Application Fee

New students are required to submit a nonrefundable application fee or documentation for an application fee waiver. Your application will not be processed until the application fee or fee waiver verification is received. This fee or waiver must be received by the supporting document deadline.

The fee will not be returned to applicants who are denied admission or applicants who fail to submit the necessary information for an admission decision.

Waiver for all applicants

Some applicants may qualify for a fee waiver:

  • Veterans or active military service personnel
  • Former Illinois State students returning to the same degree level
  • Permanent employees and retirees of Illinois State University

Undergraduate applicants

Undergraduate students must submit a nonrefundable $55 application fee. Students facing economic hardship may qualify for a fee waiver in one of these ways:

  • Students may submit a copy of their FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) showing their Expected Family Contribution is $1000 or less.
  • School officials such as high school counselors, community college advisors, or financial aid counselors may verify an economic hardship fee waiver using our fee waiver form. This form verifies economic hardship if:
    • Student has received or is eligible to receive an SAT or ACT testing fee waiver.
    • Student is enrolled in or is eligible to participate in the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch program.
    • Student’s annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
    • Student is enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families. (for example, TRiO programs such as Upward Bound)
    • Student’s family receives public assistance.
    • Student lives in federal subsidized public housing, a foster home, or is homeless.
    • Student is a ward of the state or an orphan.
    • Student qualifies for full federal aid with an expected family contribution (EFC) of $1000 or less.

These documents should be emailed from the high school counselor's, community college advisor's, or financial aid representative's professional email account to Admissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed to

Illinois State University
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 2200
Normal, IL 61790-2200

Graduate applicants

Students are required to submit a nonrefundable application fee to apply to Graduate School.

Graduate Application Fees

Athletic Training (ATCAS) - $93; $55 for each subsequent application
BusinessCAS (Any College of Business graduate program) - $83
Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDCAS) - $137; $55 for each subsequent application
GradCAS (all other graduate programs) - $63
Visiting graduate students - $55

Find the application for your program

Graduate Application Fee Waiver

Domestic applicants facing economic hardship may qualify for a fee waiver on BusinessCAS and GradCAS. You will upload one of the following documents on the graduate application:

  • Students may submit a copy of their FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) showing their Expected Family Contribution is $1000 or less.
  • Recent letter on university/college letterhead from Financial Aid Office verifying hardship
  • Recent unemployment verification letter from state government showing eligible for benefits
  • Current state issued medical card (Medicaid), veteran’s benefits or disability benefits
  • McNairs Scholar Waiver form

These documents should be uploaded to the graduate application for verification. If you have questions, please email GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu.

International applicants

Due to the Declaration of Finances required, International applicants are not eligible for an application fee waiver.