Something that irks me about some Colleges

[EdSavoie]

I was recently completing my college applications, and I noticed that one of the ones I had applied to wrote back to me and wanted me to send back some documents based on the questions they provided.

Fair enough, it's a larger and more competitive college.

They then wanted me to send $50 dollars as an application fee in addition to the sum that was paid to send my application to them.

Seriously? Around here at least, from talking with guidance counselors, that's pretty odd. I understand a deposit for things like residence, but a non-refunded fee? Yes, they're for profit organizations but charging $50 to every student applying is just gross. If everyone started doing that, I'd be paying $150 for the first three applications plus the base fee for pulling your transcript and sending it to them.

 

[MRW Lights]

An application fee is unfortunately not at all unheard of. Were you applying to a specific program, or the University in general? In the case of my department we accept program applications first and IF accepted to the program AND you choose to attend our school, then you apply and pay the application fee. Almost no state school will deny you admission on the basis of general studies, some programs also do not allow you to apply until after a year of general studies. It's the business side of education. Try not to cast your net too wide, 3 schools is a good number and definitely don't apply for a school you don't want to go to. By the time you discover you want to transfer you'll have to pay new application fee somewhere else and it can be more difficult to get into a university farther into the game. I hate to put it this way but... they want your money for as long as they can get it. The return is a full degree and all the amenities and community opportunities a University can provide. It's not personal it's business...

 

[MNicolai]

Not uncommon, particularly at the larger schools who receive applications by the truckload and have to review each and every one of them and determine to admit them or not, and whether to provide a financial aid incentive with the admissions paperwork, or not. From the university's perspective, it simply costs time and money to review everything and send out all of the documents they need to send out. This is more of a burden on the schools that have essays and proof-of-performance or proof-of-potential requirements in addition to ACT/SAT/GPA score requirements. Most of that other stuff can go through an automated system but reading essays or looking at portfolios is something humans have to do. These are also the schools that have to reject a fair number of applications, where an application fee eases the burden on the tuition fees of the students who do ultimately end up going to that school.

Assume the people on the other end are making $25/hr with benefits and do this day in and day out for months at a time and it begins to make more sense why applications fees exist. Even if you end up going to a school that has no such fee, your tuition still goes toward someone sitting at a desk and reviewing applications endlessly.

An application fee also serves as filter to keep people from applying who have minimal or zero intention of going to that school but applied for the sake of applying at several schools and having options they can weigh. To avoid inadvertently filtering out low-income students, most (all?) schools waive this fee for those applicants.

 

[EdSavoie]

Well, at least here in Ontario, there's already a fee that's supposed to pay for the processing. I think it's like $50 for the first three picks, and each after that is $30?

 

[josh88]

Wait till you have to start paying fees to turn in rental applications for apartments too.

 

[derekleffew]

... I hate to put it this way but... they want your money for as long as they can get it. ...

Including long after graduation, or for as long as the alumni office has your address (or that of your parents'), up to and following death. "Many of the alums of XYZ U. include the university in their wills..."

As others have said, I suspect it's a case of one low, low fee for application to the university, and then a separate fee for application to the school (or college).

 

[AudJ]

If they didn't collect fees, how would there be any money to pay the accountants, administrators, and administrative assistants in the "Fee Collection" department?

 

[Footer]

Yes, they're for profit organizations but charging $50 to every student applying is just gross. If everyone started doing that, I'd be paying $150 for the first three applications plus the base fee for pulling your transcript and sending it to them.

What school? For profit and this business never go together. Don't do it. Don't even bother applying in the first place. Odds are you will never get an education good enough to pay off the loans that you accrue. If you can't handle an extra 50 bucks for no reason you haven't seen ANYTHING yet.

 

[MikeJ]

Meh, If you get in, go around campus to every photocopier and printer and steal 10-20 reams of paper out of them over the course of a semester. Thats about $50 worth, to recover your costs.