Do You Need an Application Fee Waiver Letter Sample?

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Looking for an Application Fee Waiver Letter Sample? We’ve Got You Covered!

Have you already made your college wishlist? If yes, you know that applying to schools can impose a great financial burden. Different college fees, including the application fees, can be exorbitant.

Since many talented students come from disadvantaged families, universities offer financial aid and fee waivers. You can write a letter to the school to ask for a fee waiver or let DoNotPay request it for you in no time!

What Are College Application Fee Waivers?

Most colleges require an application fee, ranging from $40 to around $90 for more prestigious universities. Students usually choose to apply for several schools, causing application expenses to pile up.

Colleges sometimes exempt the economically disadvantaged students from paying the fees. If college application fees are a financial burden to your family, you can request a fee waiver.

Who Can Be Exempt From Paying College Application Fees?

To be spared from paying the application fee, you need to demonstrate the financial need. You can get a fee waiver if you are:

  1. A part of the family that receives public assistance
  2. Enrolled in the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s free or reduced-price lunch program
  3. A participant of programs such as GEAR UP or Upward Bound
  4. An orphan, homeless, or a ward of the state
  5. A member of a family that lives in federally subsidized public housing

How To Get Your Application Fee Waived

You have several ways of applying for a college application fee waiver.

One way is to fill in the NACAC form or an online form on the website of the school you want to apply to. In case you have already got a waiver for your ACT or SAT, you won’t have to pay the college application fees.

Another way of requesting a fee waiver is via the Common App or Coalition App. The apps have large databases of colleges, but you might not be able to use them for the school you want to enroll in.

You can also write an application fee waiver letter and send it to the school’s admission office.

All of these methods will take you a lot of time. You will have to deal with a bunch of paperwork and pay attention to the small details. If you want to make a fee waiver request fast and easy, use DoNotPay!

How To Write a Fee Waiver Request Letter

You don’t have to write a long application fee waiver letter, but make sure you address why you deserve a waiver. Here is what you should and shouldn’t do when writing a fee waiver request letter:

DosDon'ts
  • Use polite and formal language
  • Be concise and precise
  • Do the research on the school
  • Tell a little bit about yourself—why you want to attend that university and what your goals for the future are
  • Indicate what kind of financial hardship you are experiencing—whether you receive public assistance or are in a situation that puts a burden on your finances
  • Include your family’s annual income and the number of people in your household
  • Provide your and your counselor’s contact information
  • Lie about your financial situation
  • Include the unnecessary information
  • Write more than a few paragraphs
  • Wait for the last moment to send your letter
  • Send the same letter to all schools you apply to
  • Use vague language
  • Be rude

Once you write the letter, you will need to give it to your guidance counselor to sign. The school might ask you to provide additional documentation, such as medical bills, income reports, student aid reports, or termination of employment.

College Application Fee Waiver Letter Sample

While not every application fee waiver letter is the same, you can check out this sample to get an idea of what your letter should look like. Make sure you include the information relevant to your situation. Don’t forget to ask your counselor to sign the letter.

[Name]

[Address]

[City], [State] [Zip Code]

To the Director of Admission at [College],

I am writing to explain my financial hardship and request a waiver for my application fee for admission to your school.

I am [provide the details about yourself, such as the school you attend]. I’ve always been into [state why you are interested in the program you are applying to]. I hope that I can [state what your goal is] in the future.

Currently, my family is struggling financially, which makes paying the application fee difficult for me. My family’s annual income is [state the amount], and there are [number] people in my family. Recently, [state what event caused another financial problem—a family member’s illness, unemployment, or death] brought unexpected expenses to my family’s budget.

I hope that you can consider my financial situation and allow me to get a fee waiver for my application.

I am enclosing the [name of the document]

Thank you for your time and kindness. I am looking forward to hearing your response.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Writing the letter might take a while. You can lose your precious time. If you want to make the fee waiver request process faster and easier, use DoNotPay!

Get Your College Application Fee Waiver Without Writing a Letter! Use DoNotPay!

Are you not fond of writing letters? If that is the case, use DoNotPay and avoid writing the college application fee waiver letter! We will fill out all the necessary forms and send them to the university's financial aid office on your behalf. All you need to do is follow a few easy steps:

  1. Open DoNotPay in any
  2. Choose the College Application Fee Waiver option
  3. Pick the fee you want to waive
  4. Select the college you want to apply to and answer a few questions about your financial status
  5. Indicate whether you would like to obtain a counselor’s signature

With our app, you can wave these types of fees:

  • Transfer student
  • Enrollment deposit
  • New student application

Thanks to our extensive database, you can seek the application fee waiver from any U.S. school, including Brown University, Columbia University, Georgetown Law, Harvard Law School, The City University of New York, and others!

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