Graduate Tuition and Fees
Visit the Tuition and Fees page for current graduate tuition rates and deadlines.
Visit Registration and Records for information about establishing or documenting residency.
Financial Aid
There are many ways for you to offset the cost of your degree, including scholarships, need-based grants, paid-internships and loans. Find out how to apply for Financial Aid
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for eligible U.S. citizens, or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) for eligible non-citizens who meet Washington State residency requirements, to be considered. The Financial Aid Office will notify you if you receive this award. Evergreen’s school code is 008155.
For financial aid purposes, 8 credits per quarter is considered full-time and 4 credits per quarter is part-time. To stay eligible for federal aid, you must take at least 4 credits per quarter.
FAFSA applications received after March 1st will not be considered for Evergreen Need Grants or available tuition waivers. The college offers a limited number of Evergreen Need Grants to Washington state resident graduate students with high need. You need to file your Financial Aid Application by February 23rd to meet the March 1, 2024 deadline. FAFSA applications received after March 1st will still be considered for scholarships and loans.
Students who submit their WASFA and meet the March 1st deadline will be considered for the Evergreen Need Grant, tuition waivers, scholarships and fellowships. WASFA eligible students will only be reviewed for Washington state funding resources and are not eligible for federal loan aid.
All on-time FAFSA and WASFA applicants will be considered for partial tuition waivers based on financial need. For questions about the FAFSA or WASFA, student loans or Evergreen Need Grants, please the Financial Aid Office at finaid@evergreen.edu or (360) 867-6205. For specific questions about Master in Teaching scholarships, contact mes@evergreen.edu.
Tuition Waivers for Washington State Employees
Review eligibility requirements, application process details, and forms on the Registration and Records page under Tuition Waivers.
Employee 50% Operating Fee Tuition Waiver
Four of these waivers are available to new or continuing MES students each academic year. Eligible WA State employees may apply during Summer Quarter and the waiver will take effect in the Fall. Waiver recipients must certify their employment prior to registration each quarter and will continue receiving the waiver while pursuing a minimum of 8-credits per quarter while working towards their MES.
Applicants should complete the 50% Operating Fee Employee Tuition Waiver form including a signature from their Human Resources department and a 250 word professional development essay. The essay should detail their professional and/or academic achievements and how this waiver will help them pursue their professional development goals.
Full Tuition Waiver Up to 4 Credits
Students may take MES elective courses on a space-available basis by paying an administrative fee. Students using this waiver cannot take more than 4-credits in a given quarter and cannot use the waiver if a class is full. This tuition waiver is available Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters for matriculated and non-matriculated students.
Interested students should reach out to MES staff for further guidance on course availability and registration. Students must receive faculty permission for their chosen course, submit registration forms, and submit a completed Washington State Employee Tuition Waiver Request form signed by their Human Resources Department.
Military, Veterans and Dependents
The Veteran's Resource Center will help you receive all the benefits you have earned through your service. Contact them directly for questions and support.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you go into public service, the federal government forgives student loans to recipients who work for at least 10 years in public service! Learn more about Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Scholarships and Fellowships
Funding resources are available to help you on your academic journey.
Students who apply to MES during the First Round application cycle and complete the 2024-2025 MES Scholarship Application are guaranteed priority consideration for MES-specific scholarships and fellowships. All students are eligible for $20,500+ in loans if they fill out the FAFSA.
AmeriCorps Service Award
AmeriCorps alumni who completed a term of service are eligible to apply for the five $1,800 AmeriCorps tuition waivers each academic year. Students may receive this award once a year for a maximum of two years.
External Scholarships and Fellowships
There are many funding resources for graduate students outside of Evergreen. Students are welcome to apply to other external funding resources that may fit their academic and/or professional needs. Check out Indigenous Scholarships, External Fellowships & External Grant-Funding Organizations to learn more about the funding resources.
Western Regional Graduate Program
Cost comparison of residential and non-residential full-time and part-time costs with WRPG costs. Cost breakdown based on the 2023-2024 academic year. Tuition and fees subject to change, review current tuition and fees for up-to-date costs.
| WRGP Full-time | WRPG Part-time | Non-resident Full-time | Non-resident Part-time | WA Resident Full-time | WA Resident Part-time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $18,603 | $14,883 | $27,882 | $22,306 | $12,402 | $9,922 |
| Mandatory Fees | $900 | $792 | $900 | $792 | $900 | $792 |
| Total | $19,503 | $15,675 | $28,782 | $23,098 | $13,302 | $10,714 |
Western Regional Graduate Program
Learn how you can pay reduced non-resident tuition
The WRGP allows master’s students from a Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) state or territory to enroll in graduate programs offered by public institutions in the west outside their home state or territory and pay reduced non-resident tuition.
