers

Graduate students who hold waiver-generating appointments or Stand-Alone Waivers will receive fee waivers as outlined in the table below. Students with Courtesy Waivers should check with their department because fee coverage varies by award. Summer Fee waivers, including Summer Automatic Waivers, will be posted closer to the Summer term. Additional information about fees is available on the Office of the Registrar website.

Minimum Number of Days ("91-day Rule")

To be eligible for an assistantship tuition and fee waiver, a student must hold an appointment between 25%-67% for at least  three-fourths of the academic term. This is defined as 91 days of a fall or spring term, or 41 days of summer term. Dates of the appointment that count towards the minimum days needed are those that fall between the first day of class and last day of finals.

Summer 2025 Dates

• Appointments that begin on the first day of class, May 19, 2025, must go through at least June 28, 2025.
• Appointments that end on the last day of finals, August 9, 2025, must begin no later than June 30, 2025.

Fall 2025 Dates

• The 91-day period must be contained in the period between the first day of class and the last day of final exams (August 25, 2025, and December 18, 2025).
• The standard fall appointment period for assistantships is August 16, 2025- December 31, 2025, and any appointment for this period will meet the 91-day rule.
• Additionally, appointments that begin on the first day of class, August 25, 2025, must go through at least November 23, 2025.
• Appointments that end on the last day of finals, December 18, 2025, must begin no later than September 19, 2025.

Spring 2026 Dates

• The 91-day period must be contained in the period between the first day of class and the last day of final exams (January 20, 2026, and May 14, 2026).
• The standard spring appointment period for assistantships is January 1, 2026-May 15, 2026, and any appointment for this period will meet the requirement.
• Additionally, appointments that begin on the first day of class, January 20, 2026, must go through at least April 20, 2026.
• Appointments that end on the last day of finals, May 14, 2026, must begin no later than February 13, 2026.

FAQ

What if my appointment ends early?

If your assistantship appointment ends early and the appointment period is less that 91 days (see above), then the waiver will be removed, and you will be responsible for paying the remaining balance. There are exceptions that allow the waiver to remain in place if the student withdraws from the on or before the last day of the assistantship or if the student completes all degree requirements (for example, completing the deposit of the dissertation) within seven calendar days before or after the last date of the assistantship. Contact grad@illinois.edu if you are considering one of the exceptions.

What if I have more than one qualifying assistantship or fellowship?

If you have multiple waiver generating appointments including a fellowship, the fellowship waiver will take priority and generate the waiver.

What happens if I have an assistantship outside of my department?

If you are eligible for an assistantship and are hired on an assistantship between 25-67% by a unit outside of the of your academic college, you will receive a waiver. The type of waiver received (base or full) is dependent upon the program in which you are enrolled.

Do I need to pay taxes on my waiver?

See the Office of Business & Financefor more information regarding the tax implications of scholarships, fellowships and other educational assistance grants.

How do I know if I have a full- or base-rate waiver? What is the difference?

A full- or base-rate tuition waiver is determined by the program you are enrolled in. The assistantship waiver designations table provides this information for each program. For a base-rate waiver, the tuition waiver will be the graduate base-rate resident amount. The student is responsible for paying the remainder of the tuition. For a full-rate waiver, the tuition waiver will be the full assessment of tuition for the program and residency classification of the student. Both tuition waiver types are accompanied by the same partial fee waiver (see table above).

Can I receive a waiver if I am in a self-supporting or cost-recovery program?

Students in self-supporting or cost-recovery programs are not eligible to hold waiver-generating assistantship appointments.