UMich Application Fee Waiver (Eligibility Guide)
A University of Michigan–Ann Arbor application fee waiver may be available if you meet a qualifying financial-need indicator and complete the waiver request required by your application platform. First-year applicants use the Common App. Before submitting, confirm the current fee, your applicant category, and whether a counselor must verify your request. Then check your U-M application status for any unresolved fee item.
A fee waiver can remove an application cost, but it does not remove the work of applying. Families still need to track deadlines, school reports, transcripts, essays, and any other required materials. In my college-planning work, I have seen how a small missing step, such as an unconfirmed waiver request, can create avoidable stress close to a deadline.
The safest approach is to check the rules for your exact campus, applicant type, and application route. The guide below focuses on undergraduate first-year and transfer applicants to the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. Rules may differ at UM-Dearborn, UM-Flint, graduate schools, or professional programs.
UMich admissions and application fee-waiver overview
A fee waiver is approval to apply without paying the application fee. It is separate from admission, scholarships, and financial aid. U-M–Ann Arbor lists a $75 fee for U.S. applicants and a $90 fee for international applicants; confirm the amount shown for your application cycle before paying.
First-year applicants apply through the Common Application. The waiver request is part of that application, and the platform’s instructions matter. Common App asks applicants to identify a qualifying reason for requesting a waiver. A counselor or authorized school official generally must confirm the request.
Do not assume one campus’s rule applies across the University of Michigan system. Also, do not assume the Common App process applies to transfer applicants or applicants using a different platform. Check the current instructions for your route before you submit.
Key takeaway: Confirm the campus, applicant type, application platform, and current-cycle fee first. Those details determine which instructions to follow.
Who may qualify for a Common App fee waiver?
Common App’s fee-waiver indicators cover certain financial hardship situations. You should select an indicator only if it accurately describes your circumstances. The request is not an academic credential, and eligibility does not indicate how U-M will decide your application.
Common App indicators include circumstances such as:
- Eligibility for an SAT or ACT fee waiver
- Free or reduced-price lunch
- Public assistance
- Federally subsidized public housing
- Homelessness
- Foster care or orphan status
- Participation in a TRIO program
The precise options and instructions appear in the application. Review them there rather than relying on an old checklist or a third-party website. If you are unsure whether a circumstance fits an option, ask your counselor or school official before selecting it.
A request may not be complete just because you selected a reason. Common App generally requires a counselor or authorized school official to confirm eligibility. Make that request early enough for the official to review and submit the confirmation before your deadline.
Key takeaway: Choose a reason that is true for you, and plan for school-official confirmation. Do not guess or claim a circumstance that does not apply.
How to request and verify the waiver
A complete request has two parts: your selection in the application and any confirmation required by the platform. Follow the steps in order, then check your U-M application status so you can address a remaining fee item before it causes a delay.
Step 1: Confirm your application route
Identify your campus, applicant type, citizenship or residency category, and application platform. First-year applicants to U-M–Ann Arbor use the Common App. If you are a transfer applicant or applying through another route, check U-M’s current transfer instructions instead of assuming the first-year process applies.
Step 2: Review the current fee and waiver directions
Check U-M Admissions and the instructions shown in your application. U-M lists a $75 fee for U.S. applicants and a $90 fee for international applicants, but the amount and rules can change by cycle. Use the current information, not a past application or an outdated post.
Step 3: Select the accurate reason
Complete the fee-waiver section in the application. Choose only an indicator that applies to you, and follow any instructions for explaining or confirming your request. If no listed reason fits, do not select one simply to avoid the fee. Contact the relevant admissions office to ask what options apply.
Step 4: Ask your counselor to confirm
Tell your counselor or authorized school official that you submitted a waiver request and ask whether they need to take action. Do this well before the application deadline. A request awaiting confirmation may not be treated as complete.
Step 5: Submit and check your status
Submit your application by the deadline, then review your applicant portal or application status for an unresolved fee or waiver item. If the portal asks for payment or documentation, contact admissions promptly. Keep confirmation messages or screenshots for your records.
Key takeaway: Submission and approval are not the same thing. Check the status rather than assuming the fee has been waived.
Scenarios: which route should you check?
These are illustrative situations, not actual applicant cases or guarantees of approval. They show why the application route and applicant type matter. When a situation does not fit the Common App process, use the instructions for that applicant group or contact U-M Admissions.
| Applicant situation | Best next step | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| First-year applicant using Common App who meets a listed indicator | Select the accurate reason and ask a counselor or authorized official to confirm | That selecting a reason alone completes the request |
| First-year applicant who is unsure whether an indicator applies | Ask a counselor or school official before submitting the request | That a similar financial situation automatically matches an indicator |
| Transfer applicant to Ann Arbor | Review current U-M transfer application instructions and contact admissions if the fee process is unclear | That the first-year Common App waiver process applies |
| International applicant | Check the current U-M instructions for the application route and fee category | That Common App’s need-based indicators automatically waive the fee |
| Applicant to UM-Dearborn or UM-Flint | Check that campus’s admissions page | That Ann Arbor’s fee or waiver rules apply |
If you apply from outside the United States, do not treat the listed U.S. fee amount or Common App waiver process as automatic guidance for your case. Use the fee displayed for your application and ask the relevant admissions office if you cannot find clear instructions.
