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SOPHAS Fees and Fee Waivers

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Fees

SOPHAS charges $150 for the first program you apply to and $60 for each additional program.

Some programs may have an additional supplemental fee; contact your programs to learn if they require this and how to pay it.

Fee Assistance Program

Beginning at the start of the cycle, a limited number of fee waivers are provided to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Each fee waiver covers only the initial application fee, so if you wish to apply to additional programs, you are responsible for the remaining balance. If you received a fee waiver during a previous cycle, you may still apply for another in the next cycle.

You may request a fee waiver as soon as you create an application, but keep in mind that fee waiver funds can be quickly depleted. Contact customer service at 617-612-2090 before you submit a fee waiver request to determine if waivers are still available.

Qualification Requirements

There are two types of fee waivers applicants can qualify for:

  • Financial-based
  • Service/International-based

You can only apply for one type of fee waiver per cycle. Additionally, you must request a fee waiver before you submit your application. Requests received after an application has been submitted will not be honored.

If you are approved for a fee waiver, you are required to submit your application within 14 days (including holidays and weekends). Extensions will not be granted; failure to submit your application on time will void your fee waiver and you will not be allowed to reapply for a waiver.

Financial-based Fee Waiver

To qualify for an income-based fee waiver, you must have either:

  • Filed a 2024 Federal Income Tax Return Form 1040 with an adjusted gross income that falls below the Low Income Level listed below, or
  • Been listed as a dependent on a filed 2024 Federal Income Tax Return Form 1040 with an adjusted gross income that falls below the Low Income Level listed below. If you were claimed as a dependent by a parent or guardian on their 2024 Federal Income Tax Return, SOPHAS requires you to use that individual's Federal Income Tax Return instead of your own.
Low Income Levels for 2025-2026 Cycle Awards*

If applicable, use the following chart to help you determine if you come from an economically disadvantaged background.

Size of Family*

Income Level**

1

$31,300

2

$42,300

3

$53,300

4

$64,300

5

$75,300

6

$86,300

7

$97,300

8

$108,300

For each additional person add:

$11,000

The low income level is based on 200 percent of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines. It is used to determine what constitutes a low-income family for the purposes of the SDS and LDS programs.

* Size of family means the number of exemptions listed on the qualified income tax return forms. For example, a family size of 4 may include two parents and two dependents.

** Income Level refers to the adjusted gross income stated on the federal income tax return 1040.

Service-Based/International-Based Fee Waivers

Service-Based

To qualify for a service-based fee waiver, you must have participated in one of the eligible service-based organizations:

Click on the organizations above to download the fee waiver form. Complete the form, and if necessary, also have a certifying officer or program administrator complete their section on the form. Then, upload it to Fee Waiver Form section of the application. 

International-based Fee Waiver

To qualify for an international-based fee waiver, you must be a citizen and currently reside in one of the countries on the United Nations Least Developed Countries List below.

Download the International-based fee waiver form. Then, upload it to the Fee Waiver Form section of the application. You can also request a coupon for $80 off your WES evaluation in the form. Note that the $80 credit is only valid for your initial WES evaluation order. Once your order is placed, no refunds are possible.

United Nations Least Developed Countries List

Use the following to determine if your country is included in the United Nations Least Developed Countries list.

  • Afghanistan
  • Angola
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Comoros
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Djibouti
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Gambia
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Haiti
  • Kiribati
  • Lao People’s Democratic Republic
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Niger
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • United Republic of Tanzania
  • Yemen
  • Zambia

Applying for a Fee Waiver

Determine when to apply for your waiver.

Keep in mind that fee waivers are limited and only valid for 14 days (including holidays and weekends) from the time you are approved. Be ready to submit your application if you are approved.

Start your application.

You must have an account to apply for a fee waiver. Fee assistance applications are not accepted by mail or email.

Complete and submit your fee assistance application.
  1. Click on your name in the upper right corner of the application, then select Fee Assistance Program.
  2. Select I want to apply for a fee waiver based on financial income or I want to apply for a fee waiver based on service organization participation. Applicants applying for an international-based fee waiver should select the service option.
    • If selecting financial-based fee waiver, enter your household's adjusted gross income for 2024 and the current number of members in your household. Note that “size of family” includes the number of people claimed as dependents on the tax report. Then upload a copy of the filed 2024 Federal Income Tax Return Form 1040. This form was either filed by you or by someone who listed you as a dependent (such as a parent or guardian). You must upload the full tax return form; summary printouts are not accepted. Remember, if you were listed as a dependent, you must submit that individual's tax return form instead of your own.
    • If selecting service-based fee waiver, select the service program or international option from the drop-down. Then upload a copy of the completed document.

Await notification.

Once you submit your fee waiver request, it can take up to 10 business days to process. The status of your request will be sent to both your email address and your application inbox.

While your fee waiver request is pending, you are unable to submit your application. To submit your application and forfeit your waiver request, return to the Fee Assistance Program section and click Cancel Request. Once you submit your application, you are ineligible to apply for another fee waiver.

Submit your application and pay any remaining balance.

If you are approved, the waiver amount of $150 will be automatically deducted from your total fees, and you are responsible for any remaining balance. Contact customer service immediately if you do not see the waiver amount deducted.

Remember to submit your application within 14 days of your approval (including holidays and weekends). Outstanding transcripts, recommendations, and/or test scores do not have to be received within this timeframe.

Coupon Codes

Some programs provide coupons that offset application fees. If you received a coupon code from your program, use the information below to apply it to your payment.

Note that you cannot redeem a program’s coupon code after you submit your application to them. Additionally, if you miss a program deadline due to waiting for a coupon code, you must request a deadline extension from your program, not SOPHAS.

Using a Coupon Code

You can apply your coupon code(s) when you are ready to submit your application.

  1. Click the Submit Application tab at the top of the application.
  2. Click Submit, or to submit to more than one program, click Submit All.
  3. On the payment page, enter the coupon codes you received from the programs under Apply Coupon.
  4. Click the Apply Coupon button.
  5. Complete the rest of the payment details pages.

Note the following:

  • When a coupon code equals the total transaction amount, you don’t need to enter additional payment information.
  • When a coupon code is less than the total transaction amount, you'll need to enter payment information for the additional balance.
  • When a coupon code is more than the total transaction amount, you don’t need to enter additional payment information. However, you'll forfeit the remaining balance offered by the coupon code, as SOPHAS will not issue credits or carry remaining balances forward.
  • Coupon codes cannot be applied to chargeback fees.

If you used a coupon code when submitting to a program, the code will be listed under Payment History.

 

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