Fees for college applications pile up with a stressful first part of senior year for students who want to attend a higher level of education, full of demanding deadlines and a long list of potential schools. Whether accepted to the school or not, upwards of $105 application fees hover, often turning students away from applying to more than a few. 

The purpose of an application fee is for a college or university to help pay the cost of reviewing your application and then making an admissions decision. According to Accredited Schools Online, instead of using some funds included in the sky-high tuition costs, this separate way to raise money is one a majority of colleges use. 

Some schools have long given up the revenue from application fees including Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Reed College in Oregon. In 2016 several schools joined this trend, resulting in an increased number of students who applied for admission. Trinity College in Connecticut saw success in a similar strategy, waiving their $65 application fee for any first-generation appliers. Inside Higher Ed explained that first-generation applicants who committed to enrolling at Trinity jumped from 8 percent to 12 percent in just a year after the fee was dropped. An increase in applicants is evident when application fees are dropped altogether. 

An example of application fees piling up can be seen through Ash Parasa, a high school senior at Morris County School of Technology in Denville, New Jersey. According to CNBC, Parasa says he is spending over $1,000 for college before even being admitted. After adding up the costs associated with submitting 20 college applications, ACT and SAT subject test reports, and a supplemental financial aid application, the CSS, the total comes to $1,700, acknowledging that the price is pretty steep. I myself have seen the high application fees, having applied to six schools and spending $360 thus far, which is just half of the schools on my list. I am grateful that my parents have funded my application fees yet many students have to pay themselves. 

Colleges often allow fee waivers to certain students. The Common Application website explains that you may qualify for fee waivers if you are enrolled in the federal free or reduced-price lunch program or a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families. With an already stressful process where even the most organized have a hard time getting each and every detail complete, applying for complicated fee waivers adds another step. 

According to the PC Prospector, it can take several steps to get a fee waiver, including talking to several admissions counselors and submitting proof. Your own school counselor must complete a fee waiver form to affirm your request. Many seniors simply do not have the time on top of schoolwork to get this all done. Similar thoughts are shown by the PC Prospector Staff later in the article, stating that “Fee waivers are available to students who need them, but the process of obtaining one is lengthy and requires counselor verification and document proof that you qualify.” Even once you’ve applied for a fee waiver, the average wait time for a decision on whether or not you qualify is 4 weeks. Instead of applying to that fifth school on a list students often narrow it down when high application fees are present. 

Attending a college or university costs a lot of money already. In an ideal world, college applications should cost around $20-$25rs, but since this isn’t necessarily possible, schools should focus on providing easier access to fee waivers. Schools would get more applicants this way but such a change would also allow more opportunities for less fortunate students. 

Work Cited

ASO Staff Writers. “College Application Fee Waivers.” Accredited Schools Online, Red Venture Company, 28 May 2021, https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/college-application-fee-waiver/. 

Jaschik, Scott. “Fee-Free College Applications Gain Popularity.” More Colleges Embrace Fee-Free Applications, Inside Higher Ed, 23 Aug. 2021, https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2021/08/23/more-colleges-embrace-fee-free-applications.  

Berger, Sarah. “This High School Senior Says He Is Spending $1,700 on College Applications.” CNBC, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2018, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/02/high-price-of-college-applications.html.  

DeAmelio-Rafferty, Lynne. “How Much Do College Applications Cost?” Edmit.png, https://www.edmit.me/blog/how-much-do-college-applications-cost.  

Staff, PC Prospector. “College Applications Are Too Expensive.” PC Prospector, https://parkcityprospector.us/2642/opinions/applying-to-college-is-too-expensive/.