Admissions fee waiver

illustration of a man and woman using a two-sided saw to cut the word

Why is Break Through Tech Chicago waiving UIC undergraduate application fees?

Our mission is to diversify the tech world by enabling more women and nonbinary individuals to gain the undergraduate degrees in computer science and data science that will allow them to secure well-paying, high-impact tech jobs right after college graduation.

Our waiver of the UIC undergraduate application fee represents our conviction that far more women and nonbinary people are on their way to amazing positions in tech. After you read this page, we encourage you to explore our website to learn about Break Through Tech Chicago programs and the supportive community we create!

Eligibility

Break Through Tech Chicago is committed to waiving the undergraduate application fee for applicants for fall 2023 entry to UIC who meet all of these criteria:

Report their gender as female or nonbinary on the UIC application
Select any of these three undergraduate majors offered by the College of Engineering: computer science, data science, or computer science + design
Are a U.S. student applying for undergraduate freshman or transfer admission or an international student applying for freshman admission
Complete and fully submit the application by December 1, 2022. (Important note: students who submit a completed application after December 1 will be responsible for their own application fees, so please make sure that your application is submitted by the deadline!)

Fees waived

U.S. undergraduate applicants (freshman or transfer) who meet the criteria above will have the $60 application fee waived.

International undergraduate applicants (freshman only) who meet the criteria above will have the $60 application fee and the $100 international credential review fee waived.

How to take advantage of this offer

No extra forms are required! When you are filling out your UIC application online, after you have indicated your gender and intended major, you will see one of the following prompts:

For first-year applicants:

Instructions indicating that when you get to the sentence "If you qualify for a UIC-specific application fee waiver," that is the place on the application where you will choose the Break Through Tech Chicago waiver from the drop-down menu

For transfer applicants:

Instructions indicating that when you get to the section of the transfer application that says Application Fee or Fee Waiver, that is the area where you will select Break Through Tech Chicago as your waiver option

If you have any questions about the fee waiver as you go through the application process, please contact the UIC admissions office for help navigating the application portal.

We look forward to receiving your application by December 1!