Governor Josh Stein has declared the week of October 20 College Application Week in North Carolina.
Throughout this week, 45 colleges and universities across the state are waiving their application fees for students who submit a college application through College for North Carolina's website. College for North Carolina is a free service of the state that helps students plan, apply, and pay for college.
College Application Week is an opportunity for prospective, first-time college students to save on fees that typically run about $50 per application or more.
"College applications can be pretty expensive, and depending upon how many a student is completing, the fees can really add up. This is one way you can offset that cost and save a few dollars," said Sarita Broadway, the organization’s associate outreach director.
A range of public and private colleges are participating in the program to waive application fees this week. However, some of the state's most selective universities - including Duke, NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest - do not participate. And all of North Carolina's 58 community colleges have free applications year-round.
Last year, about 17,000 North Carolina students submitted at least one application during College Application Week.
High schools across the state are also hosting events to help students complete applications, begin applying for federal student aid, and declare their in-state residency.
"We know it can be a little bit of an anxiety, it can be intimidating a little bit as well, and we don't want our students to run into snags and not have questions answered," Broadway said.
Students must apply directly through College for North Carolina's website by 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 26, to have their application fees waived.