Key takeaway: If your route is not clearly covered by Common App’s first-year process, ask the campus or admissions office before paying or submitting a waiver request.
What a fee waiver does not cover
A fee waiver addresses the application fee only. It does not waive admission requirements, guarantee that U-M will review an incomplete file, or change your academic record. It also does not guarantee admission or improve your admission chances.
Keep working on all required parts of the application. Depending on your applicant type and current instructions, these may include transcripts, school reports, essays, and program-specific materials. Confirm the exact list in your application and U-M’s current admissions directions.
A waiver is not the same as need-based financial aid or a scholarship. Do not assume that approval makes you eligible for either one. Review financial-aid instructions separately, including the current FAFSA guidance, and meet any deadlines that apply to your aid application.
Key takeaway: Treat the waiver as one application task, not as a substitute for admission or financial-aid requirements.
Common problems and how to respond
A fee issue is easiest to address before the deadline. If your portal shows an outstanding fee after you requested a waiver, check whether your counselor has confirmed it and whether the application platform shows the request as complete. Then contact admissions if the status remains unclear.
If your counselor has not confirmed the request
Follow up politely and give the school official your application deadline. Ask whether they received the request and whether they need more information. Do not assume your own selection completed the confirmation step.
If your portal still asks for payment
First, review your application and waiver status for a missing step. If the request appears complete but the payment notice remains, contact U-M Admissions or the office responsible for your application route. Ask what action is needed and keep the reply.
If you are close to the deadline
Do not wait for a problem to resolve on its own. Contact the school official and admissions office as soon as possible. Ask how to proceed while the waiver request is being reviewed, and follow the instructions they provide. Avoid submitting a duplicate application to fix a fee issue.
Key takeaway: An unresolved status deserves a direct question to the right office. Keep records of your request and the response.
A practical checklist before you submit
Use this short review to make sure your waiver request and application are moving together. The checklist does not replace current U-M or Common App instructions, but it can help you catch missing steps early.
- I confirmed that I am applying to U-M–Ann Arbor and identified my applicant type.
- I checked the current application route, fee, and deadline.
- I selected only a fee-waiver reason that truthfully applies to me.
- I asked my counselor or authorized school official to confirm the request, if required.
- I submitted the application and checked my applicant portal or status.
- I reviewed outstanding items, including transcripts and other required materials.
- I contacted admissions if the portal still shows a fee or waiver problem.
- I kept confirmation messages and followed financial-aid instructions separately.
For current details, start with U-M Admissions and Common App’s fee-waiver information. Because fees and procedures may change by cycle, verify the instructions before submitting.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the U-M–Ann Arbor application fee?
U-M lists a $75 fee for U.S. applicants and a $90 fee for international applicants. Verify the amount shown for your current application cycle.
Who may qualify for a Common App fee waiver?
Common App lists financial-need indicators that include free or reduced-price lunch, public assistance, subsidized housing, homelessness, foster care or orphan status, TRIO participation, and SAT or ACT fee-waiver eligibility. Select only a reason that applies to you.
Does a counselor need to confirm my Common App waiver request?
Common App requests generally require confirmation from a counselor or authorized school official. Ask your school official what action is needed, and check the application status.
Can I request a waiver if I am applying as a transfer student?
Check U-M’s current transfer instructions. Do not assume the first-year Common App process applies to transfer applicants or another application route.
Do international applicants automatically receive a fee waiver?
No automatic waiver should be assumed. Check the current instructions for your applicant category and contact U-M Admissions if the process is unclear.
Does the waiver guarantee admission or improve my chances?
No. A fee waiver only concerns the application fee. It does not guarantee admission or change the admissions decision.
Does a fee waiver also give me financial aid?
No. The fee waiver and financial aid are separate processes. Review current FAFSA and U-M financial-aid requirements on their own.
What should I do if my portal still shows a fee due?
Check whether your request and any counselor confirmation are complete. If the fee remains, contact the admissions office for your application route and ask what action is needed.
Should I submit another application if the waiver is unresolved?
Do not submit a duplicate application to fix a fee issue. Check your status and contact admissions for instructions.
When should I request the waiver?
Start early enough for your counselor or authorized school official to confirm the request before your deadline. Then check the portal after submission.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Christopher Langston. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
