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| College Costs- Even Before You Get There |
| By Allison Kade |
 You and your parents are bracing yourselves for the big price tag attached to a college education. Did you think about the price of simply applying? Application fees generally range from $40 to $65, with the average being about $60. Students who apply to a number of schools soon realize how quickly those fees add up. Suppose that a student applies to seven schools that charge $60 apiece. Already he has spent $420, not counting the postage for large application packets and preaddressed envelopes for teacher recommendations and school transcripts to each of those institutions.
Most (though not all) schools charge the same amount for paper and online submissions, and the fees for common applications are the same as school-specific applications. What do you get in return? Stress, aggravation, and the chance that after all of this you might not get in.
But hey, what can you do?
If you qualify for free or reduced lunch at a public school, you probably also qualify for a fee waiver. Pay a visit to your college advisor to ask about whether you are eligible for such a waiver. If nothing else, most colleges have an option available for a fee waiver request.
Limit the number of colleges you apply to. It sounds pretty basic, but plenty of people apply to schools they have little to no interest in. So your mother liked the window curtains, so your father loves their football team—how do you feel about the school? The application fee is the same whether you want to go there or not. Choose wisely.
Consider applying early. You should not by any means apply early decision to a college you are not positive about, but if it is a school you know you want to attend, applying early can save you the money and aggravation of applying to many other schools.
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Comments: |
On Monday, 5 Feb 2007, Sonja said:
You shouldn't just apply randomly to colleges hoping to get into one of them. Do your research. Find out if the programs are right for your goals and ambitions. Does you qualify for entry? Find three or four that meet your needs then apply to them. As previously mentioned, some colleges will waive fees, especially if you apply at one of their welcome sessions. In the end, if you've done your research and choose wisely, you shouldn't be spending more than $250.00 on applicaiton fees. This is a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the college costs. Good luck on your search! |
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On Wednesday, 6 Feb 2008, kimberly said:
this is a great website |
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On Thursday, 15 Feb 2007, David said:
Check your application. Many colleges waive their application fee. |
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On Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007, krn said:
I applied early to 7 schools and midway to 2. 5 of the early and 1 of the midway schools waived my fee completely, the other midway said it would credit back if I were accepted. The other 2- I didn’t ASK. Apply wherever you are interested in- I ended up going to the midway application that waived my fee, they also were giving me the most AFTER acceptance financial assistance and discounts. YOU NEVER KNOW- DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF! |
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On Friday, 8 Sep 2006, dave said:
i think you should apply for as many schools as you can and then just go to the best one you get accepted to. the app fees add up but my parents paid for it. |
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On Wednesday, 20 Sep 2006, keen33 said:
yeah but thats dumb only apply where you're going to go |
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On Wednesday, 24 Oct 2007, Great Ninja said:
ya and most schools charge fees yo and ninja melissa is broke homes! |
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