Applying to college for free can offer students a chance to explore their options while also possibly saving hundreds of dollars.
The benefits of applying to multiple colleges are plentiful. Students can aim for their dream schools, assure entry into colleges where acceptance is likely, find the right fit and compare financial aid packages to see which institution is the most affordable for their family.
And most first-time freshmen do just that, with more than 80% applying to at least three colleges, according to data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Some experts even suggest shooting for a far higher number. Allen Koh, CEO of Cardinal Education, a California-based educational consulting company, encourages the students he works with to apply to 14 colleges.
“The entire probability and risk distribution spectrum will be represented with 14 schools,” Koh says.
[Read: A Complete Guide to the College Application Process.]
Cardinal Education breaks that spectrum of 14 schools down into six categories: upper reach colleges, reach, upper target, target, lower target and safety schools. That well-rounded list, Koh says, means a student will almost certainly be accepted somewhere while also taking a shot at top schools. If a student opts for a shorter list, then he or she will “need to cut from the dream schools,” Koh says.
What to Know About the Costs of College Applications
But aiming for such a high number may be challenging for families with limited means, considering that colleges with application fees charge, on average, $46, per data from 777 ranked schools that submitted this information to U.S. News in an annual survey. Some colleges charge significantly more, such as Stanford University in California, where students must pay $90 to apply, the highest application fee reported to U.S. News in 2021.
At some colleges, prospective students can apply for free. But by the numbers, if a student applied to 14 schools that charge the average $46 fee, the cost would amount to more than $640. Even applying to at least three schools, as NACAC data suggests most students do, would cost nearly $140 at the average fee of $46 per school.
Those costs, some experts say, create barriers to college access.
“Sometimes we forget about the everyday barriers that students go through, even before they get to college,” says Marshall Anthony Jr., associate director of policy and advocacy for higher education at the Center for American Progress, a think tank that looks at public issues.
[Read: A Student Guide to Virtual College Admissions Tools.]
Some prospective college students have taken to social media to bemoan the high costs of application fees, with some asking celebrities to cover those costs. As odd as the request may sound, it’s not unprecedented, considering that some influential people have helped students out with application fees.
NBA legend Allen Iverson, for example, teamed up with athletic apparel company Reebok in 2020 to pay college application fees for more than 400 students at his high school alma mater. And while not exactly a celebrity, a Georgia school district superintendent made national news in 2019 by donating his $10,000 bonus to pay for seniors’ college application fees.
Anthony says money for college application fees could be better spent elsewhere, such as paying for textbooks or other financial needs that come with getting an education. “Every dollar counts. Especially when you are from a low-income background.”
Three Ways to Get Free College Applications
For financially strapped families, the good news is that there are ways to apply to college for free. One common method is to acquire a fee waiver through a high school guidance counselor. Anthony says that high school students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch will be eligible for such a waiver, though he notes they bear the burden of asking their guidance counselor about it.
“I don’t think the onus or responsibility should be on students to cover a cost that shouldn’t exist in the first place,” Anthony says. “But the reality is the cost does exist, and typically it has been on the students and families to find a way to get around that cost.”
Another way to apply to college for free: Just ask the admissions office for a waiver.
Considering the ongoing economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted earnings for many families, Koh says students should make colleges aware of their financial needs and limitations. “This year, I think more colleges than ever will be flexible,” Koh says.
[Read: How Recent Events Reshaped College Admissions.]
Anthony adds that some states, such as North Carolina, also offer free college application weeks. Students should use that time slot to apply to college for free, though he notes not all colleges participate. Likewise, free application weeks vary by state.
Students should also check out the College Board website, which offers information on which schools charge application fees as well as details on free college applications through fee waivers.
Of the top-ranked National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, every college that reported this data charges more than the national average for application fees. Those fees, however, are typically waived for students with financial need. See the lists below for the cost of application fees at top-ranked colleges in the 2022 rankings.
College Application Fees at Top National Universities
| SCHOOL NAME (STATE) | U.S. NEWS RANK | APPLICATION FEE | APPLICATION FEE WAIVED FOR STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED |
| Princeton University (NJ) | 1 | $70 | Yes |
| Columbia University (NY) | 2 (tie) | $85 | Yes |
| Harvard University (MA) | 2 (tie) | $75 | Yes |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2 (tie) | $75 | Yes |
| Yale University (CT) | 5 | $80 | Yes |
| Stanford University (CA) | 6 (tie) | $90 | Yes |
| University of Chicago | 6 (tie) | $75 | Yes |
| University of Pennsylvania | 8 | $75 | Yes |
| California Institute of Technology | 9 (tie) | $75 | Yes |
| Duke University (NC) | 9 (tie) | $85 | Yes |
| Johns Hopkins University (MD) | 9 (tie) | $70 | Yes |
| Northwestern University (IL) | 9 (tie) | $75 | Yes |
College Application Fees at Top National Liberal Arts Colleges
| SCHOOL NAME (STATE) | U.S. NEWS RANK | APPLICATION FEE | APPLICATION FEE WAIVED FOR STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED |
| Williams College (MA) | 1 | $65 | Yes |
| Amherst College (MA) | 2 | $65 | Yes |
| Swarthmore College (PA) | 3 | $60 | Yes |
| Pomona College (CA) | 4 | $70 | Yes |
| Wellesley College (MA) | 5 | $50 | Yes |
| Bowdoin College (ME) | 6 (tie) | $65 | Yes |
| United States Naval Academy (MD) | 6 (tie) | N/A | N/A |
| Claremont McKenna College (CA) | 8 | $75 | Yes |
| Carleton College (MN) | 9 (tie) | N/A | N/A |
| Middlebury College (VT) | 9 (tie) | $65 | Yes |
The application fee data above is correct as of Sept. 27, 2021. Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.
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How to Apply to College for Free originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/27/21: This article has been updated to reflect ranks and data from the 2022 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.
