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SUNY and some private college application fees will be waived starting Monday

The SUNY system administration building is pictured in this 2011 file photo by Matt H. Wade.
Matt H. Wade
/
Wikimedia - CC BY-SA 3.0
The SUNY system administration building is pictured in this 2011 file photo by Matt H. Wade.

Prospective college students can apply to more than 130 New York state universities and some private schools for free starting Monday, Oct. 21.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the college application fee waiver on Friday, as part of a New York state initiative called the College Application Month. Those interested can apply to up to five participating schools without having to pay an application fee.

For many universities, that window of opportunity opens on Monday. Depending on the university, the window will be open anywhere from one week to year-round.

“We’re empowering students across the state to take the first step toward achieving their educational and career goals while removing the financial obstacles that may deter students from pursuing higher education,” Hochul said in a statement.

Hochul added that the application waiver program is about breaking down barriers and opening doors to future opportunities.

“No student should ever be discouraged from pursuing a path to higher education because of the cost of applying,” state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement. “Waiving application fees sends a clear message to all high school seniors who aspire to higher education: ‘We want you to attend one of New York’s world-class colleges or universities; we want you to succeed.'”

The following schools in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region are participating. A complete list of participating colleges and universities with their specific timeframes for free applications can be found on the state website.

Finger Lakes Community College 
Year-round 
 
SUNY Fredonia 
Oct. 21 – Nov. 3 
 
SUNY Geneseo 
Oct. 21 – Nov. 3 
 
Monroe Community College 
Year-round 
 
Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing 
October 
 
Hobart and William Smith Colleges 
Year-round 
 
Houghton University 
Year-round 
 
Ithaca College 
October 
 
Keuka College 
Year-round 
 
Nazareth University 
Year-round 
 
Roberts Wesleyan University 
Year-round 
 
Rochester Institute of Technology 
October 
 
St. John Fisher University 
Year-round 
 

Noelle E. C. Evans is WXXI's Murrow Award-winning Education reporter/producer.