Understanding the UCLA Graduate Application Filing Fee: A Comprehensive Guide

Applying to graduate school at UCLA is an exciting step towards advancing your academic and professional goals. A key part of the application process involves understanding the filing fee and potential waivers. This article provides a detailed overview of the UCLA graduate application filing fee, eligibility for waivers, and other important considerations for prospective graduate students.

Application Process Overview

The UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience, organized into Home Areas, bring together faculty and students with shared research interests. These Home Areas serve as the primary units for application review, admission, and graduate study training.

As part of the application, you will need to provide information about your Bachelor’s and other degrees, along with official transcripts. Scanned or digitized copies of your transcript(s) should be uploaded to the online application. Official transcript(s) must also be sent from your university’s Registrar to the address of the Home Area that is reviewing your application. Some Home Areas require both official and unofficial transcripts before the December 1st deadline. Please view below to see if your Home Area requires official transcripts upon application or upon admission.

Application Fee Details

The application fee for graduate programs at UCLA varies depending on the applicant's residency status. As of the provided information, the fee is $135.00 for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents and $155.00 for all other applicants. Some programs, such as the Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, the Master of Financial Engineering, and the MS in Business Analytics programs, may have different fees (e.g., $200). It's crucial to verify the exact fee for your specific program during the application process.

Once your application has been submitted, you are expected to pay for all your campus choices, even if you cancel your application at a later date.

Read also: Filing Taxes as a Student

Fee Waivers: Eligibility and How to Apply

UCLA offers fee waivers to qualified students who demonstrate financial need or have participated in specific scholastic and research programs. Fee waivers can’t be applied to more than four campuses, regardless of their source (e.g. UC, CollegeBoard/SAT). You can see if you automatically qualify for a fee waiver within the application. Here's a breakdown of eligibility and how to apply for a fee waiver:

Eligibility Based on Program Participation

Applicants who are participants in the following programs are often eligible for fee waivers:

American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholars
California State University Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program
Florida A and M University Graduate Feeder Scholars Program (FAMU GFSPP)
Gates Millennium Scholars
GEM Scholars (deferral only)
Louis Stokes Alliances/California Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP/CAMP)
McNair Scholars
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)/Research Initiative For Science Enhancement (MBRS RISE)
National Institutes of Health Build/Prep applicant
Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
UC-HBCU Initiative participant
UC Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS)
UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
UCLA STAR program

To apply for a fee waiver based on program participation, navigate to the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission and select the relevant program under Program Participation. You may also need to upload a letter verifying your participation in the program.

Eligibility Based on Financial Need

Fee waivers are also granted for students who demonstrate financial need. To determine eligibility, you will likely need to provide the following information:

Annual income for the last year and the current year (your parents' if you're a dependent; your income if you're independent).
Social Security number, if you have one.
Citizenship status.
California Statewide Student ID (optional).
Federal Income Tax return. Federal Income Tax return must be less than Family Income maximum per family size as listed on the Income Limits table on UCLA Division of Graduate Education site. Federal Income Tax return. Federal Income Tax return must be less than $23,828 for a one person household (yourself), less than $32,227 for a two person household (yourself and one other person), $40,626 for a three person household (yourself and two other persons), etc.

Event-Based Waivers

Inquire about event-based fee waivers at designated conferences and recruitment events. Event-based waivers may waive the 2026-2027 application fee for PhD and state-supported doctoral programs. Please note that this program is subject to change or termination.

Read also: Bankruptcy and Student Loan Debt

Important Application Components

In addition to the application fee and potential waivers, several other components are crucial for a successful graduate application to UCLA. These include:

Transcripts

Scanned or digitized copies of your transcript(s) should be uploaded to the online application. Official transcript(s) must also be sent from your university’s Registrar to the address of the Home Area that is reviewing your application.

Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is required, typically about 2 pages, single spaced (1000 words). You should describe your research interests in the context of the Home Area to which you are applying and other Home Areas relevant to your interests. The Statement of Purpose is an important way for you to convince members of the admissions committee that you are qualified and likely to succeed in a Ph.D. program. Articulate your motivation for graduate training, academic preparation, research experience, and career goals. Address the following questions:

What is your purpose in applying for graduate study in your specified degree program?
What experiences have prepared you for advanced study or research in this degree program? What relevant skills have you gained from these experiences?
What additional information about your past experience may aid the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UCLA?
Why is the UCLA graduate program to which you are applying the best place for you to pursue your academic goals?

