The cost of college adds up quickly, including the costs to apply for college. The average college application fee is $45, according to
U.S. News & World Report.
To help high seniors and their
parents with the college application process and to help families save money on application fees, the ACT Center for Equity in Learning created the American College Application Campaign (ACAC). The goal of
ACAC is to increase the number of students pursuing higher education, especially
first-generation college students and students from low-income families.
Apply to College for Free
Many states participating in ACAC events offer students college application fee waivers during their College Application Month or Application Week.
Find out when your state participates in ACAC events such as
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) workshops and free college application periods below (
Bolded states with an asterisk * allow students to apply to college for free during the timeframe listed):
August
South Carolina: August – December
September
*Indiana: The last full week of September students can apply to several colleges for free. The “College GO!” program starts in August, with virtual FAFSA workshops occurring throughout the fall.
Missouri: September – October, 2023
Oklahoma: September 25-29, 2023
October and November
*Alabama: October 16-20, 2023
*Colorado: October 17-19, 2023
*Connecticut: November 1, 2023
*Delaware: October 1 – November 17, 2023
*Georgia: November 1-30, 2023
*Idaho: October – June, 2023; High school seniors can apply to a maximum of 10 Idaho colleges for free via Idaho’s very own common application site. Other ACAC events are hosted at public high schools throughout October.
Illinois: October 1-31
*Kansas: November 7-9, 2023
Maryland: October 1-November 12, 2023
*Michigan: October 1-31, 2023
*Mississippi: October 16-18, 2023; Students can apply to the University of Mississippi for free.
*Montana: October 2-13, 2023
New York: October 1-30, 2023
*North Carolina: October 16-20, 2023
Ohio: October 1-31, 2023
*South Dakota: October 1-November 30, 2023
*Utah: October 1-31, 2023
*Virginia: October 24-28, 2023
Washington, DC: November 1-30, 2023
West Virginia: November 1-30, 2023
June
*Minnesota: June 26-30, 2023; Visit one of 33 colleges during Minnesota State Week to apply for free.
High school juniors should know next year’s events will likely occur around the same time frame in 2024. If your state is not listed above, contact your high school counselor or visit your state’s Department of Education website. You can also check out the
ACAC map and select your home state.
Free Financial Aid Workshops
Additionally, numerous high schools in the United States are offering free financial aid workshops to help students and families navigate the FAFSA. Before you attend a financial aid workshop, consider gathering the
FAFSA documents you'll need. This will help you and your FAFSA mentor as you work to complete the financial aid form.
According to
ACT Center for Equity in Learning, more than 5,000 U.S. high schools hosted an ACAC event in 2022. An estimated 960,000 college applications were submitted for the 2022 application season. Launched in 2005, the ACAC has served 4.2 million students; more than 7 million college applications have been submitted since its inception.
Scholarships by State
Just as it’s a great idea to save money on college application fees, it’s also smart to save money when it comes to paying for school.
Create your free Fastweb profile to find scholarships that fit you. In the meantime, you can also
find scholarships by state.
