Reduced Tuition Programs | Michigan Tech Graduate School

Michigan Tech is proud to count among its graduate student body a number of students who have contributed, or will contribute, extraordinary service to the United States and to the world. Members of the US military, national volunteer service members, and teachers add much to the culture of Michigan Tech through their strong values and commitment to service. To aid these students in their pursuit of a graduate education, Michigan Tech offers a reduced tuition rate.

The reduced tuition rate is approximately 66% of the standard graduate tuition rate at Michigan Tech. It may vary from year to year as the cost of education changes. To see the current reduced tuition rate, please visit the Cost of Education Calculator.

Students who qualify for the reduced tuition rate program fall into one of three general categories:

students who have contributed service in the past (including current US military personnel)
students pursuing a degree program which includes a service component, and middle
high school teachers pursuing the Master of Science in Applied Science Education (MS-ASE) program

National Graduate Service Reduced Tuition Rate

The National Graduate Service Reduced Tuition Rate (NGSRTR) is offered to on-campus and online, degree- and non-degree seeking students in one of three categories:

US military veterans and current personnel
Former AmeriCorps volunteers
Returned Peace Corps volunteers

Applying for the NGSRTR

Eligible students should note their category of eligibility on their Graduate School application and upload the appropriate form of documentation to your Husky Admissions Portal. Students accepted into the Graduate School will be notified once their required documentation has been received and verified.

Students already accepted into the Graduate School who did not note their eligibility on their application should contact the Graduate School to declare and confirm their eligibility.

For further information on the application process, please contact the Graduate School by email or phone (906-487-2327).

Eligibility Requirements

Military personnel

Eligible individuals are active duty military personnel, honorably discharged veterans, and military retirees.

This includes all personnel listed in the Title 10 US Code, including DoD (USA, USAF, USMC, USN), Department of Homeland Security (USCG), Department of Commerce (NOAA) and the Department of HHS (UP Public Health Service. Eligible veterans are individuals honorably discharged in one of the previously mentioned organizations. Retirees are veterans who have served honorably for 20 or more years.

You must be able to provide one of the following forms of documentation:

Recent Military Orders
Current Military ID Card
DD Form 214: Certificate of Release of Discharge from Active Duty

A copy of your Military Records can be requested through the National Personnel Records Center.

AmeriCorps volunteers

Eligible individuals will have completed one full-time term of service (at least 1,700 hours over one year or less) or have completed at least 15% of a full-term contract but have had to leave the program for compelling personal reasons as determined and approved by the AmeriCorps Program Director.

You must be able to provide one of the following forms of documentation:

Certification of Service
Acceptance of Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
VISTA Certification Letter

AmeriCorps documents can be accessed through your My AmeriCorps account. If you have not previously accessed My AmeriCorps, you can register at Member/Alum Registration.

Peace Corps volunteers

Eligible individuals will have completed the full two-year tour of Peace Corps service, or a full tour minus up to 90 days of emergency leave; were granted “early close of service” or “interrupted service” status as a result of circumstances beyond their control; or were medically separated and have completed a year of service, including training.

You must be able to provide the following form of documentation:

Peace Corps Description of Service (DOS)

To access copies of your DOS you can contact: Volunteer and PSC Financial Services at 800-424-8580 ext. 1770 or 202-692-1770

Programs With a Service Component

Michigan Tech offers a few programs integrate national service with a student's graduate curriculum. These are the VISTA and AmeriCorps Master's Programs, as well as the now-retired Peace Corps Master's International (PCMI) students. A reduced tuition rate is offered to students enrolled in these programs.

VISTA and AmeriCorps Master’s Programs

The VISTA and AmeriCorps Master’s Programs are a group of specific degree programs which combine academic study with supervised, practical field experience and research as an AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Students pay the reduced tuition rate while attending Michigan Tech, and Michigan Tech pays tuition and fees while students are serving in AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps VISTA. Note, not all master’s degrees offer a VISTA and AmeriCorps Master’s Program option.

Peace Corps Master’s International

Michigan Tech partnered with the US Peace Corps for 20 years to offer Peace Corps Master’ s International (PCMI) programs across campus. The PCMI program was retired in 2016 and no new students can be admitted to the program.