How To Get a Common App Fee Waiver? Guide with Tips

authorVitalii Anufriiev
September 3rd, 2023

Table of contents

Many ask how to get a common app fee waiver. In every student’s life, there will come a time when they will need to go to college. Some students go for one, and some think college is not for them. Whatever you choose, there will be at least an attempt to apply to one of the colleges you want to attend, even if you don’t pursue a student career. Therefore, you will want to know how to apply for a fee waiver common app to bypass the fee requirement.

Knowing every little detail about the application process becomes crucial as this will make your life super easy if you know the nitty-gritty that goes into these applications. Knowing some tips at the beginning of your common app essay writing and how to fix mistakes will be very useful.

For example, perhaps you are preparing for your college application essay or the supplement cover letter. But did you know there is more to a college application process than submitting your essays? Yes, that is called college application fees. Hence if you are now wondering how to get a fee waiver for the common app, you are at the right place. 

Costs of College Application Fees

Before you start with the guide, you need to understand what a Common App fee waiver is. You may have heard that these applications are not for free, but most colleges you are applying to have joined this fee bandwagon from students. Because reviewing your profile is tedious and time-consuming, it is also reasonable for institutions to charge a nominal fee.

Sometimes these fees can be anywhere between $30 to $100, and these amounts can send a student into utter shock because they are not just applying to one college; each student at least applies to two colleges before deciding which one to go for and that can amount to a lot of fees in total. Hence how to get a common app fee waiver is a common question.

Not everyone can afford these charges; thus, there are some ways where you can skip these unwarranted fees from your application process. Also, read about what is Rolling Admission and how it works. But only after reading this article.

how to get fee waiver for common app

Beyond Application Fees and Exploring Additional Expenses in the College Application Journey

There are many costs that a student must bear to apply to the college of their dreams; at minimum, it will cost a student approximately $60 for the SAT or the ACT score and another

$20 to have their test scores sent to the college they want to apply to. Also, note that there will also be a postage fee that you will need to pay, and soon you will realize that the dollar sign keeps on adding. Hence you start thinking about how to get a fee waiver for a common app.

Proven Tips to Navigate the Common App Fee Waiver Process

The good thing is that not all colleges charge these application fees, and some also open application seasons for free, meaning you may be allowed to apply for free in a given time frame; hence, you must be on your A-game if you want to leverage these benefits. Many students ask how to get a common app fee waiver; however, you must do your research well to avail of the waiver. 

The best thing you can do is review each college of your choice and learn more about their application process, timelines fee waiver common app, note them down and remember the dates on which the college does not charge an arm and a leg to evaluate your application. Also, you may read some articles on how to avoid mistakes in college applications and others.

Key Considerations for Common App Fee Waivers

You should be aware of some things regarding the college application process. Once you start applying, you will realize there are many hidden charges you did not expect to be slammed with; these financial surprises are unpleasant and can demotivate students from applying, especially those with a tight budget and in need of financial aid. That is when most of them wonder how to get a common app fee waiver.

Fees like matriculation, housing fees, or test score evaluation can be charges that no one ever expected to encounter; however, these unanticipated costs will add to your stress and may make you reevaluate your decision to apply to certain colleges. Thus are you asking yourself how to get a fee waiver for a common app before reading about a supplemental essay

Advantages of Common App Fee Waivers

Many students do not have too much free cash to pay for these many applications for their college; hence, if you and your family do not have the means to afford the fees, you can apply to colleges for free and no need to wonder how to get a common app fee waiver.

All you need to do is follow the guide and plan your next steps; being proactive can save you many dollars and may help you land your dream college.

Understanding Application Fee Waivers and What They Are and How They Benefit Students

So many students aspire to go to college, but not everyone has the funds to apply for placements, which seems to be a bit unfair due to the fee waiver common app. However, the education authorities have regulated the need for base college application fee waivers for those who cannot pay the fee to apply for admission.

A fee waiver is the best solution; thus, are you wondering how to submit a fee waiver common app?. It allows students to get exempt from paying fees while applying to the college of their choice. Hence a, students will need to fill out a form on their own, or they can take assistance from their school teachers or counselors to submit it to the university or college of their choice.

