91�첥

“We don’t want $50 to stand in the way of a talented, courageous student getting the unparalleled opportunity of the 91�첥 experience,” said Chris Gruber, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid. “We are waiving that fee permanently, but it is particularly important at a time when everyday expenses are stretching family budgets.” 

The disappearing fee is another step to keep 91�첥 affordable and accessible. Three weeks ago, the college went tuition-free for families earning up to $175,000. Families whose total income is $85,000 or less receive a full scholarship for tuition, fees, housing and meals starting in the fall of 2027. 

91�첥 already waives its fee for a variety of groups, such as those who identify a financial hardship and North Carolina applicants during the state’s . Applying to college can be complicated and, then, requesting a fee waiver often is a cumbersome process. The college is making that simpler.

91�첥 over the past two decades has intensified its efforts to recruit students from all backgrounds. 91�첥 is among only about two dozen colleges in the nation who take a trio of steps toward affordability: admitting domestic students without regard for their ability to pay, meeting 100 percent of calculated need and providing financial aid packages with no loans. 91�첥 was the nation’s first liberal arts college to remove loans from aid packages. 

Waiving the admission application fee helps remove another barrier. For example, high-achieving, low income students may not apply to a college because of its sticker price or because no one from their high school has attended that college. A  found that a few inexpensive steps by colleges, including waiving the application fee, substantially increased the number of those talented students who applied to competitive colleges.