BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – It’s Free Application Week in Texas, and families across the state have a limited-time chance to save money on the college admissions process. Every public university in Texas, including Texas A&M University, is waiving application fees for Texas residents who apply this week.
“This means an opportunity to save some money,” said Eric Watson, senior associate director of recruitment with the Texas A&M Admissions Office. “If you have a student that is applying to multiple colleges, you may already start to feel the pinch of how expensive it can be to apply to multiple colleges and have to pay those application fees to do so.”
Watson said the free application window isn’t limited to graduating high school seniors. It’s open to first-time college students, high school freshmen beginning to think about the process, transfer students, and even adults who’ve put off applying for years. “Here’s a free opportunity to be able to apply to any other public schools within the state of Texas,” he said.
This is only the second year the initiative has existed, meaning some families may not even know it’s available. Last year’s inaugural Free Application Week drew more than 260,000 applications submitted statewide in a single week, Monday through Sunday. Texas A&M alone received more than 9,000 applications during that stretch. Watson said the timing also lines up with another key step in the process: submitting the TASFA and FAFSA for financial aid. “All these different applications are kind of coming together at the same time, and it’s giving families that opportunity to go ahead and get things done that they need to,” he said.
Watson emphasized that the application process itself is no different this week, but the fee waiver is only available for a limited time. Students must not only start but also fully submit their applications by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, for the fee to be waived. “Anybody who wants to take advantage of free application week has until 11:59 on Sunday, Oct. 18th, to get that application submitted, not just started, but they have to actually submit it in order for it to actually work,” Watson said. Texas A&M has recruiters working directly with high school counselors and students to help them finish and submit applications before the deadline. After Sunday, the standard $75 Texas A&M application fee returns.
Families interested in applying to Texas A&M can start at the university’s admissions website, admissions.tamu.edu. Applicants select their status as freshman, transfer or readmit, then follow the steps through either the ApplyTexas application or the Common Application, submitting an essay, letters of recommendation if applicable, and their academic record. Watson noted Texas A&M remains test-optional, so applicants do not need to submit SAT or ACT scores this year.
Students who miss this week’s fee waiver aren’t out of options. Texas A&M will continue accepting applications through the traditional process until Dec. 1, and Watson said the university typically sees another spike in applications in November, especially around Thanksgiving week, as that deadline approaches. Still, he encouraged families not to wait. “Please take advantage of this week,” Watson said.
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