Tuition & Fee Waivers

• 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.

• 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

• 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

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

• 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

• 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

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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).

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