Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board announced on Friday college application fees will be waived from October 13-19.
Free College Application Week is a statewide initiative that allows Texas residents apply to public colleges and universities in Texas at no cost.
“Texas prioritizes opportunities for students to pursue the best education they need to succeed in high demand, good-paying jobs after graduation,” said Governor Abbott. “During free college application week, Texans can apply to their preferred colleges or universities without application fees. By supporting our students today, we are investing in a stronger Texas tomorrow.”
Senate Bill 2231 from the 89th Texas Legislative Session requires all public colleges and universities in Texas to waive admission application fees fro Texas residents who apply through ApplyTexas to undergraduate programs.
“In addition to the cost savings, combined with other tools available to Texans for planning and achieving educational and career goals, free application week removes a barrier so more students can take their first step toward higher education,” said THECB Commissioner Wynn Rosser.
This year, Free College Application Week will last from October 13-19. For any years after that, it will be held the second full week of October and last from Monday until Sunday.
Any Texas residents applying for undergraduate admission at Texas public institutions through ApplyTexas may participate, including first-time college students and transfer students. To check residency status, applicants can visit the Texas Residency Guidelines.
Abbott has made education one of his highest priorities since a bill including the vouchers program passed through the Texas Legislature in May.
Since then, billions of dollars worth of funding was made available to public schools throughout the state and a push to amend the STAAR test has been discussed.
All of this, Abbott said, would put Texas on a path to become the highest-ranking state in the nation in terms of education.
To learn more about the program and how to apply for college, visit My Texas Future.
Private colleges and universities are not required to waive application admission fees, only public schools.
