To ease university admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic, several institutions are offering test waivers, extending application deadlines, and even giving a college application fee waiver! 

One of the key steps while applying to study abroad is submitting the university application form. This form has to be filled out separately for every university you apply to. It contains several details about you and your profile which help the admissions committee decide if they want to admit you into the university. The only catch is this – if you want to apply to a university, you also have to pay the application fee. But this year, owing to the pandemic, a lot of colleges are trying to ease the application process. And they are doing it by giving a college application fee waiver to students from around the world.

Universities with a college application fee waiver 

Usually, some colleges don’t charge students an application fee. Others, however, ask kids to spend $45 to $105 per application every year.

But this time, several institutions have started giving a complete or partial college application fee waiver to international students around the world. Let’s take a look at these schools one by one.

1. University of Bath
2. Kent State University
3. University of Akron
4. Valdosta State University
5. University of Iowa | Tippie College of Business
6. Villa Maria College
7. University of Melbourne | Melbourne Business School
8. West Texas A&M University
9. University of Wisconsin
10. Western Illinois University
11. University of Manchester | Alliance Manchester Business School
12. Asia School of Business
13. University of Georgia | Terry College of Business
14. College of Charleston | School of Business
15. The University of California, Irvine | The Paul Merage School of Business
16. Baldwin Wallace University | School of Business
17. Boston University | Questrom School of Business
18. Georgetown University – The McDonough School of Business
19. Koç University | Koç University Graduate School of Business
20. Michigan State University | Broad College of Business
21. Northwest University | College of Business
22. NVS
23. University of St. Gallen
24. Ohio State University | Fisher College of Business
25. Portland State University|The School of Business
26. Rice University | Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business
27. San Francisco State University | Lam Family College of Business
28. Texas A & M University – Mays Business School
29. Executive MBA, The University of Texas at Austin 
30. University of Rochester | Simon Business School
31. Willamette University | Atkinson Graduate School of Management
32. University of St. Thomas | Opus College of Business
33. Vanderbilt University | Owen Graduate School of Management
34. University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Haslam College of Business
35. William & Mary | Raymond A. Mason School of Business
36. University of Toledo | College of Business and Innovation
37. UCI | Merage
38. University of California, Davis | Graduate School of Management

Note: We will update this list as and when more and more colleges decide to waive off application fees.

In the meanwhile, if you know of any other university whose name is missing, feel free to drop its name in the comments for us to add!

Universities with a conditional college application fee waiver

Sometimes, students can email the admissions office of a university and ask for a fee waiver on the application form. In case the student fulfills certain criteria, the university may waive off the application fee.

The same applies to these colleges during the pandemic. If you meet one of their counselors, attend a certain event or seminar, apply before a deadline, take an exam, or show that you cannot pay the application fee, these universities will likely waive it off.

1. Penn State Smeal College of Business
2. Arizona State University | W. P. Carey School of Business
3. California Lutheran University | School of Management
4. Dartmouth College | Tuck School of Business
5. Eastern Michigan University 
6. Fordham University
7. Georgia Institute of Technology| Scheller College of Business
8. University of British Columbia | UBC Sauder School of Business
9. Northwestern University 
10. University of North Carolina | Kenan-Flagler Business School
11. Johns Hopkins University 
12. California Institute of Technology
13. University of Pennsylvania
14. University of Chicago
15. Stanford University 
16. Yale University 
17. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
18. Harvard University 
19. Princeton University
20. Washington and Lee University 
21. Middlebury College
22. Hamilton College
23. Carleton College
24. United States Naval Academy
25. University of Notre Dame | Mendoza College of Business
26. Claremont McKenna College
27. Bowdoin College
28. Wellesley College
29. Pomona College
30. Swarthmore College
31. Amherst College
32. University of Illinois | Gies College of Business
33. Williams College
34. Oakland University | Graduate School
35. University of Minnesota | Carlson School of Management

If you need information about which specific programs are offering application fee waivers, make sure you contact us for details.

What else are universities doing to make applications easier?

Apart from offering a college application fee waiver, universities are also giving test waivers. What’s more, some are even extending their application deadlines. No wonder more and more students are looking to apply to them.

Universities offering test waivers

While some colleges are offering complete waivers for GRE, GMAT, and SAT exams, others are allowing students to take these tests at a later stage. This is not only because tests like the GRE at-home exam aren’t feasible for everyone but also because these online exams are not available in all countries. Consequently, the list of grad schools waiving GRE has gone on increasing.

1. Bowling Green State University
2. Pratt Institute
3. California State University, Long Beach
4. Middle Tennessee State University
5. Clayton State University
6. Drew University
7. University of Texas, San Antonio
8. Florida State University
9. University of Southern Mississippi
10. South Dakota State University
11. Mississippi State University
12. University of Houston
13. Stevens University
14. Rutgers, New Jersey
15. University of Wisconsin
16. Northeastern University, and many more

Colleges postponing their deadlines 

It’s not easy to decide you want to study abroad and work your way towards it. You need to take a lot of tests, prepare all your documents, and fill the application form on time. Universities understand that. This is why they have decided to give a grace period to international students looking to apply this year. While some colleges are allowing students to apply late, others are extending their scholarship application deadlines.

1. Austin Peay State University
2. Kent State University
3. University of Hawaii
4. Fairmont State University
5. Middle Tennessee State University
6. University of Akron
7. West Texas A&M University
8. University of South Florida

Should I apply to these universities?

My only suggestion to you is this – shortlist your colleges wisely.

Don’t just pick universities because they are waiving application fees. Choose them because you like the course, find the curriculum fascinating, and love the faculty. And if that means you have to pay the fees, do it.

In case you are facing any financial difficulties, email the university. If they say you will definitely have to pay the application fee, return to this blog. Shortlist universities that you like, and apply! You might end up at a place better than you had dreamed of.