Fee Waivers for Grad School – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

A number of universities offer graduate school application fee waivers to NAC alumni. The following list describes the process for individual schools, but is not inclusive of all waivers. A number of other schools have agreed to provide waivers, with a letter from the NAC.

Please let Lyndele know the graduate schools to which you are applying, so that we can contact the school and provide you with a letter requesting a fee waiver.

These Universities do not offer a fee waiver program. Contact JJ and Lyndele to make arrangements for payment or reimbursement.

Arizona State University
Georgetown University

Request a Letter of NAC Membership from Lyndele (no further steps for you)

University of Maryland
Howard University
Central Florida University
Cornell University

These Universities have their own systems for fee waivers. Most will require a Letter of Confirmation of NAC membership. Contact Lyndele for this letter.

University of Texas- Austin
- Request a fee waiver when prompted in the application
- If the request is not approved, send an email to Abby Black at UT with application ID and a note that you are a member of the NAC program with the Letter of Confirmation attached
University of Minnesota
- Students must apply through the BTAA FreeApp Program (University of Minnesota)
- Meet the eligibility requirements for approval
- Note priority deadline: November 15; otherwise, December 15
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Will need to contact Department directly; a coupon code should be issued based upon NAC participation
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- When applying, select the “SROP” fee waiver option and upload Letter of Confirmation
University of Georgia
- Fee waiver information
Cal Tech
- https://www.gradoffice.caltech.edu/admissions/fees
Columbia University
- https://apply.engineering.columbia.edu/register/
Harvard University
- Fee Waivers not automatically granted, but will likely be granted if you follow this process:
- Request a fee waiver form from admiss@fas.harvard.edu
- Indicate on the form that you are an alum of the NAC program, and note that the NAC program is designed to provide research opportunities for underrepresented minority students
- Review this website: https://gsas.harvard.edu/diversity-gsas
Johns Hopkins University
- Common Application (allows upload of letter for fee waiver)
Michigan State University
- Students should complete this form after uploading their materials. IMPORTANT:approval of the fee waiver will close your application, so be sure that you have uploaded all parts of your application.
Notre Dame
- Fee Waiver Available – Request Fee Waiver application from Physics Department http://physics.nd.edu/graduate-program/apply/
Rutgers University
- In the “Honors” section of the application, note that you are a National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) student
- Send an email to Andrew Baker to let him know that you are applying (ajbaker[at]physics.rutgers.edu)
Stony Brook University
- Fee Waiver available through Center for Inclusive Education (send email to Rosalia Davi at CIE_GraduateSchool@stonybrook.edu. Be sure to tell Ms. Davi that you are a NAC alum.
- Check out the CIE and fellowship opportunities at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/cie/
University of Arizona
- In the UA graduate application, you will see the drop-down field “Sponsor/Program Affiliation.”
- National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) will be one of the affiliations listed in the drop down menu.
- Applicants will receive an email directing them to upload proof of participation in NAC. Applicants should complete the entire application and upload all materials and any other supplemental information as appropriate; do not pay the application fee.
- When the fee waiver eligibility is confirmed and the waiver is loaded into the on-line system, an email will be sent to the applicant to log back in to the graduate application and “submit” it. The application fee will reflect as “paid”.
- Waivers may take up to 7 days to process.
UC-Irvine
- https://www.grad.uci.edu/admissions/applying-to-uci/fee-waivers.php

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
	Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
	The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."
	AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.