If you are interested in applying for school to earn an online degree, you might be interested in learning whether or not there are application fees for online college. A majority of traditional schools do charge some sort of application fee, but the way that online colleges take applications and go through the admissions process does not always align with the way that traditional schools work. It is important that you know how much you will pay to not just attend school, but also to get into a program of your choice. Read on, and find out more about application fees and how much you might plan to spend.
Why Do Colleges Charge Application Fees in the First Place?
Most people know that attending school can be expensive, but it is not until you officially start applying to schools that you learn that the application process can be expensive too. It is actually a standard practice for schools to charge students a fee for submitting their applications for consideration. This practice is followed for both monetary reasons and other reasons that goes beyond just profits.
Related: Top Online Colleges With No Application Fee
One of the main reasons for application fees is that they can be used to deter the less than serious applicants. If colleges did not charge any type of fee to accept an application, they would inundated with piles and piles of submissions from students who just want to see if they could get in. Instead of delaying the acceptance process, the fees are used to see who seriously wants to get into school. The money is also used to cover the overhead costs associated with reviewing college applications and going through the admissions process.
How Can You Save on Application Fees?
You might not know it, but some colleges will actually waive your fee if you take the time to submit your application online. It is also possible that you can avoid a fee all together by applying for college fee waivers through your high school or the financial aide department. If you have just recently taken your SAT, you can actually get an SAT fee waiver by using the 12-digit code you are given. The money you spent to take the exam can pay off by helping you reduce or erase your college application fees.
Will an Online College Have Fees that Need to be Waived?
You might assume that online colleges do not have as many overhead costs so they do not need to charge fees, but that is not always the case. Just like traditional schools, there are some online schools that charge fees and others that do not. It generally depends upon how competitive the admissions process is and how the college is funded. Private online colleges typically use the tuition fees to pay for the admissions process instead of using fees.
You should never let college admissions fees hold you back from earning the degree that you deserve. There are ways to get fees waived through online colleges just like there are ways to get traditional fees waived. As you are searching for the best online college, it is important to focus directly on those that are accredited. Make sure you access the database of accredited online schools, and then you can start to compare the application fees for online college.
Related Resources:
- Top 20 Online Colleges with High Return on Investment
- Do Online Colleges Give College Credit for AP Courses Taken in High School?
- What is the Average GPA for Students Accepted into College?
- If I Earn a Bachelor’s Degree Online, Can I Get My Master’s at a Traditional Campus?
- If I Withdraw From an Online College Class, do I Get a Refund?
- Is Class Size Important in Online College?
- Is Earning an Online Bachelor’s Degree Cheaper Than Traditional Learning?
- Is it Important to Choose an Online Degree Program in Your Same Time Zone?
