FreeApp - Introduction
FreeApp - Introduction
The Big Ten Academic Alliance member universities are dedicated to increasing access to graduate education. The FreeApp Program allows prospective students to request a graduate application fee waiver for Ph.D. or Master of Fine Arts programs at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities.
FreeApp requests are transmitted to the selected universities for review and decision-making. The priority deadline for requests is November 15. You are responsible for obtaining graduate applications directly from the institutions where you plan to apply. For more information about campus specific admissions, contact the appropriate FreeApp Coordinator.
The FreeApp program will end during the 2026-27 application cycle. Participating universities have each chosen their own date to stop processing FreeApp request forms, and students may continue to submit request forms through FreeApp until that institution's deadline.
We encourage students to visit the websites of any institutions they plan to apply to for information about other fee waivers that may be available.
2026-27 FreeApp Closure Timeline
| University | FreeApp Closure Date |
|---|---|
| University of Chicago | January 15, 2027 |
| University of Illinois | May 15, 2027 |
| Indiana University | December 31, 2026 |
| University of Iowa | May 15, 2027 |
| University of Maryland | April 15, 2027 |
| University of Michigan | September 1, 2026 |
| Michigan State University | December 31, 2026 |
| University of Minnesota | December 4, 2026 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | January 1, 2027 |
| Northwestern University | September 1, 2026 |
| The Ohio State University | May 1, 2027 |
| University of Oregon | N/A |
| Penn State | December 31, 2026 |
| Purdue University | September 1, 2026 |
| Rutgers University | June 30, 2027 |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | N/A |
| University of Southern California (USC) | N/A |
| University of Washington | N/A |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | September 1, 2026 |