The college application can be a daunting prospect for many people, especially those who are considering returning to school after a long absence. Many people find it beneficial to apply to a variety of colleges in order to ensure that they are accepted into a school that meets their needs. Unfortunately, in addition to being time-consuming and exhausting, the application process is frequently accompanied a fee. While this fee is usually small, ranging from $15 to $25 USD in most cases, it can be as high as $50 USD in some cases, and over a large number of applications, this can quickly add up.
You may be looking for schools that offer a free college application if you are considering a variety of colleges or simply want to apply to ten or more schools to ensure you get into somewhere suitable. As a result of the fact that students are not always able to afford the application fee, an increasing number of schools are offering a free college application. A number of schools charge a processing fee for applications submitted the traditional way, but they offer a free college application for online admissions because it saves them time and paper.
If certain criteria are met, many schools will provide a free college application. Some colleges, for example, waive application fees if you apply during specific times of the year, others if you visit the campus, still others if you have a sibling or relative who attended the college, and still others if you are an international student. Even colleges that don’t offer a free college application usually have a system in place to waive the fee, which can usually be done simply calling and requesting it, or in some cases submitting documentation demonstrating that you can’t afford to pay the fee.
Indiana Wesleyan University, Julliard School, Blue Mountain College, Oregon Institute of Technology, Tulsa University, Tulane University, Wheaton College, Nyack College, Lyon College, Grace College, and Grace College are some of the schools that offer a free college application. The dates when applications are free vary school and may change from year to year, but each college has a website that lists the dates when applications are free.
Willamette College, Tulane University, Monmouth College, Hanover College, Hampshire College, Roanoake College, Green Mountain College, Arcadia University, Brandeis University, Whittier College, Polytechnic University, Notre Dame College, and Lewis & Clark College are some of the schools that offer a free college application if you apply online. However, there are hundreds of colleges that offer free online applications, and a comprehensive list would take pages.
Despite the trend toward a fee-free college application process, many colleges continue to charge. They defend the practice claiming that it forces students to prioritize which colleges they want to apply to, therereducing the number of applicants in the pool and allowing colleges to make more informed admission decisions, as a higher percentage of accepted applicants are more likely to attend. Even at colleges with an application fee, these people usually point out that there is a waiver process for those who can’t afford to apply, which is often handled directly the college or through a body like the National Association for College Admission Counseling.