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Fee Grant Application Overview with Screenshots
Fee Grant Definition and Qualifications
Fee grants are essentially coupons that cover the application fee for prospective graduate students who qualify. There are two types of fee grants, Graduate School Fee Grants and Program Fee Grants, which are explained in further detail below.
For full description of fee grant qualifications, navigate to the Apply for a Fee Grant web page. Questions should be directed to feegrants@grad.wisc.edu.
Graduate School Fee Grant
The Graduate School offers a limited number of application fee grants to make sure that the application fee is not a barrier for students from our key recruiting initiatives. To receive a fee grant from the Graduate School, a prospective applicant must be a US citizen, permanent resident, or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status to be eligible. This restriction does not apply to program purchased fee grants. A student applies for a Graduate School Fee Grant via the Fee Grant Verification Form.
Below are screenshots of the different sections of the Fee Grant Verification Form accompanied by a short description. Because the form populates different questions dependent on the applicant's information, the best way to review up-to-date version of this application is to go through the application yourself without submitting.
Introduction
This section just provides information about eligibility and directions for filling out the form.
Eligibility
This section of the application makes sure the applicant is eligible for a Graduate School fee grant based on their citizenship status. If the applicant is not eligible, a message will display informing the applicant they are not eligible and they should contact their intended program to see if the program will provide a Program Fee Grant.
Low Income Verification
If the applicant selects Low Income as their fee grant eligibility, they will be presented with different ways to provide proof of eligibility. Additional questions populate dependent on the Eligibility type the applicant selects. In the example above, this applicant selected "Has an EFC (expected family contribution) of less than $2000."
Program Verification
If the applicant selects Program as their fee grant eligibility, they will be presented with a drop down of different programs. Additional questions populate dependent on the Program (Eligibility type) the applicant selects. In the example above, this applicant selected "Big Ten Academic Alliance SROP."
Applicant Contact Information
At the end of the form, the applicant is asked to provide contact information so a response can be sent to the applicant upon review of the form.
How an applicant uses a Graduate School Fee Grant in the Slate-hosted application (starting Spring 2025 entry term)
After an applicant fills out a fee grant application and receives a Graduate School Fee Grant, the $75.00 application fee is automatically waived for the applicant. There is no code that needs to be entered into the application.
After the applicant submits the application and proceeds to the payment section, the $75.00 application fee will be waived. International applicants will still need to pay a $6.00 document processing fee.
This is a different process than a Program Fee Grant (see below).
Program Fee Grant
Programs can purchase application fee grants from the Graduate School and may set their own criteria for distributing these coupons. If programs provide a coupon to an international applicant, that applicant will still be charged a $6 international processing fee that cannot be waived. Programs can purchase fee grants via the Fee Grant Purchase Form for faculty and staff.
Below are screenshots of the different sections of the Fee Grant Purchase Form accompanied by a short description. Because the form populates different questions dependent on answers provided, the best way to review up-to-date version of this application is to go through the application yourself without submitting.
Introduction
This first page of the Fee Grant Purchase form provides some informational text and asks for the program contact information.
Request for New Fee Grants
If the program selects that they want to purchase new fee grants, the program will have to provide funding string details as well as a brief description for the planned usage of the coupon codes.
Request for Replacing / Regenerating Fee Grant Codes
If the program selects that they want to replace existing codes, the program will have to provide the codes they wish to regenerate for sending to new prospective students.These codes will no longer be usable once we create the new codes for you, so be sure that these codes are not ones that prospective students may be planning to use.
How an applicant uses a Program Fee Grant code in the Slate-hosted application (starting Spring 2025 entry term)
When an applicant receives a Program Fee Grant, the applicant will receive a code that needs to be entered into the application, following the directions below:
- Navigate to the section of the application titled Funding and Program Participation
- Scroll to the bottom of the section to the last question: "Do you have a fee grant code from the program you are applying to?" and select Yes
- After selecting Yes, a text box will appear in which the applicant should input the fee grant code they received (see screenshot below)
After the applicant submits the application and proceeds to the payment section, the $75.00 application fee will be waived. International applicants will still need to pay a $6.00 document processing fee.
This is a different process than a Graduate School Fee Grant (see above).