Happy Labor Day Weekend! This is my first post and I could really use some direction. My son has received numerous application offers of no application fees but because they were not schools he was thinking about they all went into recycling. However, I’m regretting that happened. Other than qualifying for the free lunch program or government poverty level guidelines, is there any way to acquire a fee waiver? While we don’t officially qualify for those waivers, we are paying off tremendous medical bills and resources are tight. Thank you for any guidance.
We too are receiving a lot of free applications from some very good schools. I understand, no financial aid for us either but have tremendous medical bills since the ACA and are responsible for our own retirement. I have been saving the free application offers but when I spilled water on one we definitely want to apply to, I thought, “what could I do to retrieve it?” I think I would call the admissions office for the college and explain that the card was accidently damaged or displaced. Hopefully they can look up your child’s name (or list) and give you a free code #.
Just call the schools and ask. Some have free application time periods, but I’m sure would extend. They love to know you are interested. Some schools have free applications online, but you have to pay if you use the common app.
Doesn’t cost anything to ask.
I believe all Tulane applications are free.
UM-TC offer Golden Gopher free application to students with good PSAT score.
We have found that some schools advertise an application fee, but then state that it’s waived if applying for financial aid. We are not going to qualify for much need based aid, but will still apply in order to get a small amount of grants, as well as work study and loans. My understanding is that the fee will then be waived. Definitely check with the admissions office, or read their website more closely for those little details.
Your son might have received the same free application offers by email. It might be worth having him check.
I understand in the college fairs you can ask to have the application fee waived and th college will provide a code
Our D received an application fee waiver for visiting one of the colleges she applied to.
From what I understand, most colleges will grant a few waver if a school official like a guidance counselor advocates on the student’s behalf explaining why it is needed.
I know that Pitt offers application fee waivers for any student that does a campus tour. Maybe other schools offer similar waivers? A quick Google search will get you lists of colleges that do not have an application fee. Saint Louis University is one that I know of since D18 is applying.
I remember back when my daughter was applying, she got a application fee waiver from Fordham (the only school she was actually going to apply to that sent her one). Come application time, in the haste, stress, and confusion of getting everything in on time, we totally forgot and paid the fee - UGH!
Thank you to all of you for your ideas and responses. This is a terribly stressful time while at the same time being an incredibly wonderful adventure. I just need to remember to breathe. We live in the southeast and are looking at schools with good engineering depts that aren’t too far from home. I’ll start trying your suggestions today.
Only do free apps to schools that are worth doing applying to. Applying just because they are free is pointless if stats don’t put the kid into the merit pile, or FA isn’t likely. Free apps like Tulane, CSM, Uminn, NEU, CWRU (my kid did all those as free on his round a couple of years ago) are only worthwhile if you can afford the COA. We were just merit hunting but even then you have to pay to send ACT scores. Define what you can afford to pay for uni and what your kid’s stats look like and then run the NPCs/EFC.
Great advice Sybylla. Thank you.
@eh1234 You were right. Some of them did send him links as well as hard copies of waiver codes. Thank you again!
I wanted to add, even before your son gets accepted to multiple schools, don’t be hesitant to discuss your financial aid application with the FA Directors at the schools he is applying to. They are there to help students and applicants out with this process. While we have only one income and a significant history of medical expenses, I was terrified at first about our pups’ chances. Thankfully my SIL informed us that we should discuss the FA application process with each school before they applied - the goal is to be sure the initial application fairly describes what our situation involves.
Some of the schools preferred to talk in general terms only because they only review FA applications for accepted students, but all of the schools we reviewed truly wanted to help us out.
They helped us organize our thoughts for the “supplemental information” section by noting that “because of the family medical issues, we have spent $XXX,XXX over the past XX years in unreimbursed medical expenses”, and specify how much of it was the past year. Because of this, we had been unable to save for retirement, nor for college. I was kind of surprised/pleased that they don’t need/want the diagnosis, but they do want to know if the condition/ expenses are ongoing or not.
Medical expenses suck, but all colleges are experienced in analyzing them. Help them help you, by getting them the information they need to consider your situation fairly. If you get them everything with the application, your chances of better aid are improved. Even if your income is otherwise sufficient such that you might not qualify for much aid, several schools do have resources and discretion to consider other factors.
Thank you so much for your kind and insightful response. This has been incredibly stressful. On the one hand, I want the best for our son while on the other, I realize that there is only so much financially we can do at this time. I finally grit my teeth and asked his high school for help with waivers but was informed that in order to provide help they would need all kinds of financial information, including pay stubs and dr bills,and that those expenses would have to bring our total income to a certain level. The bills, fortunately don’t reduce our income to that level but they do reduce our disposable income significantly. While this is a difficult time financially, it is hopefully only temporary and we have decided to forgo supplying his high school with that information. I will look to the colleges for waiver help and go from there. Thank you again.
OP - I hope your difficult financial situation is temporary. I often have to remind myself to count my blessings when I get stressed over things like this. I think it is a shame that high schools are such a bureaucratic mess that their hands are tied so they cannot help many folks out. You may find several of the public universities to be similar, but a lot of privates are much more willing and able to help.
FYI: The application fee may be waived, but there are still fees to send SAT/ACT and subject test scores.