Getting a college education is expensive, starting from the college application process. Because of the high cost of quality education, some opt to take free college, and some opt not to study anymore because they can't afford it. Wouldn't it be nice if there were some ways to lower the costs of education?
Many college-bound students apply for college without knowing the costs. Because of this, some students get surprised, Evan Jackson, a school counselor and president-elect of the Ohio School Counselor Association, told U.S. News.
"I think that depending on the college, there is a bit of a sticker shock," Jackson says.
Some of the application fees actually cause college aspirants to just turn their backs and go away.
"It's not often, but I have had students say, 'I'm not going to apply to this one because this is too expensive,'" Jackson added.
To help with the costs of college application and admission, here are some tips for students, taken from U.S. News.
Save money on college visits
Going to a prospective school can be costly, especially if the school is far away from where the student lives. For this, fly-in or diversity programs, which allow students to learn about a school while on campus in a weekend, can help.
"What I tell my students is, 'If you know that you're interested in a school and you know that you'd like to go visit them, then come see your school counselor and we can research the college fly-in programs,'" Katherine Pastor, school counselor at Flagstaff High School in Arizona, said.
See if you qualify for college application waivers
Students who qualify for a fee waiver can save up to $57 for the SAT and almost $59 for the ACT exams with an essay. Students who availed of a low-income student program like Upward Bound can usually avail of SAT and ACT exam fee waivers.
It would also be good to look for other college application fee waivers.
"Using a fee waiver is a common part of the application process, and most colleges have information about fee waivers on their websites," Jaslee Caryol, a spokeswoman for the College Board, said.
Apply for a CSS/Financial Aid Profile waiver
Students applying to private schools should fill out the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, in addition to the FAFSA. This Financial Aid Profile, which is used to award institutional financial aid and scholarships, is used by more than 300 schools and scholarship programs.