Personal Statement

This 500 word (1-page, single spaced) statement is separate from the Statement of Purpose and serves to provide additional information about your background, accomplishments and life experience. You will be asked to describe how your background, accomplishments, and life experiences led to your decision to pursue the graduate degree in the Home Area for which you are applying. Include any educational, personal, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. In addition, please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that will allow the department to evaluate your contributions to the University’s diversity mission. Consider addressing these points:

Are there educational, personal, cultural, economic, or social experiences, not described in your Statement of Purpose, that have shaped your academic journey? If so, how?
Describe challenge(s) or barriers that you have faced in your pursuit of higher education. What motivated you to persist, and how did you overcome them?

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online application and received by the application deadline. The system will contact recommenders with instructions for uploading letters. It is strongly suggested that you discuss your request for a letter with each recommender before the system contacts them.

Test Scores

Ensure that your test scores (GRE, TOEFL, or IELTS, if required) are properly received by UCLA. The institution code for UCLA is 4837. Your name and other identifying information (date of birth, SSN) provided at the time the test is taken must match exactly the information you provide in the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission.

Additional Considerations

English Language Proficiency: Admitted applicants who have not met UCLA’s English language requirement must take the UCLA English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) upon arrival.
Diversity Fellowships: The Graduate Division offers special fellowships like the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship for students interested in a career in college or university teaching and research.
Application Deadlines: Be sure to consult your specific UCLA graduate program for the specific deadline for your proposed major.
Accurate Information: Your application must be truthful and reflect your own work. Essays that rely heavily, or entirely, on AI may be treated as academic dishonesty.
Submitting the Application: Complete the online Application for Graduate Admission. If you have applied before but were not admitted, complete all parts of the application. If you filed an application for graduate admission at UCLA within the last year and were admitted but did not register, be sure to select Renewal from the dropdown menu at Application Type in the application.

Filing Fee for Graduate Students Completing Their Degree

Graduate students (who meet the criteria below) can apply for a Filing Fee and pay a nominal fee in lieu of standard tuition and registration fees. Both doctoral and master’s students must have been registered the previous academic term. Students check eligibility by clicking the “Check your eligibility” button above. If not eligible, a student will see the reason (i.e. has a hold, low GPA) along with instructions for what to do to become eligible. Students must complete their limited remaining degree requirements during the following period: the day after the previous quarter ends through the last day of the Filing Fee usage quarter.

If a student has completed, while registered, all requirements for a degree except for the doctoral final oral examination (defense), master’s comprehensive examination, or submission of the master’s capstone project, the student may be eligible to pay a Filing Fee during the quarter in which the degree is to be awarded instead of registering. While on Filing Fee students must meet certain criteria to be eligible to purchase voluntary UCSHIP coverage.

If, after paying the Filing Fee in any one quarter, and a student should find it necessary to use the educational facilities of the University in any way other than requiring the attention of the faculty for a final reading of the dissertation or thesis or the taking of a doctoral final oral examination or master’s comprehensive examination or the grading of the master’s capstone project, the student must resume registration and enrollment before Friday of Week 10.

Restrictions on Filing Fee Usage

A graduate student must have been either registered for classes or registered in absentia in the Spring.
A graduate student may not be employed in a) an Academic Apprentice Personnel Title (AAP) such as Graduate Student Researcher (GSR), Teaching Assistant/Associate/Fellow (TA), Reader or Tutor per Academic Apprentice Personnel Manual, page 6, b) an academic title at UCLA per Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA, page 34 (for a list of academic titles, see UC Office of the President Index of Academic Title Names) or c) a Staff Research Assistant/Associate in lieu of the GSR title unless under special circumstances and with the pre-approval by the Division of Graduate Education per GSR Administrative Policies.
All graduate students must be either registered for classes, on an official leave of absence, registered in absentia, or on filing fee for each quarter at UCLA.
Graduate students are eligible to use the Filing Fee when they have met all requirements for a degree except for the doctoral final oral examination (defense), master’s comprehensive examination, or submission of the master’s capstone project.
Graduate students on Filing Fee cannot hold Academic Student Employees (ASE) employment while completing degree requirements.
If a graduate student is eligible to use the Filing Fee for the term in which they expect to complete their final degree requirements and has NOT paid registration fees for the term, they may use MyUCLA to declare nonattendance. Declaring nonattendance will cancel their registration fees.

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