Tuition Waivers

WAC 478-161-020 provides the statutory requirements of the waiver program; however, additional restrictions regarding program eligibility, admission, registration, and information on excluded courses can be found in APS 22.1 and the Registrar’s Tuition Exemption Program webpage.

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.558

TAs/RAs, Faculty and Staff and their Spouses and Dependents, and Immigrant Refugees and their Spouses and Dependents

The University is authorized to waive the non-resident portion of tuition for a person residing in the State of Washington who:

• Holds a graduate service appointment such as a teaching assistant or research assistant.
• is employed by an academic department for not less than twenty hours per week.
• Is a University employee who is recruited for employment from another state to work at the University or that employee’s spouse or dependent child.
• Is an immigrant refugee or the spouse or child of a refugee.

Review WAC 478-161-020 for restrictions on duration of eligibility for faculty, staff, and refugees.

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.014

Persons Holding Graduate Service Appointments

As part of the compensation package for resident students that work as teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs), all or part of the operating fee component of tuition is waived. The University fulfills its research mission with the innovation and work of its graduate students and considers waiving all or portion of their tuition a critical part of their compensation for their service to the University.

Review RCW 28B.15.014 for exemptions from the non-resident tuition differential.

TAs & RAs

1. Employment Unit
2. Academic Department
3. Graduate School, G-1 Communications, 206-543-7152, gradappt@uw.edu

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.615

The University’s School of Pharmacy, School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, and School of Law students are sometimes required by their programs to take over 18 credits in a given quarter. The University is authorized to exempt these students from the normal mandatory tuition surcharge for additional credits.

Contact your admitting academic unit for more information.

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.100

In an interstate agreement, the University of Washington serves as the medical school for students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI). Students from these states pay resident tuition rates and their home states pay the balance of the cost of instruction directly to the University’s School of Medicine.

UW School of Medicine – WWAMI
Office of Academic Affairs
A300 Health Sciences
206-543-5560

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.225

Certain children and surviving spouses of law enforcement officers, firefighters, highway workers and Washington state patrol officers who lost their life or became totally disabled in the line of duty are exempt from tuition and services and activities fees.

Office of Student Financial Aid
105 Schmitz Hall
206-543-6101
finaid@uw.edu

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.380

The University is required to waive all tuition and fees for wrongly convicted persons and their children who meet certain eligibility requirements as outlined in RCW.

Office of Student Financial Aid, 105 Schmitz Hall, 206-543-6101, finaid@uw.edu

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.395

WICHE is an interstate agreement and supports University graduate and professional students from 16 participating western states by offsetting part or all of the non-resident tuition differential. Washington residents also benefit from this program when enrolling in a participating program in a WICHE state. These waivers apply only to participating programs.

Review the WICHE website for more information.

Student Fiscal Services, 129 Schmitz Hall, 206-543-4694, sfshelp@uw.edu

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.544. Review also RCW 28B.70.050.

In certain programs, University students studying abroad are matched by their host institution sending a student to this University. Each student involved in these exchanges can benefit from paying resident tuition rates while each institution supports the visiting student by subsidizing the non-resident tuition differential. The University of Washington is authorized to support up to 100 students with this waiver.

Study Abroad, 453 Schmitz Hall, 206-543-9272, studyabroad@uw.edu

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.555 through RCW 28B.15.556

1. The University may waive all or a portion of tuition and fees for an “eligible veteran or national guard member” who meets certain criteria of service. WAC 478-161-020 further limits eligibility, credit limits, and eligibility to graduate students. Required forms are on the University’s Veterans Education Benefits webpage.
2. The University is required to waive all tuition and fees for children, spouses, and domestic partners, of an “eligible veteran or national guard member” who became totally disabled as a result of their service, lost their life while engaged in active service, or is determined by the federal government to be a prisoner of war or missing in action. Required forms are on the University’s Veterans Education Benefits webpage.

Veterans Education Benefits, 520 Schmitz Hall, 206-543-6122, veteran@uw.edu

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.621 Sections (2) and (4)

Federal law requires that the participation of women in intercollegiate athletics programs be proportionate to the percentage of women in the student population. Providing waivers to certain women athletes assists the University in meeting this federal requirement. Review also: RCW 28B.15.455 through 28B.15.460.

Student Athlete Academic Services
206-543-0611

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.740

The University withholds a certain percentage of gross tuition operating fee revenue to distribute as tuition waivers for low-income and outstanding students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. These amounts are distributed through the aid awarding process and do not require a separate application.

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.740

In addition to waivers granted under the authority of RCW 28B.15.910, the University may waive all or a portion of the operating fees for any student, but may not use state general fund support to do so.

Authorizing Statute: RCW 28B.15.012