You're Staring Down 10 Application Fees. Here's the Fix.
Ten schools on your list, each charging somewhere between $50 and $90 to apply, and suddenly you're looking at hundreds of dollars before a single essay gets read. If that number is stopping you from applying to a reach school or rounding out your list, a college application fee waiver exists specifically for you. The system works, but it has a paperwork step, and senior fall is exactly when you need to move on it. Miss the window on one platform and you may end up paying a fee you never had to.
How Does the Common App Fee Waiver Work?
On the Common Application, the fee waiver is a checkbox you select yourself, and it applies automatically to every college on your list that uses Common App's fee waiver system. You don't need to submit outside paperwork through the platform itself.
Common App asks you to confirm you meet at least one of several eligibility criteria: receiving or being eligible for a fee waiver from NACAC, qualifying for a federal reduced-price lunch program, participating in a college access program like GEAR UP or Upward Bound, or your family's income falling within levels set by USDA food assistance guidelines. The full list of eligibility categories appears directly on the Common App platform when you reach that section of your profile.
Here's the part students miss: Common App also requires a school official, usually your counselor, to confirm your eligibility, typically through your School Report or a counselor recommendation form. That confirmation doesn't hold up your submission, but colleges expect it to be on file eventually. Loop your counselor in before your first fee-waived submission, not after.
What Is the NACAC Fee Waiver Form, and When Do I Need It?
The NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver is a standalone form for colleges that don't run through Common App's built-in system, and it works on the same principle: self-reported eligibility, counselor signature required. Schools with their own proprietary application portals, or that use the Coalition Application, sometimes ask for this form instead of, or alongside, their own waiver request.
To use it:
- Download the current form from NACAC, or ask your counselor if your high school keeps copies on file.
- Fill out the student section, checking whichever eligibility criteria apply to you.
- Bring it to your counselor for the signature section. Many counselors sign a stack of these in one sitting during senior fall, so ask early rather than the week a deadline hits.
- Submit the signed form directly to each college, following that school's stated method: sometimes uploaded to the applicant portal, sometimes emailed to the admissions office.
Because this form travels outside Common App, each admissions office processes it individually. Build in a few extra days before a deadline for it to get logged against your application.
Who Qualifies Automatically, and Which Schools Waive Fees on Request?
If you already qualified for an SAT or ACT fee waiver, you almost certainly qualify for a college application fee waiver too, and some schools extend the courtesy without any additional form. Fee waiver status from the College Board or ACT is one of the standard eligibility categories accepted across both Common App and NACAC systems, according to BigFuture.
Beyond those standard channels, three other paths are worth checking for every school on your list:
- First-generation applicant waivers: Many colleges waive fees for first-gen students regardless of income, as part of broader access initiatives. Check each school's admissions FAQ page directly, since this policy isn't universal.
- Campus visit waivers: Some schools waive the fee for students who attended an official info session, campus tour, or admissions event, as a reward for demonstrated interest.
- Direct request waivers: A short, honest email to an admissions office (something like: "I'm concerned about the cost of applying and would like to request a fee waiver") works more often than students expect, especially at schools without a formal published policy.
A fee waiver never factors into an admission decision. Readers evaluating your essays and transcript typically have no visibility into your waiver status, and schools that offer these waivers do so precisely because they want your application regardless of how you paid for it.
Your Next Steps
Do this before your next deadline:
- [ ] Confirm which of your schools use Common App, Coalition, or their own portal, and note which fee waiver system applies to each one.
- [ ] Check the box in your Common App profile under the fee waiver section, reading the eligibility list carefully first.
- [ ] Email your counselor this week asking them to confirm your Common App waiver and sign a NACAC form for any school that requires one.
- [ ] Look up each non-Common-App school's admissions FAQ for its own fee waiver or first-gen policy.
- [ ] If no formal policy exists, send a two-line email requesting a waiver directly to that school's admissions office.
Our senior-year guide walks through how fee waivers fit into your broader fall timeline, including which deadlines to prioritize first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does using a fee waiver hurt my chances of getting in? No. Admissions committees reading your essays and transcript generally don't see your fee waiver status, and schools offer waivers specifically so cost doesn't stop qualified applicants from applying.
Can I use a fee waiver if I'm applying to more than four schools? Yes. Common App doesn't cap the number of schools you can apply to with a waiver, though some individual colleges have historically limited how many fee-waived applications they'll accept in a cycle. Check each school's own policy, since these details vary.
What if my counselor hasn't confirmed my eligibility yet and my deadline is close? Reach out immediately, by email if you can't catch them in person, and explain the deadline clearly. Most counselors can turn a confirmation around quickly once they know it's urgent, but they can't help if they don't know you're waiting.
Do I need a different waiver for every single school? Not exactly. One Common App checkbox covers every Common App school on your list, while non-Common-App schools may need a NACAC form or their own separate request, so check each portal individually.
Let's Get Every Application In
You shouldn't have to choose between your college list and your family's budget. Work through your waiver checklist this week, keep your counselor looped in, and turn your attention back to the essays and details that actually shape your admission decision. See how GoodGoblin supports that work on our how it works page, or explore features built for exactly this stage of senior year.
Sources
- The Common Application · Common App
- National Association for College Admission Counseling · NACAC
- BigFuture College Planning · College Board BigFuture
