New York, NY (October 8, 2023) – On October 7, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) are waiving college application fees, stating “education is the backbone of our society, and I am committed to providing opportunities that support every student’s journey to a higher education.” 

Application fees ranging from 50 to 100 dollars have long been a source of discontent from students and their families, easily costing several hundred dollars when applying to many schools.

October was proclaimed as College Application Month in New York State by the Governor to raise awareness of the opportunities available and to support students wishing to pursue higher education.  Already in its tenth year, more than 600 high schools across NY State are registered to participate in this year’s program. This is the first time that all these institutions will join together in providing free application opportunities for all high school seniors across the state of New York.

 “I am thrilled that SUNY, CUNY, and several of New York’s private institutions will waive application fees. Removing financial barriers enables students who may not consider completing an application due to financial constraints to take the first steps of their educational journey,” Hochul continued. 

SUNY is waiving application fees across all their 64 colleges and universities from October 16 to October 29, while CUNY is waiving application fees across all of their 25 campuses for high school seniors in NYC public schools for the entire month of October and for all New York State residents applying as a freshman between October 16 to 31.

See below for a complete list of participating schools and their application fee waiver dates according to the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC):

SUNY

CUNY

Private Colleges and Universities