Academically qualified graduate students can receive reduced tuition for up to 4-years while pursuing a Master of Environmental Studies degree at The Evergreen State College. Qualified participants will pay a tuition rate that is no more than 150% of the operating and buildings fee portions of the tuition than the regular non-resident graduate tuition rate.
The WRGP tuition rate is roughly 35% less than regular non-resident graduate tuition. For example, non-resident tuition rates for the 2023-2024 academic year would be as follows:
- Regular Non-residents: $9,294 per quarter for 10-16 graduate credits, or $27,882 annually
- WRGP students: $6,201 per quarter for 10-16 graduate credits, or $18,603 annually
These figures do not include fees, room and board, supplies, or living expenses.
WRGP tuition awards are available at the beginning of each academic year to new graduate applicants who demonstrate academic merit. Merit for new MES admitted students is determined by the strength of their admissions application for the academic year they intend to begin the program.
Non-resident enrollment into MES through the WRGP must be determined prior to an applicant’s enrollment as a graduate student. Once WRGP eligible non-residents have matriculated into MES as a regular non-resident, they are not eligible to apply for WRGP.
Prospective students interested in applying to the Master of Environmental Studies Program through the Western Regional Graduate Program’s reduced tuition rate, must apply for admission at evergreen.edu/mes/apply and submit all requirements.
If you are not from a WICHE state or territory, or don’t meet the merit requirements, MES’s scholarships, fellowships, and tuition waivers are another great option to pursue to reduce the overall cost of attendance for your graduate degree. Please contact the Graduate Admissions Office with any questions.
Initial Eligibility
- WRGP tuition is available only to graduate applicants who are offered admission to the Master of Environmental Studies Program.
- Admission to MES can be deferred once, for up to one year. However, enrollment through WRGP cannot be deferred. If an applicant accepts the offer to attend MES through WRGP, the offer is only good for the academic year they have initially applied for and cannot be deferred to another academic year. The choice of an admitted student to defer admission, waives their acceptance of the WRGP offer and the MES Program has the option to then offer this tuition reduction opportunity to the next qualified admitted student. Contact the Graduate Admissions Office for information and instructions on how to defer enrollment.
Continued Eligibility, Keeping WRGP
You will receive WGRP tuition each quarter if you meet all of the following criteria:
- You are an admitted degree-seeking Evergreen student in the MES Program.
- Enrolled for a minimum of 8 graduate credits per quarter.
- You meet the Master of Environmental Studies’ Academic Standing Requirements.
- You meet the residency requirements detailed below.
- Should you take a Leave of Absence from MES for more than a year, you will need to re-apply for admission, and you will no longer be eligible for the WRGP tuition rate.
Time Limitations
- WRGP tuition rates are renewable for up to 90 attempted credits under the same policy and provisions as financial aid limitations.
- WRGP must also be used within four years of a student’s first quarter of enrollment in MES. Four years is the maximum timeframe a student may take to complete the 72 quarter credit MES degree.
- WRGP tuition does not apply to summer quarter enrollment.
Residency
- WRGP students are considered non-resident students and are not eligible for Washington State aid programs or scholarships limited to Washington residents.
- All graduate students and applicants are considered Independent Students regardless of their age; therefore, residency is based on the residency status of the student alone. Students receiving WRGP must continuously maintain legal residency in one of the 16 WRGP states or territories to receive a WRGP tuition award.
- WRGP tuition rates will end immediately upon the college determining a student no longer meets residency requirements. Once terminated, the WRGP cannot be re-established for the student.
- Time spent in Washington while receiving WRGP tuition cannot count as time towards establishing Washington State residency.
Electing Not to Use WRGP Tuition
- Once a student chooses not to use WRGP, it cannot be reversed.
- A student may elect not to use WRGP and pay the full non-resident rate. To do so, notify the Graduate Admissions Office in writing.
- A student can elect not to use WRGP at any time during their enrollment at Evergreen, students may waive their eligibility if they would like to pursue the establishment of residency in Washington State during their time as a graduate student in MES.
- Once notified, the College will apply regular non-resident tuition rates to the upcoming quarter the student registers for.
Study Abroad and Internships
- WRGP can be used for quarters that a student is studying abroad or engaged in an internship as long as their total quarterly credits add up to a minimum of 8 quarter graduate credits and Evergreen tuition is being paid.
- If a graduate student would like to pursue graduate credits at another institution or program to transfer the credits into MES and apply them towards their required 24 elective credits, WRGP tuition rates will not apply.
Other Scholarships and Financial Aid
- All applicants are encouraged to file the FAFSA or WASFA to check qualification for need-based aid and apply for MES scholarships, fellowships, and tuition waivers.
- You may be eligible to receive other forms of financial aid and scholarships, along with WRGP such as Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans, The Evergreen Need Grant, and MES specific scholarships, fellowships, and tuition waivers. However, your total amount of assistance cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance, as defined in your financial aid package.
- The WRGP can be combined with external funding resources such as AmeriCorps Education Stipends and Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowships.