Criteria for Common App Fee Waivers

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Vinay Bhaskara in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

 

 

You may be wondering what the criteria are that allow a student to be eligible for fee waivers for the Common Application. This article will explain each of them. 

 

Eligibility for Common App Fee Waivers

 

One of the criteria the Common App uses for fee waiver eligibility is whether an applicant is approved to participate in the federal free or reduced price lunch program. If an applicant’s family receives public assistance, they will generally be eligible too. 

 

Enrollment in a federal, state or local program that aids students from low income families will also allow an applicant to gain a fee waiver. Examples of these programs include Gear Up and Upward Bound. 

 

Other cases that will grant a student a fee waiver include living in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home. Being homeless, the ward of the state, an orphan, or meeting the requirements to receive a Pell Grant will all make an applicant fee waiver eligible as well. And of course, a supporting statement from you, a school official, a college access counselor, a financial aid officer, or even a community leader can also determine eligibility. 

 

In general, a student will satisfy the requirements for a fee waiver if they meet one or more of the criteria described in this article. The more criteria a student meets, the more likely they are to receive a fee waiver.

 

Wondering How Much College Will Cost Your Family?

 

The actual cost of each college can vary significantly for the same family, and you can’t trust the sticker price to tell you your personal cost of attendance. After financial aid, expensive private colleges can actually be cheaper than in-state public schools for some families.

 

Want to estimate your cost of attendance? You can use each individual school’s net price calculator, or check out our free Financial Aid Calculator for an estimate at hundreds of schools in just 3 minutes. 

 

Our free Chancing Engine will also tell you your chances of acceptance based on your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and demographics. Use these free tools to improve your profile and plan for your college finances!