The fall of senior year is typically filled with students completing and submitting college applications. As deadlines approach, so do the fees that are required in order to submit them. Most college application fees in North Carolina range between $40 and $85 for a four-year public university. However, many students apply to multiple colleges, allowing the fees to quickly add up. For some families, these costs can become a financial burden, especially when combined with potential additional fees for standardized test scores or transcript requests.
So, why are application fees so expensive?
Many colleges claim that the fees are so high because of “processing and administrative costs.” But what does that really mean? As expected, some of the money goes toward paying admissions staff and keeping online systems running. Yet, many argue that the high prices don’t actually reflect the cost it takes to review a single application. To students, these fees can feel like a money-grabber for colleges, allowing them to charge more than they truly need. A lot of schools’ response to this argument is that more expensive costs help them filter out unwanted applicants. If the price is higher, people who don’t think they have a chance of getting in are less likely to apply.
To combat this, some select colleges participate in free application weeks, which allow students to submit applications at no cost during the specified time period. However, this isn’t always helpful for students if the participating schools don’t align with their college list.
Fee waivers are also available to families who qualify. They are often reserved for student’s families who meet certain income criteria. However, this still leaves many families in the middle, as they do not quite meet the fee waiver requirements but still struggle to pay for the applications. As a result, students don’t really have much of a choice but to pay, if they want to have multiple college options.
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