Everything About Colleges and Fees That You Can Expect

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Top U.S. Colleges and Fees They Involve

College life might be exciting, but all the fun stops when you face exorbitant college fees. Even before you enroll in a college, you have to pay application fees, which can pile up quickly.

Learn what fees you might expect as a college student and see how DoNotPay can help you save money on admission application fees.

What College Fees Do Students Need To Pay?

College students spend the most on tuition, housing, food, and books. These expenses are the common ones, but colleges charge other kinds of fees students might not expect. Here are some fees you might need to pay:

FeesCoverage and Cost

Orientation

  • Orientation advice and pre-registration sessions
  • From $50 to $300

Lab

  • Costs of the microscope and other equipment repairs
  • Can be around $150

Campus services

  • Campus maintenance, student programs, and facilities
  • Can be more than $1,000

Campus spirit fee

  • College’s athletic programs
  • Around $100

Tech fee

  • Access to Wi-Fi, computers, and printers
  • The fee amount depends on the college

Transportation fees

  • Travel around the campus
  • From $50 to more than $150

Wellness fees

  • Health programs
  • Can be more than $90

Freshmen fees

  • Student support programs and services
  • Price is different from college to college

College Fees Most Students Worry About

When choosing colleges to enroll in, you should pay attention to the amount of:

  1. Application fees
  2. Tuition

Application Fees for Colleges

Colleges incur application fees to cover the costs of reviewing each application. Having application fees also helps institutions reduce the number of applicants. The average cost of college application fees is $44, but they can amount to $100. These fees add up easily because students usually apply to five or more colleges.

College Tuition Fees in the USA

The price of tuition varies from college to college. Tuition at private colleges is much higher than at public ones. According to U.S. News, the average cost of tuition at private colleges is $35,087, while in-state public schools have an average tuition of $9,687. Out-of-state students need to pay around $21,184 for tuition at public colleges.

Check out how much you need to pay for the application fee and tuition at some of the top colleges in America:

SchoolApplication FeeTuition Fee
Harvard College$75$49,653
Yale$80$57,700
Princeton University$70$53,890
Syracuse University$85$50,700
The California State University$70Up to $5,742 for undergraduate students

East Carolina University

$75$23,516
University of Utah$55$9,286 for residents
Stanford University$90$18,491 for undergraduate students

What Kind of Financial Aid Can College Students Get?

Many students find it impossible to pay tuition and give up on applying to their dream colleges. To avoid losing talented students from low-income families, most colleges offer financial aid. You can apply for grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study jobs. Check out what kind of financial aid your college gives or apply for some federally-supported programs.

If you can’t pay for college application fees, you can request a fee waiver and lower your expenses. To get a fee waiver, you need to meet certain financial criteria.

Who Can Qualify for College Application Fee Waivers

Students who are struggling financially can apply for an application fee waiver. Colleges have different criteria that establish who is eligible for a waiver, but most of them approve waivers for students who:

  1. Live in a foster home
  2. Receive public assistance
  3. Are homeless, orphans, or wards of the state
  4. Participate in financial aid programs, such as Upward Bound
  5. Come from a family that lives in a federally subsidized public housing
  6. Are eligible for the Pell Grant or the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL) program

Another criterion applies to students who belong to a family with an annual income at or below the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s guidelines:

Number of Household MembersAnnual Income
One$12.760
Two$17,240
Three$21,720
Four$26,200
Five$30,680
Six$35,160
Seven$39,640
Eight$44,120

You can also use your SAT, ACT, or NACAC fee waiver when applying to most colleges.

How To Request an Application Fee Waiver by Yourself

If you want to get a college application fee waiver, you can request it in the following ways:

  • With DoNotPay
  • Through Common App or Coalition App
  • Via the application form on the website of the college you want to apply to
  • By asking a school counselor to fill out the necessary forms and submit them
  • By contacting a college’s Admission Office and explaining your financial situation

The methods of applying for fee waivers differ from college to college. You should check what options the colleges on your wishlist accept.

Filling out the forms on the Common App, Coalition App, or colleges’ websites can take a lot of your precious time. You may also have to wait for a while for your counselor to deal with all documents.

If you want to submit a fee waiver request in the fastest way possible, use DoNotPay!

DoNotPay Helps You Request College Fee Waivers Fast and Easily

If you want to submit a fee waiver request effortlessly, use DoNotPay! With our app, you can request fee waivers for:

  • New student applications
  • Transfer student applications
  • Enrollment deposits

Our AI-assisted app can fill out the required forms on your behalf and send the fee waiver request to the college of your choosing. We have an extensive database of U.S. colleges, including Purdue University, Boston University, Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and many others.

To request a fee waiver via DoNotPay, all you need to do is:

  1. Access DoNotPay from any
  2. Select the College Application Fee Waiver feature
  3. Choose the fee you want to waive
  4. Pick a college and answer the questions about your financial status
  5. State whether you would like to obtain a counselor’s signature

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