For the past seven years, Kat has been helping people make the best financial decisions for their unique situations, whether they’re looking for the right insurance policies or trying to pay down debt. Kat has expertise in insurance and student loans.
Kat Tretina Personal Finance Writer
For the past seven years, Kat has been helping people make the best financial decisions for their unique situations, whether they’re looking for the right insurance policies or trying to pay down debt. Kat has expertise in insurance and student loans.
Written ByKat Tretina Personal Finance Writer
For the past seven years, Kat has been helping people make the best financial decisions for their unique situations, whether they’re looking for the right insurance policies or trying to pay down debt. Kat has expertise in insurance and student loans.
Kat Tretina Personal Finance Writer
For the past seven years, Kat has been helping people make the best financial decisions for their unique situations, whether they’re looking for the right insurance policies or trying to pay down debt. Kat has expertise in insurance and student loans.
Personal Finance WriterRachel Witkowski Correspondent/Editor
Rachel Witkowski is an award-winning journalist whose 20-year career spans a wide range of topics in finance, government regulation and congressional reporting. Ms. Witkowski has spent the last decade in Washington, D.C., reporting for publications i.
Rachel Witkowski Correspondent/Editor
Rachel Witkowski is an award-winning journalist whose 20-year career spans a wide range of topics in finance, government regulation and congressional reporting. Ms. Witkowski has spent the last decade in Washington, D.C., reporting for publications i.
Written ByRachel Witkowski Correspondent/Editor
Rachel Witkowski is an award-winning journalist whose 20-year career spans a wide range of topics in finance, government regulation and congressional reporting. Ms. Witkowski has spent the last decade in Washington, D.C., reporting for publications i.
Rachel Witkowski Correspondent/Editor
Rachel Witkowski is an award-winning journalist whose 20-year career spans a wide range of topics in finance, government regulation and congressional reporting. Ms. Witkowski has spent the last decade in Washington, D.C., reporting for publications i.
Correspondent/Editor
Updated: May 14, 2021, 5:00am
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
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Most people would agree college is expensive. But the costs typically thought of as pricey include tuition, housing, meal plans and textbooks.
What many students don’t account for is the total cost you will pay in college application fees. Applying to multiple schools can cost you hundreds of dollars.
If you’re unable to afford the expense, you may be eligible for a college application fee waiver that allows you to apply for free. Here’s how you can qualify for an application fee waiver and other ways you can save on application costs.
How Much Does it Cost to Apply to Colleges?
The majority of universities charge application fees. In general, prestigious schools, such as Ivy League institutions, charge higher fees than other colleges.
As of 2020, the average application fee was $44. However, some schools charge significantly more. For example, the University of California charges $105, while Stanford University charges $90.
While a school’s fee might not seem too high at first, consider that education experts typically recommend that students apply to five to eight schools to give them the best chance of getting accepted.
If you follow that guideline, application fees could cost hundreds. If you apply to eight schools and each one charges $44 on average, you would pay $352 just in application fees. That cost is on top of all of your other education-related expenses, like traveling to tour campuses, standardized tests and tuition.
What is a College Application Fee Waiver?
For many students, application fees are simply unaffordable. If you can’t afford the school’s application fee, you may be eligible for a college application fee waiver. Income-eligible students that qualify for a waiver can apply to schools at no cost.
There isn’t one college application fee waiver that works for all schools; there are three different waiver programs that you can use when applying to different schools.
1. College Board Fee Waiver
If you qualify for a test fee waiver for the SAT or ACT, you can also qualify for an application fee waiver from The College Board. If you’re eligible, you can use it to apply to thousands of colleges for free.
To request The College Board application fee waiver, contact your high school counselor for help. Your counselor may ask for additional information or documentation, such as your family’s tax returns or pay stubs, because they are required to verify your eligibility for the program.
If you plan on applying to multiple colleges, you should know that you can use the waiver as many times as you’d like.
2. Common App Fee Waiver
Through the Common App, you can apply to multiple schools at once. While traditionally you still have to pay application fees for each application, you only have to enter your information once, and you don’t have to craft multiple personal essays.
To get a fee waiver, your school counselor will have to verify your information, so contact them for help. As with The College Board fee waiver, the Common App requires school counselors to confirm the information you submit is accurate.
You can use the Common App fee waiver to apply to multiple schools for free.
3. NACAC Fee Waiver
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has its own waiver program for low-income students. Unlike the other two programs, the NACAC typically limits how many schools you can apply to with the waiver. Students can use the waiver on up to four applications, but you may be eligible for additional waivers in special circ*mstances.
Normally, the NACAC requires students to request waivers through their high school counselor. However, the NACAC has revised its rules due to the coronavirus pandemic. If getting a signature from a counselor would impose a hardship, you can qualify for a waiver without it.
How Do Fee Waivers Work?
Not all colleges accept application fee waivers, but there are thousands that do.
Schools often have their own rules about how application fee waivers are handled. Before applying, contact the college’s admissions office to see what information or forms they need.
In general, you’ll fill out the application and check a box that indicates you’ll be paying with a fee waiver. You usually have to mail or email the fee waiver to the admissions department afterward.
How to Get a College Application Fee Waiver
For all three fee waiver programs, students have to meet one of the following requirements:
- You qualified for an SAT/ACT test waiver
- You are enrolled in or are eligible for the National School Lunch Program
- Your household income is within the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s income eligibility guidelines
- You’re enrolled in a federal or state program that assists low-income families, such as Upward Bound
- Your family receives public assistance or welfare benefits
- You live in federally subsidized public housing, are in foster care or are homeless
- You are a ward of the state or have been orphaned
If you aren’t sure if you’re eligible, talk to your high school guidance counselor about your options.
3 Other Strategies to Save on College Applications
If you don’t qualify for a waiver, there are still ways you can save money on application fees.
1. Look for Schools That Don’t Charge Fees
While many colleges and universities charge application fees, there are several that don’t. You can save money by narrowing your search and only applying to schools that don’t charge fees.
To get started, use The College Board’s search tool to find colleges that either accept fee waivers or don’t charge application fees.
2. Visit In-person
Some schools offer incentives to encourage prospective students to tour the campus or interview with the admissions department. The college may waive your application fee if you meet those requirements, regardless of your income.
For example, Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania will waive the $30 application fee for applicants who apply online or interview on campus.
The University of Pittsburgh waives the $55 application fee for students who apply online or register for online events.
3. Check with the Admissions Department
Some universities have their own fee waiver programs for students who don’t meet the criteria for waivers from other programs. With these programs, you’ll be issued a college application fee waiver code you can use to apply online.
Contact your selected school’s admissions office to see if there is a specific waiver code you can use.
Planning for College
By utilizing college application fee waivers, you can save money during the application process and be considered for admission without worrying about the cost.
Once you’re accepted, you can start thinking about how to pay for your education. You can begin the process of applying for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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Personal Finance Writer
For the past seven years, Kat has been helping people make the best financial decisions for their unique situations, whether they’re looking for the right insurance policies or trying to pay down debt. Kat has expertise in insurance and student loans, and she holds certifications in student loan and financial education counseling.
Correspondent/Editor
Rachel Witkowski is an award-winning journalist whose 20-year career spans a wide range of topics in finance, government regulation and congressional reporting. Ms. Witkowski has spent the last decade in Washington, D.C., reporting for publications including The Wall Street Journal, American Banker and Bankrate. Ms. Witkowski’s deep knowledge of government and policy aided a series of investigative stories that triggered congressional hearings on employee claims of discrimination at a federal agency and how indirect auto lenders were being reviewed by regulators.
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