How many fee waiver requests may I submit?
The Application for Fee Waiver Request Form is intended to be used at the schools to which a student is most interested in attending. NACAC recommends limiting the use of the form to no more than four (4) schools. If the Request for Application Fee Waiver is not accepted by the college or university, the student must pay the application fee.
Does my school counselor need to sign the fee waiver form?
Yes. A secondary school counselor, Independent Counselor or TRIO representative must verify that the student is qualified to use the form.
My counselor is not a NACAC member; can I still use the form?
Although not required, it is preferable that the form is used by a NACAC member or member institution.
Where do I mail the form?
Mail the Fee Waiver Form directly to the admission office of the institution to which you are applying.
What are the income eligibility guidelines for the Free and Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL) program?
Source: Federal Registrar Notice Vol. 76, No. 58 
Is the school seal required?Yes, the school seal or an official business card of the counselor is required to verify the information is accurate. Is there a directory of colleges/universities who accept the forms? Does every school accept the form?
Beginning in 2011-12, all Common Application
member institutions agreed to accept both the NACAC and College Board fee
waiver requests. However, NACAC does not
maintain a directory of institutions that accept the fee waiver form. Some
institutions have their own institutional application fee waivers as
well. If you are seeking information as to an institution’s fee waiver
policies, NACAC strongly encourages contacting the Office of Admission for the
school(s) in question.What happens if I apply to a school and they do not accept the NACAC fee waiver?
Each
institution makes the final decision to accept or decline fee waiver
forms. If a fee waiver is declined, the student will be asked, by the
institution, to pay the application fee.
Does
the NACAC fee waiver apply to transfer or nontraditional students?
The NACAC Request for
Admission Application Fee Waiver form is only intended for students who are
applying for direct matriculation to college from high school. Transfer and
nontraditional students should contact the admission office of each school to
which they are applying for information regarding possible institution-specific
fee waivers.
I am
a homeschooled student. How can I obtain the necessary signature and seal to
complete the form?
Homeschooled students should first attempt to have the
form signed by a designated official at a local high school. Students are
encouraged to contact the school in advance to schedule an appointment.
Remember to bring documentation of your eligibility to use the form.
If a student is unable to obtain permission from a designated school official,
the individual responsible for oversight of the homeschooling may complete the
form. In this instance, the school seal is not required; however, the
individual completing the form should provide his or her full contact information
along with a letter of explanation as to why the student is eligible to use the
NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee
Waiver.
Are
international students eligible to use the form?
Because eligibility criteria are based on income data
from the United States Federal Register, the form does not apply to
international students.
I am
a United States citizen currently studying abroad. Am I eligible to use the fee
waiver?
If you are a resident of the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii, the District
of Columbia, Guam, or any United States territory, you are eligible to use the
NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee
Waiver form.
I
just graduated but did not apply to college for the fall semester. Can I still
use the form in the future?
The NACAC Request for
Admission Application Fee Waiver form is intended only for
traditional high school students applying to postsecondary colleges or
universities in the fall immediately following high school graduation. Students who did not directly matriculate
should contact the specific colleges in which they are interested for information
regarding possible fee waivers.
I
have been out of high school for a while and want to apply to college. Can I
use the fee waiver form?
The NACAC Request for
Admission Application Fee Waiver form is only intended for
students who apply for direct fall matriculation (i.e., the fall semester
immediately following their senior year). Students who did not directly
matriculate should contact the specific colleges in which they are interested
for information regarding possible fee waivers.
I
plan on applying to more than four colleges. Can I use more than four fee
waiver forms?
The final decision regarding the submission of fee
waivers rests with the designated school official (i.e., the person at the high
school who authorizes the form). NACAC
recommends limiting use of the form to no more than four (4) colleges.
Can the
NACAC form be used in conjunction with College Board fee waivers?
The NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver form and SAT® Fee
Waiver are mutually exclusive. As such, students may use both the NACAC and
College Board forms when requesting fee waivers. In other words, students may theoretically
use the NACAC form at four (4) colleges and the SAT® Fee Waiver at a maximum of
four (4) separate colleges.
Can
I use a fee waiver if I am using the Common Application online?
Yes.
For more detailed information, NACAC encourages you to consult the Common
Application Support Center’s payment
section. Please note that if the school to which you are
applying does not accept electronic documents, a paper form must be submitted
to the institution’s admission office.
Do I
have to send a hard copy of the fee waiver after I indicate that I’m using a
fee waiver on the Common Application?
Beginning in 2012-13, it is no longer necessary to send a
hard copy of the NACAC waiver if the student’s high school has the capability to submit the form online (either via The Common
Application Online or Naviance). If a student cannot submit the form online, he
or she must mail a paper copy to each institution’s office of admission with
his or her application for admission.
When
will I hear from the college that they have accepted my fee waiver?
In most instances, colleges will only initiate contact
with a student if a fee waiver has been denied.
A
college denied my fee waiver request. What should I do?
Each institution reserves the right to accept or decline
the request form. Some colleges do not grant fee waivers at all, which is a
common reason for a denial. Clerical errors and illegible/incomplete forms also
have a higher incidence of denial. If you have questions about why your request
was denied, please contact the institution from which the denial was
administered.
Can
I still use a fee waiver if I have not met the financial eligibility
guidelines?
NACAC understands the presence
of extenuating circumstances for which the form does not account. If the
designated school official is aware of a situation that, within the context of
professional judgment, warrants a fee waiver, he or she may sign the form. The
signee should check the “Other” box in the Economic Need section and provide
written justification as to why the student should have his or her application
fee waived.
Should
I send the fee waiver form before or after I send my application?
Students submitting the NACAC fee waiver online are
required to initiate this request prior to submission of an application. For students using the paper form, it should be sent along with all other
application materials.
Can
I fax the fee waiver form to the college?
For security purposes, the form must be submitted either
via postal mail or a verified electronic server (e.g., The Common Application
Online, Naviance).
Do I
need to fill out a separate fee waiver for the additional colleges to which I’m
applying?
Students
using the Common Application must indicate their intention to use the NACAC fee
waiver in the “Payment” section before the application can be submitted. The
student’s high school counselor is then issued a prompt to authorize the
form. Students must follow this process
for each Common Application institution to which they apply (if they intend to
use a fee waiver).
If the school is not
on the Common Application but accepts the NACAC fee waiver via Naviance,
the same process applies.
If a student is applying via postal mail, a hard copy of the NACAC fee waiver
must be sent directly to the school’s admission office.
Can
someone other than my school counselor sign my fee waiver form?
Yes. If someone else at your school is considered a
designated official, he or she may sign the form. In addition, professionals at
community based organizations, independent educational consultants, and TRIO
representatives are also authorized to sign the form.
I am
authorized to sign the form but do not work at a school. What should I do about
obtaining a seal/stamp and CEEB number?
If you are a non-school official signing a student’s fee
waiver, please affix a business card (or a sheet that includes your full
contact information) to the request form.
The stamp/seal and CEEB/program numbers may be left blank in this
scenario.
Can
I use the NACAC fee waiver for the SAT or ACT?
No. The NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee
Waiver form is only intended to assist with college admission application fees.
Need more information? Email pd@nacacnet.org.