Furthermore, this fee waiver common app form is not as simple as it seems, as students will have to demonstrate that they have a financial difficulty that restricts them from paying the application fee, so they request financial aid. Furthermore, students must demonstrate that they cannot apply to the institution unless the fee is waived; hence this assistance is not for those who can completely afford the admission fee.

There are many other forms of an application fee waiver; however, those are not very important; hence, if you are wondering how to get a common application fee waiver, keep reading. In addition, there are instances where a college or university make makes you attend some webinars or seminars to get the admission fees waived.

However, your school counselor should help you find other ways to waive the application fees from the application process.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Strategies for Fee Waiver Success

If you want to know how you can get the college application fee waiver in simplest terms, then you will be surprised to know that the process is fairly simple. There are no adventures in that case, and you can help yourself in the entire process.

  • If you apply to colleges through the Common App, you can avail of the fee waiver.
  • If you apply to colleges through a Coalition Application, you can avail of the fee waiver.
  • If you gave the SAT exam with a fee waiver

However, note that if you do not qualify for the above, there are many other ways to choose a college application fee waiver still if you fall under a list of categories outlined below, including an analysis of how to submit a fee waiver common app.

How To Get a Common App Fee Waiver

Demystifying the Fee Waiver Form and Understanding Its Purpose and Usage

If you want to know whether you can apply for the waiver, you must meet the following criteria to meet the eligibility requirements for a fee waiver. However, this list is not exhaustive.

  • If you are a Veteran of the US Armed Forces, you are on active duty in the military.
  • If you receive or are entitled to free lunch at the school where you are currently enrolled in
  • If you live in subsidized housing allotted by the government, belong to a foster home, or are homeless.
  • If you get to waive the fee through ACT or a College Board
  • If your family income falls under the income eligibility criteria of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service
  • If you are in a federal, state, or in a local program that helps all low-income students and families like Upward Bound, TRiO, Educational Talent Search

However, note that it is okay if you do not fall under any of the above criteria because you can still avail of the fee waiver option. Sometimes a student may not fall under any of the criteria mentioned.

Still, they may be unable to pay for various reasons; that is when you can add a supporting document that makes your case to the college of your choice. It is recommended that you ask the assistance of your school facilitator, counselor, or community leader to help you craft a compelling case for your financial hardship.

Now when you are acknowledged with the most important steps, you can use some tips on how to make your common app essay stand out.

Normally students will go through this route if one of their parents is dead, jobless, or they have suffered unexpected expenses due to Covid-19. However, other reasons can also vary and be included in the form.

⏩ Get common application essay help from proven experts! ⏪

Steps to Avail a Common App Fee Waiver

If you want to know how you can avail of the joint app fee waiver for your college application, then you must follow a few steps to ensure you do so correctly without making any mistakes.

When you go to your profile, you will see the section of the common app, and once you click there, you will get a common application fee waiver subsection. Once you see the option, you must click it, and then you will be asked to give your supporting evidence electronically.

Then you give your supporting documents or evidence; now you click continue, and the application will be directed to your counselor assigned to you in school. They will verify it and give their e-signatures on the application.

Remember that you may not get a fee waiver for every school you apply to. Hence you will need to see if the option exists for the college of your choice. 

The drop-down menu will show you many options for selecting why you want your fee waived; for instance, you are applying through third parties. Once you complete your common app application, the form will direct you toward payment, but you will not be making any payments as you will submit the fee waiver request alongside your application.

You will find that the most common app application waivers are for local students; however, some colleges and universities extend this benefit to international students experiencing financial hardships, so it is still possible to make a fee waiver request. In this situation, the best thing to do is to contact the college’s international office, which can guide an international student better with your fee waiver queries.

Now You Know How to Get Common App Fee Waiver

The Common App fee waiver provides a valuable opportunity for students to bypass application fees and ensure equal access to college applications. At Writing Metier, we have a service of Common App assistance, so why ignore it?

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Students can request a fee waiver alongside their application by selecting the appropriate waiver option from the drop-down menu, such as applying through third parties.

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    author

    Vitalii Anufriiev

    CEO and Co-founder at Writing Metier OÜ