Application fees to Texas public higher education institutions will be waived from Oct. 13-19 for in-state students.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 2231 on June 21, which creates Free College Application Week and requires the Texas Higher Education Board to waive college application fees during certain periods.
Currently, the cost to apply to UT for domestic students seeking an undergraduate degree is $75. However, applicants will not have to pay the fee during the second week of October if they submit their application through ApplyTexas, a website designated for public Texas university applications.
“This policy removes financial barriers for families, encourages post-secondary opportunities and streamlines the admissions process through My Texas Future,” wrote Texas House Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown, a sponsor of the bill, in an email. “By waiving application fees during this window, we are sending a clear message: If you’re willing to work hard and pursue higher education, Texas wants you to succeed.”
Wilson said he supported the bill because of potentially high college application prices for students.
“Recognizing that many students apply to anywhere between five and 10 institutions of higher education during their senior year of high school and that most applications range anywhere from $60 to $75, this solution made perfect sense,” Wilson wrote.
Valentina Balladares, a rising high school senior in Texas, is applying to multiple in-state public colleges, including UT. If her school had not waived her application fees, she said she would have been limited in how many applications she could have sent. This new implementation could help students who may not have the resources to apply to many colleges, she said.
“It’s really such a great opportunity, especially for low-income households,” Balladares said. “That would help a lot for students who don’t have (much), don’t come from a big income family or don’t have part-time jobs either.”
Democratic State Sen. Royce West wrote in an email that he co-authored the bill to alleviate students from the financial stress of college applications.
“I believe creating a consistent, annual opportunity for Texans to be able to apply to state universities without a fee is important,” West wrote. “This is one way of easing the financial burden of applying to college.”
