College application fees need to be removed

Colleges already have a high price, do they need the extra cost of applications? On average, the fees are $40. It is suggested that students apply to seven schools (2 reach colleges, 3 target colleges, and 2 safety schools). Most reach schools have application fees of $75. This means that students spend about $350 simply applying to colleges.

$350 may not seem like a lot compared to the actual cost of college itself, but it should. That money could be spent on numerous other things in college, such as books or food. The fees themselves have very little reason. Some claim that fees are necessary because colleges and universities are still places of business and need sources of income. On the other hand, they will still have tuition as income, and tuition is much more than $350.

Some argue that the fees make it so colleges receive applications from students who actually want to attend the school; if no fees existed, the students would fill out as many applications possible to increase their odds. However, most students are not going to take the time to fill out too many applications. There are other factors that deter students from applying, like the cost of the school or the number of essays required.

Removing the cost of applications would have many benefits. It would expand equal access to college admissions. Low-income students may not apply to a certain college due to the cost of applications, even if they could have a chance at making it in. Students who can contribute to the academic world may not get the chance to.

Another benefit is that the elimination of fees could spike interest in certain degrees. One school, The George Washington University Law School, removed its fees for their law program; this opened to more students and so it became more diverse. Diversity allows for new and different ideas and personalities to take part.

Some colleges, like the University of Dayton and Case Western University, have already removed fees for applications. There is a way to waive the fees, through College Board, but it is possible for only 4 schools. Nevertheless, all schools should remove fees so more students can apply and diversity among students can take place. $350 is just an estimation, but it still is a lot of money.