Graduate Tuition Waivers

• This waiver is available to students in any graduate degree program.
  • NOTE: Not allowed for students in programs that are strictly online and not on campus. 
• USU may waive the nonresident portion of tuition for the first year of any incoming graduate student who has an admission GPA above their college average and meets the criteria of excellence as defined by their college and/or department. 
• Meeting GPA requirements is not a guarantee of receiving the waiver as a limited number of students may receive the waiver. 
• The non-resident portion of tuition will be waived for two semesters for any incoming graduate student who has an admission GPA above the college average and meets the definition of excellence outlined by each college.
  • College averages for admission GPA will be computed each October, based on students who are enrolled for the fall semester; those averages will determine waiver eligibility the following academic year.
• Colleges will nominate students for this award.
• The Colleges must submit the request for the Excellence Waiver in ServiceNow.
• Students should contact their department or graduate program coordinator for more information.
• The Nonresident Tuition Waiver for excellence is applied by the SGS Business Manager within the first 2 weeks from the start of the semester.

• NOTE: Online programs are ineligible for the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) Waiver.
• Incoming nonresident graduate students who meet the School of Graduate Studies admission criteria and are a resident of participating states may enroll in graduate programs approved as Western Regional Graduate Programs (WRGP) by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) without paying nonresident tuition.  
• NOTE: The WRGP Waiver is added to the student’s account when the waiver is approved.  
  • It can take 5-7 workdays from the time of submission date for applications to be approved.  
  • The student’s account will continue to show as Non-Resident.
    • The student will be charged the resident tuition rate, which they can check by reviewing the most up to date Tuition and Fees Table.
  • Students will be sent an email to the email address associated with their A# notifying them that the waiver has been approved.  

• The Alumni Legacy Nonresident Scholarship is available to incoming nonresident students whose parent earned an associate’s degree or higher from Utah State University and is enrolled as a first-time graduate student at USU.
• Qualifying students will have the nonresident portion of tuition waived for their first year while they gain Utah residency.
• Time spent in Utah on the scholarship can be counted toward establishing Utah residency for tuition purposes. 
• Students who do not establish Utah residency for tuition purposes after the second semester of this award will be charged nonresident tuition.
• Please visit Tuition and Financial Aid for more information. 

To qualify, a student must:

• Be admitted into a graduate program.
• Be enrolled as a first-semester graduate student at USU.
• Have at least one parent (biological, step, or legal guardian) who earned an associate degree or higher from USU.
• Remain in good standing. 

For any questions, please contact:

• scholarships@usu.edu
• 435-797-0173

HB 144 is a House Bill that was passed in 2002 in the state of Utah that allows qualifying undocumented students to pay in-state tuition if they attend a Utah college or university. To qualify for this waiver, students must meet the following criteria:

• Attended a Utah high school for at least 3 years.
• Graduated from a Utah high school with a diploma or G.E.D.
• Must not be registered as an entering student at a Utah college or university before the fall semester 2002.
• Filed an application to legalize immigration status or will file an application as soon as eligible to do so. 

This exemption of nonresident tuition will not be considered until you are an admitted student to Utah State University. If you do not attend Utah State University as an undergraduate student, you must provide high school transcripts showing your graduation date.