8. Expand access to application fee waivers for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes.

Policymakers should expand access to application fee waivers for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes.

The cost of college begins long before enrollment, with expenses adding up such as application fees, taking standardized tests, and submitting those test scores to higher education institutions. While the average college application fee is about $45, 64 institutions of higher education, including several highly selective institutions, have application fees of over $75.^[i] These application costs disproportionately impact students with fewer financial resources. For high school seniors who apply to seven or more schools, their average cost in application fees will be between $132-$308.^[i] Some current eligibility criteria for college application fee waivers include:

• Eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch
• Annual family income within guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service
• Enrollment in federal, state, or local student aid programs for families with lower incomes
• Receiving public assistance
• Living in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or experiencing homelessness
• Being a ward of the state or an orphan

Despite these eligibility criteria, the cost of application fees continues to be a barrier for students who may not meet these requirements

^[i]“College Compass Marketing Page,” U.S. News College Compass. https://www.usnews.com/usnews/store/college_compass.

^[ii]Eagan, Kevin; Bara Stolzenber, Ellen; Bates, Abigail; Aragon, Melissa; Suchard, Maria, & Rios-Aguilar, Cecilia. “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2015,” Fall 2015. https://www.heri.ucla.edu/monographs/TheAmericanFreshman2015.pdf.