Application Costs & Fee Waivers

Applying to College
1

Hey everyone. My parents used to make about $45K a year, which qualified us for reduced lunch. However, two years ago they began working overtime, which brought our income up to $65K, making us ineligible for reduced lunch. Because of that, we’ve had to pay out of pocket for SAT and SAT subject tests, which were pretty expensive.

Now these application costs are seriously creeping up on us. I’ve got 10 schools on my list, all of which cost about an average of $75 each. Is there any way to get fee waivers without reduced/free lunch or SAT/ACT waivers? Our family doesn’t have any extenuating circumstances or something, we just make too much for reduced lunch but not enough to comfortably pay application fees.

Thanks for reading!

EDIT: Double checked and they cost an average of $85 :frowning:

2

You could contact the school and ask, or check the box on the Common App that says something along the lines of you don’t think you can afford the app fees.

3

You can get a fee waiver from the common app. Ask your counselor to justify your need.

4

Check with the school’s webpages too. My Ivy alma mater grants a waiver if you request one – no questions asked