Rice University’s Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has announced an application fee waiver initiative for doctoral applicants seeking admission for the Fall 2027 term.
According to the university, the fee waivers will be available to eligible domestic and international students worldwide from Oct. 14 to Nov 1, 2026, or until all waivers have been allocated.
To qualify, applicants must meet eligibility criteria including a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent), and submission of a completed application by Nov. 27, 2026 at 10:59 p.m. CST.
While test scores like the GRE, TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS may be submitted after the application deadline, all other application materials must be completed by the stated deadline.
Applicants are expected to submit the fee waiver request form before all waivers are distributed to be considered.
Notably, the fee waiver does not extend to programs within the Jones School of Business.
Applicants who submit their graduate application prior to Oct. 14 but wish to participate in the waiver program may still do so by completing the waiver request form during the designated period.
The waiver is exclusively available to doctoral program applicants, and no refund will be processed if an application fee has already been paid.
According to the university, there is no waiver code to enter because the waiver is connected to the email address used on the application.
Applicants with ongoing applications should use that same email when requesting the waiver. It may take up to 48 hours after application submission for the waiver to appear.
In addition to the waiver announcement, Rice University encourages prospective doctoral students to engage with specific programs to learn more about graduate study, program requirements, and life in Houston, Texas.
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