Georgia seniors save on 60+ college applications this month

Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) officials announced that more than 60 colleges and universities in Georgia will waive application fees for high school seniors during November. The program, called Apply to College Month, runs from November 1 through November 30. Students can apply to as many participating schools as they wish without paying the usual fees.

The initiative involves the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and private institutions. GSFC has promoted these application fee waivers every November for the past five years. This is the sixth year of the program. Application fees vary by school, but the waivers allow seniors to save money when applying to multiple institutions.

Governor Brian P. Kemp said the state wants to ensure students have a clear path from classroom to career. “Georgia is the Top State for Talent because we make sure each student has a clear path from the classroom to a great education and career right here in Georgia,” Kemp said. He noted that many top-ranking institutions agreed to allow free applications. Kemp also mentioned the state’s recent restoration of the HOPE Scholarship to cover tuition fully and its largest investment in need-based aid in state history.

Chris Green, president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, said seniors should not have to choose between paying fees and pursuing higher education. “Georgia seniors do not have to choose between paying application fees and pursuing the next step in their higher education journey,” Green said. He encouraged students to visit the GAfutures website to explore the opportunity. Green noted that $1 billion in scholarships and grants is available to help students achieve their college goals.

Students applying to public institutions through the GEORGIA MATCH direct admissions dashboard in November will have the fee waiver applied automatically. For other schools, the full list of participating institutions and instructions for accessing the waivers are available online. The GSFC mission is to help students pursue higher education with the least out-of-pocket costs possible.

Students interested in learning more about application fee waivers, GEORGIA MATCH, or financial aid can schedule a meeting with a regional GSFC Outreach representative. The partnership includes the Georgia Independent College Association. The free application period ends on November 30.