UTICA, N.Y. — SUNY plans to eliminate application fees for high-school seniors from low-income households applying to SUNY campuses.
Beginning on March 1, students who financially qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs, whose household income does not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or are from foster families are eligible to apply to up to seven SUNY campuses through www.suny.edu/start
Applying to all seven campuses would save up to $350 in application fees per student, SUNY said.
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The current application-waiver process created “many barriers” for low-income students, SUNY contends. A student may currently seek a waiver if a school guidance counselor signs off or if the student submits a separate waiver with family financial information.
This process has “barred many eligible students” from participating in the program, according to SUNY.
A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that students who are eligible for fee waivers are often “deterred” from even applying to college due “burdensome multiple steps” to prove eligibility, as well as “misunderstanding or confusion” about eligibility for fee waivers.
In addition, of those low-income students who have applied to a SUNY campus and are eligible for an application-fee waiver, only about 50 percent take advantage of the program.
SUNY’s waiver is now “automatic” for those eligible individuals without a need for additional paperwork or waiver applications. An estimated 110,000 seniors would be eligible for SUNY’s automatic application-fee waiver.
Students with any questions about the application process may schedule one-on-one admission help through the same website at www.suny.edu/start.
