(Last updated: Summer 2010)
Requests for the waiver of the undergraduate application fee will be considered on a case-by-case basis for applicants who can demonstrate significant financial hardship. Waivers are not automatic—a student must request consideration for a fee waiver, and the strength of the documentation, the significance of the need, the timing of the request, and the number of waivers already approved for the term in question are some of the factors that will be considered. The request must be in writing, and supporting documentation must include official, third-party verification of financial hardship. The number of fee waivers that may be issued for each term is limited. The earlier an individual submits an application for admission and all supporting documentation, the greater the likelihood the request may be considered and/or approved.
Examples of documentation that may be submitted to support a student’s petition for the waiver of the application fee include, but are not limited to:
- Official documentation from a financial aid officer or financial aid award statement that a student qualifies for a full Pell Grant (Expected Family Contribution of $0) or has significant need;
- Documentation that a student qualifies for federal free or reduced-price meals;
- Recent documentation that a student qualifies for an SAT or ACT fee waiver;
- Documentation that a student (or a dependent’s family) qualifies for Food Stamps or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);
- Documentation that the annual income of a student (dependent’s family) falls below the National Poverty Level;
- Documentation of financial hardship or special need for active duty military personnel or a veteran upon the recommendation of the WCU director of military education
- Documentation that a student is a foster child or ward of the state; OR
- Other third-party documentation from an official (i.e., school counselor, financial aid officer, social worker, etc.) who can substantiate unusual or significant financial need.
The recentness of the supporting documentation will factor into the decision.
The application for admission, written request for the application fee waiver, and supporting documentation must be submitted to the Office of Admission in advance of any stated application deadlines. WCU reserves the right to modify or eliminate the application fee waiver policy at any point that circumstances warrant such a change.
Phil Cauley
Director of Student Recruitment and Transitions
Western Carolina University