Albany, NY – Today, during College Application Month, State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced SUNY will waive up to five application fees per student across its 64 colleges and universities from October 21 through November 3. The two-week long Free Application initiative encourages high school seniors to find their perfect SUNY campus and apply for college early in the application period.
Students May Go to ApplySUNY or Common App and Apply to Up to Five Campuses Through November 3 at No Cost
The potential savings for each student adds up to $250, removing an early barrier to accessing the affordable higher education SUNY provides. At $7,070 per year, SUNY is an exceptional value for students and families. In addition, 52% of New York State resident full-time SUNY students attend tuition-free thanks to federal, state, and institutional financial aid. Many families qualify for tuition support through New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program and Excelsior Scholarship. High school seniors may apply here now.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced fee waivers last week as she proclaimed October as College Application Month in New York State to expand opportunities for students – especially students from low-income families, first-generation college students, and students who may not otherwise apply for college due to financial barriers – to achieve their academic and career aspirations.
"Across SUNY, we are proud to join Governor Hochul in promoting College Application Month and providing fee waivers, which can add up quickly for high school seniors and their families," said SUNY Chancellor King. "There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker and through fee waivers and ongoing support from campus financial aid officers, campus enrollment teams, and our college admissions staff, we can ensure every high school student finds and applies to the campuses that will help them achieve their dreams."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY is committed to providing a high-quality, affordable, and accessible college experience across our 64 campuses, and we are proud to join the Governor in ensuring high school seniors across the Empire State have access to the first step of the college process with ease. Through Free Application Weeks families will be able to prioritize college application decisions with their child’s goals and aspirations in mind, and without the stress of accumulating application fees."
NY Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said, "SUNY prides itself on providing a quality and affordable education for all New Yorkers. By waiving application fees we are opening doors for students to continue their educational journey. This helps in reversing declining enrollment. I thank Chancellor King for making the application process more affordable. I strongly encourage all students to take advantage of this initiative."
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Chair of the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Higher Education, said, "I encourage all students and families to take advantage of this window to apply for free at SUNY and CUNY institutions. With expanded tuition assistance, there has never been a more affordable time to attend college or university in New York State, and we will continue working to remove financial barriers for all students seeking to achieve their dream of a higher education. We’re making historic investments in student affordability and ensuring that more and more New Yorkers can attend their college and university of choice, regardless of cost."
Application waivers are applied to both ApplySUNY Applications and the Common App. For ApplySUNY, students will automatically see the first five campuses in their application waived. For those applying with Common App, students will need to apply campus by campus. During Free Application Weeks, students will be prompted to select "yes" for the fee waiver of each SUNY school, up to five.
In addition to Free Application Weeks, SUNY also has ongoing fee waivers that apply to 60 percent of all high school seniors, including students attending high schools with large numbers of free and reduced lunch recipients, students in foster care, students from low-income households, and students with military connections. In addition, the application fee waiver applies to students on track to receiving an associate degree at a SUNY community college, to apply to a bachelor’s degree granting SUNY campus. Last year, the SUNY Board of Trustees also approved an ongoing application fee waiver for all AmeriCorps alumni. For more information about ongoing application fee waiver programs, please visit this link.
