Application Fee Waivers

The department has a limited number of fee waivers to provide, and they are offered to qualified applicants on a first come, first served basis. We are unable to offer further fee waivers for non-U.S. citizens for the Fall 2025 admissions cycle.

We encourage interested applicants to first check Rackham's list of Fee Waivers (many of which don't require an application), since our department has a limited number to provide to applicants. We are now accepting applications for fee waivers for the 2025 admissions cycle.

Sociology Department Fee Waiver Criteria

For U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or students with DACA

Note: to be eligible to receive this departmental fee waiver, you must meet ALL THREE of the criteria below.

1. Have a record of superior academic achievement (e.g., grade point average, honors, or other designation) - send unofficial transcript; and

2. Are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA); and

3. You must meet one or more of the following criteria:

Come from an educational, cultural, or geographic background that is underrepresented in Sociology graduate programs in the United States or at the University of Michigan;
Have experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances;
Are a first-generation U.S. citizen or are the first generation in your family to graduate from a four-year college

For non-U.S. citizens

We are unable to offer further fee waivers to non-U.S. citizens for the Fall 2025 admissions cycle.

1. Have a record of superior academic achievement (e.g., grade point average, honors, or other designation) - send unofficial transcript; and

2. You must meet one or more of the following criteria:

Come from an educational, cultural, or geographic background that is underrepresented in Sociology graduate programs in the United States or at the University of Michigan;
Have experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances;
Are the first generation in your family to graduate from a four-year college

If you believe you meet the criteria for either fee waiver, please send an unofficial transcript and a one page, double-spaced personal statement to soc-admissions@umich.edu. The subject line of the email should indicate which fee waiver you are eligible for. The statement should describe how your specific background (geographic, financial, cultural, or educational) has helped you demonstrate a sustained commitment to diversity in the academic, professional, or civic realm through work experience, volunteer engagement, or leadership of student or community organizations. By commitment to diversity, we mean efforts in the U.S. to reduce social, educational, or economic disparities based on race, ethnicity, or gender, or to improve race relations in the U.S. Please keep in mind that race, ethnicity, gender, and national origin may not be used as criteria for requesting an application fee waiver.

If you do not meet the criteria for a Sociology Department fee waiver, or if we are out of waivers by the time you request one, you may still qualify for a fee waiver through the Rackham Graduate School.

Falsification of information to obtain a fee waiver may result in the withdrawal of the application or in the revocation of admission, financial award, or registration.

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Application Fee Waivers

Sociology Department Fee Waiver Criteria

For U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or students with DACA

For non-U.S. citizens