US universities with application fee waivers in 2021

Are you planning to study abroad in the US? The country is home to some of the world’s top universities and attracts throngs of international students to its shores annually. However, you’ll likely know that international students may pay double or triple the tuition that local students do.

While you can save costs on tuition with scholarships, there are still other costs that add up, including in the form of application fees. If you’re looking to cut costs, it’s important to know that some US universities offer application fee waivers to students.

Many international students may apply to several US universities to increase their chances of getting admitted. Application fees could cost up to US$100, which means students could cough up several hundred dollars on application fees alone. Depending on your country’s exchange rates, this could cost a pretty penny.

The good news is there are quite a few US universities that don’t charge any application fees at all. Some offer limited application fee waivers or fee waivers that are exclusive for students who demonstrate financial need, or who meet certain criteria.

Application fees at US universities could cost up to US$100, costing international students a pretty penny when applying to multiple schools. Source: Manjunanth Kiran/AFP

Here are several US universities that offer application fee waivers:

• Southwestern University
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• University of Dayton
• Thomas Aquinas College
• Smith College
• Reed College
• Ohio Wesleyan University 
• University of South, Sewanee 
• University of South Florida (clause applicable)
• Georgetown University (clause applicable)
• University of Dartmouth (clause applicable)
• University of Oregon (clause applicable) 
• Yale University (clause applicable)

Some waivers are built into an application form, while for other US universities, an application must be made separately. If you can’t find details on application fee waivers on your university’s website, consider contacting your university to see if you could qualify for one.

Apart from looking at universities that offer application fee waivers, you could also check with the admissions department for details.