UC Davis Graduate Studies offers application fee waivers only to applicants who participated in one or more of the eligible graduate preparation programs listed below. Fee waivers are not available for any other reason (financial need, participation in programs not listed below, etc.). View the list of eligible graduate preparation programs to determine if you are eligible for a fee waiver.
If you participated in one of the programs below, please identify the program and the name and contact information of the program coordinator in the "Other Information" section of the graduate admissions application. The application fee waiver will be applied immediately when you submit the application. Your program participation will be confirmed when your application is reviewed.
- Cal-Bridge Scholars
- Cal-Bridge, a CSU-UC bridge program in physics and astronomy, provides financial and mentoring support to undergraduates at California State University campuses as they look forward to the critical transition to graduate school. The aim is to increase the pool of CSU students who go on to doctoral study and research careers in physics and astronomy. https://www.cpp.edu/~sci/physics-astronomy/research/cal-bridge.shtml
- Ecological and Evolutionary Response to Rapid Environmental Change (EERREC REU)
- The EERREC REU is an eight-week, NSF supported summer program which provides students with immersion into research and professional development in preparation for a career in ecology and evolutionary biology. Students will conduct individual mentored research aimed at understanding ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms, communities, and ecosystems to rapid environmental change and will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. https://eerrec.ucdavis.edu/program
- Envision UC Davis program participants
- Envision UC Davis is a program offered by the University of California, Davis with the vision of creating a diverse and talented workforce at UC Davis, in the State of California, and for the nation. Undergraduate scholars from a variety of California colleges and universities are invited to the Davis campus for a two-day visit and provided with the opportunity to forge meaningful connections with UC Davis faculty and graduate students. For more information on Envision UC Davis, visit the program's website.
- Guardian Scholars Program (or if you have ever been in foster care)
- Guardian Scholars is committed to improving the educational outcomes for foster youth and former foster youth by providing services and support to meet their needs through transition, graduation, and post-graduate planning. They strive to maximize educational opportunities and university experiences through our comprehensive programs and holistic advising to help students achieve their academic and personal goals. https://opportunity.ucdavis.edu/programs/guardian-scholars
- McNair Scholars
- The McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRIO program funded at 151 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to prepare first generation students with financial need or undergraduate members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society. https://mcnairscholars.com/ or https://mcnair.ucdavis.edu/
- MMUF (Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship)
- The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program is the centerpiece of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s initiatives to increase diversity in the faculty ranks of institutions of higher learning. The fundamental objective of MMUF is to address, over time, the problem of underrepresentation in the academy at the level of college and university faculties. This goal can be achieved both by increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups (URM) who pursue PhDs and by supporting the pursuit of PhDs by students who may not come from traditional minority groups but have otherwise demonstrated a commitment to the goals of MMUF. http://www.mmuf.org/
- RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement - NIH)
- The U-RISE program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aims to enhance participation in the biomedical and behavioral research workforce in the United States. It is designed to prepare undergraduate students to enter a research-focused graduate degree program with the ultimate goal of pursuing a biomedical or behavioral research career. The program supports full-time juniors and seniors, in some cases rising sophomores, who intend to pursue a Ph.D. and does not support students interested in earning an MD or other health professional degrees. The program includes mentored research, an evidence-based and culturally validated curriculum, professional development, and summer experiences. https://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/RISE/
- Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar (CSU)
- Sally Casanova provides chosen scholars the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty from CSUs and from doctoral-granting institutions in preparation for success in graduate studies. The program provides funding for activities such as summer research programs, campus visits, travel to national symposiums and professional meetings, membership to professionals organizations and journal subscriptions, and graduate school requirement fees. http://www.calstate.edu/PreDoc/
- Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders (SIEML)
- The Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders (SIEML) serves as a pathway to advance inclusion within the graduate programs at UC’s six business schools (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego). The program is a collaboration between the six business schools and UCOP. SIEML offers undergraduate students enrolled at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and HSIs (Hispanic Serving Institutions), a residential immersive business education leadership experience and includes graduate fellowships to UC graduate business schools. UCOP Graduate Studies and the UC business school deans agree that a critical component in encouraging these talented students to apply to UC graduate programs is granting them application fee waivers.
- UC Davis Graduate Admissions Pathways (UCDGAP)
- UC Davis Graduate Admissions Pathways (UCDGAP) is an eight-week summer research program that serves students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and geographically underserved communities, and former foster youth students in graduate education and research careers. UCDGAP provides the opportunity for California State University undergraduates to research and learn from UC Davis faculty and graduate student mentors, with the intention of using the experience to pursue graduate degrees and professional training at UC Davis. This faculty-guided summer program teaches undergraduates scholars how to conduct research and develop professional skills in a variety of academic disciplines. Additionally, participants will learn more about graduate school and how to successfully choose a program and prepare for admissions. https://grad.ucdavis.edu/uc-davis-graduate-admissions-pathways-ucdgap
- UC-HBCU Initiative Summer Research Program
- The UC-HBCU Initiative is a program offered by the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) which connects faculty and undergraduate scholars at both UCs and HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Through faculty-guided summer programs, undergraduates learn how to conduct research and develop professional skills and knowledge of graduate school in a variety of academic disciplines. A goal of the program is to increase the pool of talented, competitive, Black and African American students who apply to and pursue graduate degrees and professional training at one of the ten UC campuses. http://www.ucop.edu/graduate-studies/initiatives-outreach/uc-hbcu-program/ or https://grad.ucdavis.edu/HBCU
- UC LEADS (Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees)
- The goal of the University of California's Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS) program is to educate California's future leaders by preparing promising students for advanced education in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM). The program is designed to identify upper-division undergraduate students with the potential to succeed in these disciplines, but who have experienced situations or conditions that have adversely impacted their advancement in their field of study. https://ucleads.ucdavis.edu/program-overview